Upton Tea Imports

Quite possibly my favorite tea.

I cannot say enough good things about Upton Tea imports. Huge selection, and extremely reasonable prices. Generally much lower (in my experience) than Peet’s, Teavana, etc.

The leaves look a bit like coarsely ground coffee, and as such they can hold up to scalding water and long steeping without leaving a bitter aftertaste. A superb alternative to standard breakfast teas.

The delicate scent and taste of the rose petals enhance, rather than mask, the taste of the tea itself. Can be saved for special occasions, but easy enough to drink on a daily basis.

One of my personal favorites – very delicate, and slightly sweet. Almost straddles the gap (cup?) between budset white teas and greens. Upton often carries both this version, which is grown in the PRC, and also Taiwanese teas in the same style (which are cheaper, and typically good, if not quite as good by my standards).

Supposedly even better for us than red rooibos, this unoxidized version is mild-tasting and faintly grassy. I like it, but I prefer red rooibos, all in all.

Delicious stuff – quite a bit like a white, but subtly different. Rare primarily because it requires very special preparation, and number of tea masters who have the skill is dwindling.

This was Chairman Mao’s favorite tea, allegedly.

I don’t generally like flavored teas, but I’ll make a small exception for this one. The base tea is undistinguished, but the osmanthus would overwhelm anything it was paired with anyhow. It makes me think of the huge osmanthus in Portland’s Classical Chinese Garden, which is so fragrant when it blooms that it scents the whole neighborhood.

Nice black tea base with strong tropical fruit flavors. Great when iced and mixed with Upton’s Mango Indica.

Nice black tea base with delicious mango flavor. Great when iced.

I may have a bias because I generally don’t like tisanes, but this particular tisane is so cloying with its over-the-top flavour. I mixed it with a basic black tea to bring down the syrupiness a notch, which generally helps, but the cinnamon in this tea overpowers everything else.

Reasonably strong black tea with pronounced apricot flavor. Great iced, and especially mixed with Upton’s peach tea with flowers.

Basic black tea flavor with a good amount of peach. Superb when iced.

Basic black tea flavor with a good amount of peach. Superb when iced.

Full 5 minute steep in boiling water. The dark liquor is rich in notes of vanilla and caramel. Flavor improves upon cooling. Like mine with little raw sugar or honey.

Water – fresh from city tap, Brita filtered, just off boiling.
Pot – white Chatsford Bone China 2-Cup Teapot
Leaf Quantity – 1 full teaspoon
Steep Time – 4.5 min.
Very good cup with good malty charcater, not fruity. Takes a little mike + raw sugar well to enhance a smooth maltiness in the cup. Keeps well in a covered pot fo up to 90 min.

4 gm tea, 8 oz water 190F, 2-8 min, steeped 5 times. I like this one more than most dark oolongs I’ve sampled. That it’s not too costly is a factor. The flavor is rich and well-integrated. No single one jumps out at me, but the effect is deep and satisfying. It’s going on shopping list; may buy, after tasting one other sample I’ve received.

Resteep 212F water 5 min, covered infuser. Drank this plain, just as the first steep. ‘Plain’ does not apply, though, to the liquor color, aroma and flavor, which are still quite good. And a resteep certainly wasn’t necessary in order to place this extraordinary Yunnan gold at the top of my list of self-drinking blacks.

Big bold dry tea, well twisted whole leaf, brown and gold, spicy sweet aroma. 2 tsp in 10 oz 212F water 5 min, covered infuser. Liquor is slightly hazy amber-brown. Smooth, rich nutty flavor, slight tannin dryness, full-bodied self-drinking. I’ve been seeking black teas with outstanding flavor but still mellow enough that I can enjoy them unsullied by milk or sugar. Happily, this Golden Tip Yunnan fits the description.

A fresh cup of bitter frustration. Out of respect for the complexities of white and oolong teas, I’m willing to check temps with the thermometer. But as demonstrated with this cup, it is guesstimates for the greens, which arguably are less forgiving of poor technique. As I ponder, this oyster of irony emits pearls of wisdom. So far though, I evade them, sensing they do not apply solely to tea.

Resteep with cooler water gave a less flavorful, but smoother, brew. Light yellow liquor, faint sweet aroma, thin mouthfeel. Greens are challenging for me, despite wanting to find some I really enjoy. This one seems barely worth drinking. If that is the most I can say, perhaps this sample will be the last of it.

This Ceylon Green is small curls, not as tight as gunpowder. 10 oz 180F (guesstimated) 3 min as recommended turned out brisker than I wanted. Serious existential question: “Will a green tea ever inspire me to get out the thermometer?”