Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
With an oxidation level of approximately 40%, Amber Oolong (Wu-Long) teas produce a liquor that is darker than the Jade Oolongs. The flavor is slightly more earthy and robust.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Formosa Amber Oolong from Upton Tea Imports reminds me of the first Oolong tea that I ever tasted. It was a very memorable experience for me, because I had never really experienced an Oolong before, and everything about it was just … different! The texture, the sweetness, the distinct fruit notes. It was really quite a delightful experience.
And this tea is taking me back to that moment.
Since that moment, I have learned quite a bit about Oolong teas including the best way to brew them. Well, maybe I shouldn’t say that. How about I revise that statement to say the best way that I know of to brew them. The way that produces the most flavorful cuppa for me.
And that is, as I’ve said many times, in a gaiwan. I use short steeps, starting with just 45 seconds for the first infusion – following a 15 second rinse – and then I add 15 seconds on to each subsequent infusion. The strained liquid from the first two infusions is combined into one cup, the third and fourth infusions will be combined into my second cup, and the third cup will be the combination of infusions five and six … and so on.
My first cup is sweet with lovely peach notes. There are notes of earth to this cup as well, giving it a more pronounced “robustness” than a typical green Oolong. Hints of a roasty, nutty flavor as well as some buttery notes, but I think that the butter is experienced more in the texture than the taste. The tail offers a slightly cleansing astringency which essentially “cleans” the thick, buttery quality from the palate, preparing it for the next sip. I like that this taste and texture doesn’t build and inundate the palate.
The second cup had a little less astringency than the first, and I noticed more of the peach-like notes emerging. This is not quite as buttery, but I still notice the warm, nutty flavors and the notes of earth. The peach-y sweetness is delightful!
Usually my second cup of Oolong tea is my favorite, but with this Formosa Amber Oolong, the third cup is my favorite! The flavor is still going strong, and the delivery is much smoother. This is sweeter and peachy-er! The earthiness is less apparent now, and the nuttiness of the first two cups has melded with the sweetness of the peach notes. I’m also getting a citrus-y note to this cup that I didn’t really notice with the first two. This is a really lovely cuppa!
A really lovely Formosa … perhaps not the best Formosa I’ve tasted, but it’s really nice and a good representation of what the darker Formosa Oolong teas can offer.
Magnolia Blossom Oolong Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This Guangdong specialty is a lovely oolong tea, scented with magnolia flowers. Alternately known as Orchid Oolong or in Chinese Yu Lan, this selection is a must try for those who appreciate a fine scented tea. The flavor nuances are unique, but hints of jasmine lend a recognizable character.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a magnolia scented Oolong tea, so I was happy to find this Magnolia Blossom Oolong Tea from Upton Tea Imports in my tea stash! And it’s a really good magnolia Oolong with it’s delicately soft, sweet floral notes and hints of a fruit-like quality in the background. It’s delightfully complex.
My first cup (the first and second infusions combined following a 15 second “awakening” of the leaves) of this tea was very flavorful … much more flavorful than a typical “first cup” of Oolong tea, which generally are very subtle. There is a lot of flavor in this cup. The first thing I notice is the sweetness, it’s like nectar. As the sip progresses, the floral notes develop. In the background, I notice distant notes of fruit: something between a sweet apple and melon.
The second cup (infusions 3 & 4) is where I start to notice a creamy character come through. It’s soft and buttery and almost decadent. It has a very luxurious taste and texture. The floral notes are still present. The floral tones are a slightly sharper now. It’s not so much a nectar-y sweetness now as it is a floral and buttery/creamy sweetness. I still taste the notes of apple and melon in the distance, but another fruit note also seems to be emerging – grapefruit? Not the tartness of the citrus, but the sweeter grapefruit notes is what I’m tasting here.
The third cup (infusions 5 & 6) maintains its floral qualities. The citrus notes are more pronounced now. This note is most noticeable toward the finish. I notice a slight astringency now, this cup is not quite as soft and creamy as the first two cups were, but it is still very flavorful and wonderful to enjoy!
Overall, a very enjoyable magnolia Oolong, and a truly lovely way to spend an afternoon. It evokes thoughts of an early, warm summer afternoon which is kind of nice since it’s been so cold! Yes, I do love the cooler weather, but, it’s also nice to have memories of the warmth. Actually, I think I prefer the memories in a teacup of the warm days of summer versus the actual summer day!
Budlabeta Estate Assam GBOP SPL from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A quality broken-leaf selection, with a pleasant and complex aroma in both the dry leaf and cup. The liquor has a medium body, with notes of dried fruit and a pleasant finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I had to wake up early today, and I am still feeling a little sluggish as it nears the afternoon, so, I am in need of a good, hearty Assam. I chose to try this Budlabeta Estate Assam GBOP SPL from Upton Tea Imports … and I’m hoping it will do the trick and shake me out of this nagging, dragging feeling!
