Upton Tea Imports

Today has been an overwhelming day! I got some amazing gifts in the mail from my wonderful family which made the fact that I feel like utter and complete garbage a lot more tolerable. Even though my body is a wreck my spirit is practically vibrating with happiness, ’tis the season after all. Today though we have a tea that is evocative of Summer, for those living in warmer climates.

Maracuja Flavored Tea from Upton Tea Imports is a China Black Tea flavored with Maracuja (Passion Fruit) Essence, Sunflower blossoms, and Sugared Peach bits. The aroma is very sweet and tropical fruity, not tropical like coconuts and palm trees but more like exotic tropical fruits. There is a tart citrus tone to it and mild notes of floral that make me think of dragonfruit or soursop.

Steeping the tea gives the leaves a maltier flare with bright citrus notes and a tropical flare. I can definitely tell that this tea has the essence of passion fruit and peach since both are noticeable. The liquid is malty and bright with sweet, fruity notes. It smells very dessert like and exotic.

The taste is mildly malty with a bit of tartness and citric tones. For all the tea’s sweet aroma the flavor is not very sweet so adding a bit of sugar does not cause it to become saccharine. After I added a bit of sugar I noticed the taste of passion fruit and a tiny hint of peach. This tea is not bad, not spectacular but certainly enjoyable. I found that drinking this tea iced was also enjoyable, making it a good choice for summer sipping.

For blog and photo: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/upton-tea-imports-maracuja-flavored-tea.html

Really liking this blend; it has a brisk and sweet taste. Almost no astringency or bitterness. Definitely can feel the caffeine from this one, a good morning to afternoon cup in my opinion, it may have kept me awake at night when having a cup with dinner. I would buy this again, only received a small sample from upton with my most recent order. Very tasty.

I must have sent a sample of this to someone, because it’s opened in my sample box. I forget who, but will look to see if anyone has reviewed this, after I review it myself. ;)

I’m in a good mood today. Lots of sleep (even though I’m still fighting a cold), and my kids are signing me a song from The Sound of Music. My almost 6-year-old just belted out, “… when I’m feeling bad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel, so… bad….” And now he’s changing the words. “When the dog bites, when the pillow falls, when I’m feeling poopy…” Yep, it’s that kind of day at my house.

Onto the tea. This is a straightforward black that delivers what it sells. It’s got spice (clove is what I smell and taste), and then some orange, with a touch of creaminess. It’s better with Truvia. Simple, straightforward, yummy.

Everyone, brace yourselves, I am about to use the the phrase ‘is whack’ in a sentence unironically. My sleep schedule is whack because instead of sleeping last night before my friend’s graduation I decided to stay up all night. It was all good though, the graduation was a ceremony, I got to be a photographer, and the University Dean thought I was a Grad Student because I am so knowledgeable. I think my nerd score just went up a level on that one. Today we are looking at another of of my backlogged journal entries from earlier times!

Young Hyson from Upton Tea Imports is a Chinese Green Tea of the Chun Mee family (meaning it is a small, twisted leaf) and is known as Yu Chin Ch’a in China. There is a bit of contention about the name Hyson though, it is not clear if it is named for the English tea merchant Phillip Hyson or if it is a descriptive name (flourishing spring) for its time of harvest. The aroma of this tea is vegetal and sweet mixing notes of artichoke, white grapes, and a hint of citrus. It is mild and refreshing, the aroma is very much so something I would want refreshing me on a warm day.

Once the leaves are introduced to their watery bath the aroma become much sweeter and citrusy. I notice that it is no longer a vegetal aroma but a vegetation aroma that wafts out of the steeped leaves. It is very much the aroma of things growing in springtime. The liquid is surprisingly mild, there is very little aroma except for a delicate hint of vegetal, specifically spinach.

The taste is mild, mixing fresh spring green with a touch of bitterness that is similar to arugala. The comparison to bitter greens is actually not far off with this tea, it is a touch bitter, a touch savory, and a touch vegetal. There is also a gentle smokey aftertaste that fades fairly quickly. This tea is not a bad tea but it is also not one to write home about, I found it unspectacular and would choose other greens over this tea. I did find that as it cools it takes on a sweet and floral note which makes me curious as to how it would taste as an iced tea. Perhaps I will have to give this tea another visit when Summer comes around again!

