Upton Tea Imports

Have been doing thunderdome rounds between 2 Uptons at a time. Drank this yesterday afternoon when Steepster was down, comparing it to Upton’s other Thurbo 1st flush. And I was doing a darjeeling-a-thon the whole day; later I compared two Thurbo 2nd flushes and then moved on to the Margaret’s Hopes.

These are both very light and gentle, yet still with lots of beautiful, feminine, light-as-air flavor (bless darjeelings!). They both brew up a pretty burnt gold/blonde wood hue. Definitely would not drink either of these with milk or sugar.

This one’s more muscatel, more flowery, more refreshing. Pretty sure I like it slightly better, but they’re both good! A tad more astringent, but that is not saying much as these are both so delicate and gentle astringency isn’t an issue.

Have been doing thunderdome rounds between 2 Uptons at a time. Drank this yesterday afternoon when Steepster was down, comparing it to Upton’s Margaret’s Hope 2nd flush White Delight. And I was doing a darjeeling-a-thon the whole day; I compared two Thurbo 1st flushes and later two Thurbo 2nd flushes and then moved on to the Margaret’s Hopes.

Looks the part of a 2nd flush darjeeling in the cup, that pretty reddish brown. Smells lovely dry, that oh so slight musky perfume thing.

I really like the way this smells both dry and in the cup. Get the feeling I don’t quite love it in the cup as much as the winning 2nd flush Thurbo though. More astringent, which is eh, but also has a gentle lingering sort of…rooty, slightly bitter flavor that is actually quite good, and doesn’t show up at first, it takes a bit. That part’s cool. Earthy, a bit mineral/granite-y, kind of like soil, some rootiness. A nice vegetal flavor eventually shows up too, and as it cools a sweetness comes in at the finish of the swallow that’s nicely balanced with the other stuff.

So. It’s slightly astringent for my tastes, but the other stuff almost kinda makes up for it…complex and subtle, the way darjeelings are wont to be. I would drink it again…it’s not an easygoing drink-while-distracted-or-in-need-of-babying-comfort cup, but an interesting, fun-to-experience-its-nuances thing. The astringency is what keeps it from being something I could pick as my everyday-like-a-favorite-pair-of-jeans,-pick-only-one darjeeling.

Have been doing thunderdome rounds between 2 Uptons at a time. Drank this yesterday afternoon when Steepster was down, comparing it to Upton’s Margaret’s Hope 2nd flush muscatel (DJ-191).

Predictably (given its name) much lighter, a goldish color. The smell is a little grassy and more herbal than the Margaret’s Hope Muscatel, and the leaves look it, too—longer, greener. This is a nice change of pace for darjeelings—it’s like a cross between a 1st flush Thurbo darjeeling (or a Nepali like a Fikkal) with white tea, one with jasmine. It’s very delicate. I like it, but I’m not sure I prefer it over, say, a 1st flush darjeeling. It’s very floral in a gentle way without being terribly sweet. Actually, as it cools it begins to taste sweeter and nuttier…the longer I drink this the more I like it. I don’t think given where I am general flavor preference-wise right now it’d be a regular tea yet, but I would happily order it in small doses and occasionally enjoy it when I want something light and feminine like a white but also am jonesing for my regular darjeeling fix.

Towards the end I appreciate more and more how it’s rather smooth, almost slightly creamy. Kind of has a sweet almond thing going once tepid.

General notes, not comparing just these two but for the whole day’s darjeeling-a-thon (I compared two Thurbo 1st flushes and later two Thurbo 2nd flushes and then moved on to the Margaret’s Hopes):
In general, at first while piping hot both of these seem gentler in terms of “darjeeling characteristics” than the 2nd flush Thurbo I liked best among all the Thurbos (1st and 2nd flushes). It would probably be a good idea at some point to compare the White Delight with my favored 1st flush Thurbo from earlier and decide which I like best—I have a feeling it’d be the Thurbo.

After reading SimplyJenW’s tasting notes on this tea, I added it to my order this week when I was reordering my standard breakfast Keemun. I knew I’d love it, and I’m pleased to say I was right! The smoooooth, cocoa-y flavor made me smile involuntarily at the very first sip, reminding me of other China black cocoa-y favorites that I’ve saved for special moments. What a thrill to find one that’s affordable enough to enjoy every day — although I’ll probably still reserve it for weekends, to preserve its “special” status.