The first thing I noticed, right off the bat, is how smooth this Assam is. The delivery is smooth from start to finish … tasting sweet – like the somewhat sugary sweetness you’d experience from dried fruit. The fruit notes remind me a bit of raisin and dried currant. There is a touch of malt to the flavor as well as a hint of wine-like flavor that is especially noticeable at the finish and in to the aftertaste.
I chose to brew this Assam for just 2 minutes, and I based this decision on the fact that the leaves were on the small side. When it comes to Assam teas, my general rule of thumb is that when brewing smaller cut Assam tea leaves, it is wise to cut back on the brew time just a bit to avoid bitterness. I think I made the right decision with this tea because I’m not experiencing bitterness with this tea.
It is mildly astringent and a bold tasting tea. It has a certain rigor to it – this would be a good “wake me up” kind of tea to enjoy first thing in the morning … or if you’re like me and one who doesn’t typically enjoy mornings (I think I’d like them a lot better if they started later), this also makes a good first thing in the afternoon tea! It has an edge to it, so if you want to soften that edge, a dollop of honey will do that and this tea takes the addition of honey well – and milk too, if you want a latte! As for me, I took a few sips of it straight up, and decided I wanted a slightly softer edge, and I added about a quarter teaspoon of turbinado sugar. This was enough to curb that sharpness without making it too sweet, because I really do enjoy the natural sweetness of this tea.
Another fine selection from Upton Tea Imports!
Devonshire Earl Grey Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A recent addition to our Earl Grey Blends. The base for this tea is an elegant long-leaf Ceylon BOP1. The fresh, full bergamot flavor is married with lemon notes to produce a rich and full bodied tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m always interested (and excited!) to try a new-to-me Earl Grey blend, so when my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, sent me a sampling of this Devonshire Earl Grey Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports, I was thrilled!
The aroma of the dry leaf is captivating – with that distinctive bergamot fragrance mingling with a lemon-y note … it’s very citrusy … very aromatic! The brewed tea has more of a lemon note than bergamot … the bergamot is still there, but the lemon definitely stands out as the stronger scent. It almost smells like a lemon scented furniture polish … let’s hope it doesn’t taste like it!
Fortunately, it doesn’t taste like furniture polish! It has a strong citrus-y flavor, with the bergamot notes playing a balancing act with the lemon notes. Together, the two taste more like a homogeneous citrus flavor rather than a distinguished bergamot and/or lemon flavor.
The black tea takes a backseat to the strong citrus tones – that is not to say that the Ceylon BOP1 is overwhelmed completely by the citrus flavors, but, the Ceylon is not quite strong enough to hold it’s own here. It is tasted, but it doesn’t offer a bold presentation. I do like it’s smooth character though, and the moderate astringency of the tea does accentuate the citrus flavors quite nicely.
Overall, this is a pleasant Earl Grey offering. Not my favorite, but, not a bad Earl Grey tea. It would be a good Earl Grey for those who like the focus to be on the citrus-y qualities of the bergamot fruit. As for me, I found myself wanting a little more black tea flavor in the background, and I wished there were more obvious bergamot notes to the cup. Not bad though!
Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Company Description:
For this blend, we paired a hearty Assam with a smooth and flavorful Yunnan, for a cup that is highly enjoyable. The invigorating liquor has a full mouth feel, subtle spicy notes, and a lingering aftertaste. While milk is recommended, it is enjoyable plain.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t drink many breakfast blends. That is because, for the most part, many breakfast blends (with the exception of my own breakfast blend) seem to be all the same to me. Assam and Ceylon. Smooth, brisk and malty. Usually tasty, but after trying one or two, they are also quite ordinary.
Occasionally I might come across a *different* breakfast blend. Like this one from Upton Tea Imports. The Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend starts out with a brisk, malty Assam. But what makes this blend really different is the addition of Yunnan: bright, golden, with hints of peppery spice.
The result is a delightfully unique breakfast blend.
I tried it first without any sweetener or milk, and it’s quite good like that. Bold with a pungent edge that will get you going on those days that you need it. It has a slight wine-like quality to it – I can taste hints of black currants! – with a deep, woodsy note and a subtle spicy low note. It has a tannic quality to it – not overly bitter, but more like a good, dry red wine.
But, this tea really excels with the addition of milk and something a little sweet (I added raw honey). The transformation in my tea cup is amazing. The wine-like taste is less evident but is still present in the finish. The woodsy note seems to have taken on a more molasses-y characteristic, and the spices are more defined now.
This is a great tea for breakfast, but, as it is 7:30 pm, I am also learning that it’s quite nice in the evening too (although, if caffeine is an issue for you, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it in the evening). It would be quite tasty paired with a plate of scones or perhaps some shortbread cookies!
I recommend paying close attention to the brew time on this one… when brewed just a few moments too long can result in a bitter tasting tea. I kept it at 2 1/2 minutes for the first infusion, and then 3 minutes for the second. Both infusions were flavorful and invigorating; tannic, but not bitter. This tea would be a very pleasant way to start your day!