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/upton-tea-import-young-hyson-tea-review.html

MissB sent this my way and in the bag it smelled so sweet and so tasty. It almost smelled of fruit punch. When I took my first sip, there was something I immediately did not like. I checked out the ingredients and pinpointed it right away – hibiscus. I don’t understand why tea companies insist on throwing hibiscus into almost all of their herbals. The teas always smell sweet and then the hibiscus always adds a tartness that makes me just a little bit sad. Nonetheless, once I realized what was making me unhappy, I was able to try looking past it to try the other flavors. I am liking the plum in this however I think the cinnamon is adding a woody-ness that is also not for me. All in all, I am glad I got to try this, and I think I will get through the cup, but this is just not for me. Sorry MissB but this was a miss however thank you for letting me try it out.

Only had a few cups before passing off the rest of my batch to my father who is a black tea fan. No complaints, very malty with a round flavor. Enjoyed it but not really my go-to cup. Getting a couple more black teas in the mail soon from Upton, going to review soon.

First time with this type of tea. It was different, highly vegetal but with a lingering sweetness which was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s been about a year since my last batch tried from Upton. Could go for it again to treat myself.

Unfortunately now out of stock, I enjoyed this tea. It’s been too long since I had the last cup of the batch but I recall sweet notes, maybe with an earthy undertone. Very pleasant.

Backlog:

A really pleasant Ceylon. A smaller cut than what I’d expect from a BOP, but really, that’s my only complaint about this tea. It’s a good, satisfying Ceylon. Earthy, sweet with honey-esque tones, a hint of malt, with a slight citrus finish.

Backlog:

This is a very interesting tea. I like the combination of Darjeeling and Yunnan, because they are quite different in taste and body but they work well together.

Notes of fermented grape, honey, caramel and flower. A complex cuppa with a very enjoyable texture.

Tea #6 from Another TTB
Wow! This one reminds me of Mandala Tea’s Special dark, however Might actually like this one a tad bit better (guilty). The cocoa taste is very prominent and the spices come through making this a cozy cup. It’s not quite as astringent as I found special dark to be. I don’t know… I’ll need to have these two side by side some time. Unfortunately this was the last leg of this teas journey in the box… I sampled the last bit of it:( I wish there was more:( I’ll have to add this to my shopping list. To whoever added this one, my deepest thanks:) I love it.

Delicate tea with just enough flavor, brightness and bitterness to make it easy to drink most any time.

This has been on my shopping list for so long and so I was very happy to see this sad little sample in my first traveling tea box. It was just enough for a cup, stored in a squished up Ziplock bag. I think it was meant to be! This tea brews up a lovely golden cup. It smells like a sweet fruit, something between a pear and an apple. There is also a little bit of a metallic note in the background. I think it’ll likely disappear when it comes time to drinking it, but it’s not terribly pleasant.

Sipping… I taste a sweet, juicy pear. It’s nice because I’m not just getting the flavor, but the texture of the fruit. The sip finishes with the green rooibos base. It’s a very flavorful, but light tea at the same time. There is a little something odd about the general taste of the tea. I’m not sure how to describe it… perhaps the artificial flavor? It’s not bad enough to keep me from drinking, but it’s not really something I want in my tea.

I’m happy to have gotten the chance to try this tea after wanting to for so long, even though it’s not a future purchase for me.

Backlog:

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea to try. A really decent Ceylon. Very flavorful. Sweet fruit notes, faint hints of earth, moderately astringent, and an aftertaste that is like citrus. A pleasing, medium-bodied cuppa.

This is the 2011 batch, which isn’t available any more from Upton. But I thought I’d write a review anyway.

I really liked this tea. It had character and richness but was completely smooth, with a mouthfeel that was almost milky-silky. The brewed tea was beautiful coppery clear brown, and had peach, cured wood, and muted vegetal scents. Better without milk.