The leaves smell like dark chocolate and fruit jam in the bag, in fact this might be the most chocolatey smelling Yunnan I’ve experienced thus far. Brewed up pretty dark. The interesting thing is on taste, it tastes like Yunnan tea, yet it also reminds me of a Darjeeling. I added a little sugar and now it tastes more like a good, robust Yunnan. Kind of molasses like. I’d order this again if the price is right.

Tasty black with some fruitiness – this has been my go to tea when I’m drinking black lately. Great value. Large leaves unfurl when steeped. A little earthy but very balanced and smooth and I have yet to oversteep it – not a ton of tannins here. Sometimes its nice with a touch of sugar.

The smell before adding water reminds me of cocoa and pepper. After steeping it smells unique to anything I’ve had thus far, kind of like honey mixed with something roasty… should be interesting to drink. The taste is rich and slightly smoke-like, but in a smoother, more understated way than a lapsang. That peppery spicey note I got on smell also comes through on taste. It also has some minerally notes. This tea kind of reminds me of some of the Indian teas I’ve tried, except this tastes more the way I wish the Indian teas were whenever I’m having them. Surprisingly smooth, creamy mouthfeel compared to some other Keemuns I have tried. Great iced as well.

Fake chocolate scent and flavor :( otherwise a nice EG. I’m going to have trouble getting past the fake flavor though. Maybe my friend might like it …

This is one of the better Assams I’ve had lately. Smells sweet and cocoa-like in the bag. On drinking it, it has that brisk, malty tasting Assam tea character, but also has an almost smokey or roasty taste to it that kind of reminds me of Keemun tea. I was going to add sugar, but I’m enjoying it so much without… it’ll have to wait until next time. The current batch is pretty reasonably priced. Iced I like it even more, tastes kind of like some of the more expensive Assam teas I like. Iced score 86, hot score 84.

The smell of the brewed leaves and brewed liquor is lovely with a nice fig-like tobacco smell with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. The taste is extremely smooth and nuanced. Not quite as complex as the smell from the actual leaves, but still nice. There is no astringency at all and it almost seems like a less smokey Keemun or a mild Assam. I think I could drink this every morning . . . its quite excellent and tastes lovely with a breakfast pastry.

First cup of the day. I’ve lost a little of my love for Earl Greys, I think because there are just so very many out there. I’ve yet to explore the world of cream EG’s, and this may be the beginning of a beautiful thing! This tea leaves smell like a creamy and sweet lemon dessert. The tea itself has a black tea and vanilla aroma, with just a hint of bergamot. The flavor is more robust than I was expecting, with a really strong lemon note. The light, creamy vanilla citrus flavor comes in the aftertaste. Adding a little milk seems to soften all of the flavors nicely. This tea reminds me of a light, airy dessert. Thank you, Mercuryhime, for this sample!

Birds have built a nest in a vent outlet just above our back porch. From inside, it sounds like the birds are right in the wall between the kitchen and bathroom. All of the chirping can be a bit annoying, but it is funny how every time we make a loud noise inside, it sets all of the babies off chirping like crazy. I hope that they are ready to leave the nest soon (and it sounds like they are!) so we can close up that vent! :)

-Dry blend has medium black tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell like creamy and sweet lemon. Tea liquor aroma is of black tea and vanilla with a hint of bergamot.
-Tea liquor is a clear dark orange brown color.
-Strong malty and lemon flavor and finish. Light creamy vanilla citrus aftertaste.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Very good tea. A soft and creamy cup. Reminiscent of a light lemony dessert.

Backlog:

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea.

Delicious and robust. A nice balance between the Ceylon and Assam teas used in this blend. The Ceylon is bright and the Assam is rich and malty. The overall cup was very satisfying … a good Breakfast Blend. I brewed my cuppa for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch … I don’t recommend oversteeping this tea … my cup wasn’t bitter, but there was a fair amount of astringency to the cup.

In the package it smells like fruit preserves (good ones, I keep sticking my nose in the bag, haha).
Taste: I get the normal Yunnan tea flavors out of this, yet this one seems to be slightly more floral/fruity/sweet tasting than the average Yunnan black, for me at least. That sweetness lingers in the aftertaste, which is probably my favorite thing about this tea. I added sugar anyhow and that really brings out the fruit preserve-like notes. This particular order had a good amount of golden leaves in it. I iced the last of it and it was great that way.

Another cup of the afternoon…..

I have some very interesting samples from Upton. This is the first of about three, I think. I love Golden Monkey, so I thought this would be a perfectly fun choice for me.

