Upton Tea Imports

This is a pleasantly smooth vanilla flavored tea. I don’t know if it would be robust enough to stand up to milk well, but it is great for drinking on its own. I tried it a second time mixed with the decaf caramel Darjeeling I made a while back and the flavors complimented each other incredibly well!

This was a free sample from Upton. Its not bad, tobacco and oaky notes, but the finish is quite thin and makes this tea a bit boring. My dad likes it because its not astringent. I’d pass on buying any more of this one.

The sample I got said Lumbini Estate Breakfast TC 43 but this seemed to be the closest in the database here. It had smaller leaf, but with some golden tips. It brewed up strong, nutty and sweet but with a slight astringent finish. I don’t mind the aftertaste, but my dad didn’t care for it. I would add this to an order, it’s a nice cup.

I had to add this tea and write the note to remind me that I don’t like this tea. The ingredients list is promising and it does include the ginger that Uptons masala chai is lacking But the result is muddled, not licorice not pumpkin and only slightly spicy ginger. Big swing and a miss from me.

Tannic and metallic. A bit less offensive as it cools. Got a thumbs down from my dad and meh from me.

I got several sample teas from Upton to taste test with my dad, and this was a decent breakfast blend. It’s slightly astringent to start and then very smooth to finish. The second steep was quite a bit weaker than the first. Neither my dad nor I felt the need to drink this again.

Actually very Nice. Herbal, I taste the basil, but also hints of mint and clove, and maybe anise. Nice aroma and light yellowish-brown tint to the tea.

A Very nice smooth Assam tea.
medium tannins, light copper color. Nice traditional black tea scent.
A great afternoon tea

TTB tea! The scent is so fresh and reminds me of grapefruit. I taste more black tea than anything else, and it’s a pretty hearty base. I guess I wish it were balanced a bit differently, but this isn’t bad!

A Bit stronger than I remember their “standard” Lapsang from several years back, but good.
medium-dark brew, slightly smoky /peaty smell. A bit lighter on the “tea” flavor.
I’ve had better, but its OK.

— Color of liquor: Reddish copper brown

— Aroma: Slight muscatel, slight floral

— Flavors: Muscatel, slight cherry, slight astringent

About five years ago, I had a wonderful second flush Darjeeling from Goomtee Estate from another tea company that had an excellent apricot base to the flavor. I have been thinking about this tea and hoping to find one that is similar in recent pickings, so I thought I’d try this one purchased from Upton, hoping the terroir of the estate is what gave my previous tea that apricot flavor. This one is lacking the apricot base I was hoping for, but does have a pleasant muscatel flavor, with a hint of cherries. Astringency was low, but enough to give it character.

This is a nice enough second flush Darjeeling, but it isn’t what I was hoping for. I’ll enjoy the remainder of my order but will keep searching.

Color of liquor: Orange-golden

Aroma: Fruity, muscatel

This tea is perfection. I cannot think of anything else I would be looking for in a Nilgiri frost black tea. There is no bitterness at all, and just the right amount of astringency to bring you back for more. Forward flavors of fruity muscatel, with a slight petrichor/wet rock flavor that I have always found highly appealing in many Indian teas from the Nilgiris, Darjeeling, and Kangra districts.

I am disappointed that this is now sold out on the website, but will watch and hope it shows up once again.

Honey brown color, nice light scent, very smooth and drinkable, with good flavor.
Very nice decaf tea.

Fruity, tart, citrusy; a nice uncaffeinated change of pace.

Similar in flavor to Teavana’s Indonesian Gold. Just a solid mid bodied black tea. Perfect for a cup in the morning.

Our go-to for morning tea with milk. This is a nice strong black tea blend, but a bit more rounded in flavor than a CTC Assam.

We tend to steep it pretty close to instructions: 1 Tablespoon per 18-oz teapot, 4 minutes. Do not oversteep (more than 5 minutes).

I am somewhat disappointed with this tea. I typically enjoy black/red teas very much, but Ceylon Kandy Silver Tip is an exception. Having tried to enjoy this tea multiple times, I admit my pursuit was not worthwhile.

Once the leaves were wet and hot, they exuded an indulgent, malty, mushroomy aroma. The first steep was acceptable: thick, full-bodied, and cozy with earthy flavors similar to the aromas. But each subsequent infusion became more bitter and dry, with an ever-increasing soaplike prickle on the back of the tongue. The maltiness and earth notes slowly waned throughout while the unpleasant sharpness heightened. The tannins in this tea seemed extremely sensitive and would dominate the tasting experience no matter how gentle my preparation was.

This tea was far better than nothing, but I would not intentionally return to it.

Sipdown that I never reviewed. The best oolong I had from Upton, though I won’t order from them again. This was nice grandpa style at work, but the fact I took it to work in the first place means I wasn’t much impressed. Still — drinkable and I did have a brief pleasure-pause moment with this one.

Sipdown. Meh.

This black (or rather, red) tea is hearty and entrancing. The dry leaf smells of dark chocolate, toasted wood, and cooked sugar (like dark caramel or toffee). I found the wet leaf aroma depends mainly on the water temperature. Boiling water draws a pungent fragrance delightfully suggestive of soy sauce. Slightly cooler water (approx. 95°C) yields earthier, woodier notes.

I have prepared this tea in both Western and gongfu styles. Western-style preparation gives a mahogany brew with prominent notes of smoke and balsamic vinegar. With this tea, I obtain four solid infusions with Western brewing parameters (1 tsp leaf per 6 oz boiling water). The first two steeps are robust and mildly astringent, while the last two tend to be more subtle and earthy with mustier forest flavors.

Gongfu brewing produces fuller smoke and dried fruit notes in the first 2-3 infusions. Later steeps unfold into toasted nuts and woodchips with hints of dark chocolate. 75 mL of boiling water with 5g of leaf provided 9-11 substantial infusions with brewing times of 10, 15, 21, 28, 38, 53 seconds, etc.

This is one of my favorite teas to enjoy after an evening meal. Additionally, it blends very well with cream and would probably make an excellent bubble tea base.

This black (or rather, red) tea is hearty and entrancing. The dry leaf smells of dark chocolate, toasted wood, and cooked sugar (like dark caramel or toffee). I found the wet leaf aroma depends mainly on the water temperature. Boiling water draws a pungent fragrance delightfully suggestive of soy sauce. Slightly cooler water (approx. 95°C) yields earthier, woodier notes.

I have prepared this tea in both Western and gongfu styles. Western-style preparation gives a mahogany brew with prominent notes of smoke and balsamic vinegar. With this tea, I obtain four solid infusions with Western brewing parameters (1 tsp leaf per 6 oz boiling water). The first two steeps are robust and mildly astringent, while the last two tend to be more subtle and earthy with mustier forest flavors.

Gongfu brewing produces fuller smoke and dried fruit notes in the first 2-3 infusions. Later steeps unfold into toasted nuts and woodchips with hints of dark chocolate. 75 mL of boiling water with 5g of leaf provided 9-11 substantial infusions with brewing times of 10, 15, 21, 28, 38, 53 seconds, etc.

This is one of my favorite teas to enjoy after an evening meal. Additionally, it blends very well with cream and would probably make an excellent bubble tea base.