I brewed 2.20 cupweight in 12 oz water poured from a just-boiled electric kettle, 5 minutes. (Directions on Upton’s packet said 3-6 minutes, which is a larger range than I usually see for tea brewing time.)

After I poured off the tea I hovered over the teapot and enjoyed the steam rising off the wet leaves. I got sweet rich scents of earth and chocolate, and perhaps dry grass.

Neat, I found the tea a bit too thin and sharp-tasting.

With a bit of 2% milk (not as much as I put in Assams or the Ceylons that can take it), I thought the taste was a bit funny, reminiscent of the clash between dairy and citrus.

I found it hard to “place” this tea – it had a neutral pleasing quality but no personality I could recognize. Yet it did have a “satisfying mouth feel” as Upton puts it. Odd. It’s almost like how tea tastes when you are reading something very interesting; your attention is usurped by the text, and your mind just registers “I’m drinking tea” rather than getting into the flavors and experience of it. A good “background” tea, then, when you want a good cup but don’t want to fuss all gourmand-like over it.

Holy floral bergamot, Batman! This is one strongly flavored tea.

I can’t remember why I grabbed this initially – I think perhaps it was to assuage a guy I once knew that loves Earl Grey, and wanted more decaf options, so I grabbed him this sample. Regardless, he’s out of the picture and this tea is what fell on me tonight, and so… I’m drinking it.

It smells VERY strongly of bergamot in the bag, and even more so as it steeps. This is very definitely a strong tea. Plus, an EIGHT minute steep? Okay, if you say so.. and it’s strong. Faintly floral, very bergamot, and a hint of rooibos.

I think if I was gaga for strong Earl Greys and wanted a nighttime fix, I’d drink this. Is it for me? Not really.

this enticing sample came to me by way of MissB.

not a blend i would normally have purchased for myself, but lovely to try nonetheless. this tea is stewed apricots in a cup! i have tried mangosteen, lychee, dragonfruit and any number of other exotic fruits that make steepster’s autocorrect put endless red squiggly lines under my writing.

i had never heard of maracuja before, and i will likely forget the name until i read it again, lol. i will however forever remember this blend as rich, heavy, juicy stewed apricots. delectable.

It’s pretty much cold all the time now. That’s when I enjoy making a large pot of tea to drink throughout the day. I usually prefer to go with a caffeine free tea or else I’d be bouncing off the walls after my second cup. I’ve had this particular sample for a while now. I should not have waited so long.
The dry leaves smelled like intense sweet honey and plum jam. Wow. There’s practically zero body in the brewed tea, but there is a lot of aroma and flavor. I much prefer this over the fermented variety. So much fresher and fruitier. I’d imagine that this is much better for pairing for fruity favoring than the fermented variety. But the fermented kind has more body so maybe that’s why? Dunno.
Anyway, I’ll be happy to drink this pot down to keep me warm today. :)

Underleafed and seriously oversteeped, this just isn’t drinkable. Boo. Totally my bad. Sipdown though, and will order more soon-ish.

Gulped it down like it was nobody’s business. For some reason I only ordered another sampler size of this, and I should order more next time. Woot!

Beautifully well-balanced cup!

Wasn’t much to this other than a ‘normal’ chai smell both in the bag and as it brewed. It’s got a bit of bite to it at the end (just like it says in the description), however it’s minor and complements the tea well. I can taste everything here in perfect proportions… cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, even the black decaf. I think it’s perfect just as a decaf black; adding Truvia upped the ginger a bit and the heat dimmed down ever so slightly.

Tea #6 from Another TTB (5th and last darjeeling sampled this morning)

Of the five darjeelings I tried this morning, I liked this one the least. It tastes musty, like old clothes in an attic with moth balls and cat pee too. icky.

Tea #5 From Another TTB and fourth darjeeling sampled this morning

This first flush darjeeling has much of the flavor characteristics as Giddapahar Musk from Thunderbolt teas, but they are not as pronounced. Namely the sparkling (and astringent) characteristic. The liquor is in between the colors of the other 1st and 2nd flush darjeelings that I brewed thismorning.