The leaves are long and there are some golden leaves. The scent of the dry leaves is earthy and of dark cocoa. Brewed up it very much reminds me of the black dragon pearl teas. Dark cocoa notes, definitely toasty. Not as sweet as the Golden version, but still very good. I am not sure I need this and my black dragon pearl tea, but it was definitely worth a taste.

Usual mug method.

Today was rough and hectic, and you know how it is when you need 15 minutes of calm in the eye of the storm—you reach for a tea you know well, that doesn’t ask a lot of your attention but delivers pleasure and nostalgia. Thank you, Lavender Earl Grey. You were just what I needed. That first inhalation of the fragrance I know so well instantly soothed. The way you can stand up to some milk doesn’t hurt either.

I like how balanced this Earl Grey is—it’s not super bold but it’s not flimsy or thin either, just right. As others have mentioned, the lavender is far more overpowering aroma-wise dry before brewing, and is just right in the cup—which totally works for me, as I love the smell but wouldn’t want to get that soapy feeling one gets consuming too much lavender.

It can hold up to some milk and a bit of sugar, but tastes good alone too—again, versatile and easy-going.

This is a great everyday afternoon pick-me-up tea, not hugely distracting/busy but still delicious. It’s a regular for me because it doesn’t ask for too much of my attention (it doesn’t haunt me like some more dessert-y rich flavored blends) but always offers a welcome break in the day.

I’ve just found a sample in my fridge and looks like it’s been there for a while. Though I actually do like Thurbo Estate FF Darjeelings, this one I would pass on. I can’t taste any of the described tropical fruit sweetness. My sample on the contrary is astringent, with a bitter and dry aftertaste.

I like this better than the Ko-Kei Cha, which was very grassy tasting. This has more subtle flavors, and a little bit of sweet banana twinge at the end. It’s nice.

Looks interesting in the bag: there is a mix of green and darker, mostly whole leaves. Smells a little bit like a Chinese black tea (but obviously this is something totally different). It also reminds me of the scent in the air when I used to inner-tube down this river up in the Sierras. Brews up an olive green color. The taste is surprisingly smooth. I don’t really know what to compare it to, it basically tastes like it smells. I guess I’d say earthy and woody. The person I shared it with said “I could drink this instead of coffee.”

So this is the first black blend that I’ve tried from Upton. I like Vanilla and enjoy Assam, so though this would be just right. I like it, but in the end it was just okay for me. The leaves are dark and medium sized with small bits of vanilla. The smell is a lovely mix of chocolate and vanilla with the hint of Assam spiciness. I think this might be a good afternoon tea on a cool day. When I drink the beverage with milk and sugar, I really don’t like it; it makes the vanilla too sweet and loses some of the tea flavor. Drank it bare on a second steep. The vanilla though nice and mild seems a bitter superficial and the tea a bit astringent. Its nice, but didn’t quite live up to the expectations of a deep bourbon-like vanilla and good Assam.

This smells like campfire in the bag as expected, but it’s also kind of earthy..with something almost sweet going on too, like cinnamon rolls maybe?
After waiting forever for it to cool down, this tastes good. It is definitely smokey, but not offensively. It also tastes a bit piney and woody. That earthy smell I mentioned comes through on taste as well. As with this company’s current baker street blend, this would be perfect tea for a cold winter night. I can’t make up my mind if I prefer this with or without sugar.

into the swap box this one goes. I picked it up on a whim since we were ordering from upton anyway and i wanted to see how it compares to other honeybush teas that i’ve had. I’ll take others before this one please. The vanilla isn’t a strong flavour in this one and there’s a slightly medicinal taste that i’m not a fan of. Oh well, good to try at least.

This is a lovely black brew with twisty little dark leaves. When I smell the brewed leaves a hint of spiced orange and apricot come through. I think this is very comparable to a golden monkey or similar Fujian black tea though this is from Anhui. Its not as deep as my favorite Keemun or as complex as my favorite Darjeeling, but still quite tasty. There is a whiff of smokiness that is worked with the sweet honey notes and a bit of astringency at the front of the notes.

This is my standby oolong at work. It is really tasty, but cheap enough that if I get distracted I won’t be mad if I brew a cup then not return to my desk for an hour and have to make a new cup. It has a nice baked aroma with some honey sweetness. The tea itself is a little bit like honey with a slight bit of tannin. Nothing too complex, but good to sip on throughout the day.