Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A medium-bodied CTC selection which can accommodate milk if desired. This tea produces a flavorful cup with a deep amber liquor. Enjoy hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Season’s Pick Vietnam CTC Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports is a very flavorful tea – there’s a lot going on in each sip! My first sip of this tea, I was really surprised at just how flavorful it was, but, for all it’s flavor it doesn’t really have a heavy body or texture to it, it’s actually quite smooth to sip.
There are notes of sweetness to this: a fruity sweetness that is reminiscent of a berry medley, with notes of citrus in the background. It’s not overly tangy, though, it’s more like the sweetness of these fruits without the tart or tangy notes. There is a low earthy note and I also notice a sort of “smoldering” wood note, vaguely smoky, certainly not overtly smoky … more like wisps of smoke that peek out from underneath this wood-like undertone that sit just beneath the earthy notes.
I like the robust quality of this tea – that it is a good, “rugged” type of tea without the heaviness of a typical robust or bold tasting tea. It’s like a gentle shake to alertness, rather than a strong, vigorous kick in the butt. Very little astringency (I’m talking, next to NO astringency here!) and no bitterness.
A really pleasant cup of tea. Not my favorite tea that I’ve tried from Upton, but, it’s a pretty decent black tea.
I have had really good luck with Upton’s “Seasons Pick” teas…they tend to be surprisingly good for their low cost.
It’s impressive to find a CTC tea with low astringency. Even my favorite CTC tea, the Kenyan tea sold by Ajiri tea, has moderate astringency…but I sooo love that one. I’d be curious to see how this one stacks up, I’ll probably order it if they still have it next time I order from Upton.