Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This estate produces some of the best whole-leaf teas in Sri Lanka. For the Ceylon enthusiast. Drink with or without milk. A choice lot with a bold-leaf style. Steep for five to six minutes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Having had several very finely chopped CTC teas from Upton Tea Imports lately, I was happy to see the long, wiry leaves of this Kenilworth Estate OP Black Ceylon Tea from Upton Tea Imports. The dry leaf fragrance isn’t particularly noteworthy, it smells like black tea. The brewed tea aroma is sweet with notes that evoked thoughts of molasses, with hints of warm earth … a very inviting scent!
This tea has a nice, smooth, well-rounded flavor. It has a bold flavor for a Ceylon, although it certainly isn’t as hefty as an Assam would be. It does have a nice, caramel-y undertone that keeps me sipping. It has a smooth delivery from start to finish, with a light astringency toward the tail that is slightly dry and tangy.
Notes of fruit are abundant in each sip, although I don’t know that the fruit flavors are necessarily distinguishable. That is to say, it tastes like “fruit” but, it’s hard to say which fruit I’m actually tasting. I do taste a certain “citrus-y” note that comes through toward the finish, and this melds with the astringency to create that sort of citrus “tang” that is almost characteristic of a Ceylon tea.
There are also notes of earth and flower throughout the sip. This is a very pleasant cup of black tea … I don’t think I’d call it exceptional or anything like that, but, it has a very enjoyable flavor that would work as either a hot tea or an iced tea … would take the additions of milk and honey well if served hot … and would be nice served iced with thin slices of lemon or other citrus fruit.
Organic BOP Iyerpadi Estate Nilgiri Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A rich tea with solid body and full mouth feel. A pleasing, balanced cup with a classic Nilgiri flavor and style.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic BOP Iyerpadi Estate Nilgiri Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports is such a satisfying cup of black tea – ideal for that all-important first cup of the day, but equally as nice when served as an afternoon tea.
The dry leaf has a sweet, slightly earthy aroma, and it brews up dark, with hints of the sweet, earthy tones that were more prominent in the dry leaf. The flavor is sweet and smooth.
The tea is indeed a rich tasting tea. It is a hefty kind of tea – strong and bold – which is why I stated before that this would make an excellent choice as a breakfast tea. It has that “wake-me-up” kind of quality to it. It is nicely round with a pleasing malty tone to it, with notes of a tantalizing, freshly baked kind of taste. It is not bitter, and there is only a very mild astringency to the cup.
A very enjoyable cuppa!
Monte Branco Estate PF1 Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This versatile tea from Mozambique is a fantastic value for a smooth and flavorful everyday tea, and can be enjoyed both hot and iced. Flavor notes of vanilla, rose and nutmeg enhance the experience.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the pouch of this Monte Branco Estate PF1 Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports, I had my doubts. The leaves are very finely chopped. We’re talking … severely chopped. They look more like a super-finely ground coffee bean than tea leaves!
But, I decided to give it a chance. After all, my SororiTea Sister, Azzrian, seemed to really enjoy this tea, and I trust her judgement. And this is really quite an impressive cup of tea!
The flavor is rich and smooth. There is a slight astringency to it, but I would classify it as mild to moderate. It starts out quite mild, but by mid-cup, the astringency has developed somewhat. It isn’t bothersome, but, if you’re one of those that tends to be sensitive to astringency, there is some to this tea.
There is a pleasant malty tone to this tea, and this seems to highlight the vanilla-esque notes that are mentioned in the above description. I notice fruit tones and an earthy note, and a slight nutty flavor. It has a rich “spiced” sort of flavor, but not “spicy” like you might find from a chai blend … this is more like a “well seasoned” flavor, with hints of subtle spice and wood-like notes.
I didn’t pick up on the rose notes that the description promised until about mid-cup. For a while there, I thought maybe something was going wrong with my taste buds, because I just wasn’t tasting those floral notes. But, by mid-cup, the rose seemed to come through quite nicely… and it is a distinct rose note, as if someone took some Rose Congou and finely ground the tea leaves along with the tea leaves from the Monte Branco estate.
I like that I taste no bitterness. There is a lovely undertone of sweetness that is caramel-like, and there is a pleasing complexity to this tea. My first impression of the finely chopped leaf lead me to believe that this going to be more of a hearty, robust tea with more gusto than character but I’m happy to say that while this is indeed a very bold and energizing tea, there is also a really enjoyable complexity to be explored here. Definitely a tea worth trying!
Sacher Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
Inspired by the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, this is a traditional blend of Darjeeling with a hint of Ceylon. The blend is then lightly scented with oil of Bergamot and a hint of genuine Bourbon vanilla. The result is a floral Darjeeling surrounded by soft, fruity, citrus notes. A new formula which we find especially pleasing.
Ingredients: black tea, natural & artificial flavor
Origin: USA
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Sacher Blend from Upton Tea Imports, which can also be found on their website by item number TE22S, has a surprisingly mild flavor considering all the flavoring components listed in the description.
The bergamot is extremely light, barely noticeable, but the vanilla is what shines in this cup.
This is a black tea with a very smooth heavy mouthfeel, rich and robust, and I could see where a coffee drinker would very much enjoy this tea.
I tasted absolutely no bitterness nor astringency even after a rather long steep.
This is a remarkably smooth tea.
It may lack some of the promise the description eludes to especially if you are expecting much from the Bergamot notes, but if you have a sensitive palate you will taste it.
I think it is rather nice, and I personally love it because I prefer my Earl Grey to be light on the bergamot. I like bergamot but I too often find that bergamot is all I can taste in most Earl Grey. I think this blend is unique for those of us who only want a light EG flavor, and let us remember, this is not being sold as an EG.
I do wish that it did not contain artificial flavors, as I see no need for them. I would think that bourbon vanilla and bergamot should easily be able to obtain without artificial flavoring, I know it can be, so this is my only complaint about this blend.
Outside of that, unless you are expecting an EG flavor from this tea with a splash of vanilla, you should like it, just keep in mind this is far more a bourbon vanilla flavored tea with a splash of bergamot!
The flavors pop more as the tea cools. Would be excellent iced.
Samovar Op-A Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
We created this selection specifically for use in samovars but it also works exceptionally well in traditional teapots. The tea has a dark cup, well-balanced character, and can be infused for a long period without becoming bitter. The flavor is of a classic medium-grown Ceylon with a smooth profile and hints of ripe apple.
Origin:
Sri Lanka
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Samovar Op-A Blend from Upton Tea Imports has a nicely sweet yet malty flavor that rests gently on the palate.
My immediate reaction is that the aroma was far more inciting them the flavor, at first I thought it rather bland, but as soon as that thought had left my mind I got those intensely sweet honeyed notes and a lovely blanket of malty goodness on my tongue!
As I spent more time with the tea shaking away that first impression I realized that the apple notes begin to sparkle and there is something of a sparkly sensation on the tongue.
I am not normally a big fan of Ceylon teas but this one has some elements that remind me of Darjeeling, and I like that a lot!
There is a very slight chocolate note to the tea, but very slight, it just has this backdrop which makes the taste more robust, thick even, and quite rich.
Then a raisin flavor comes forward as well.
I am glad I did not listen to that knee jerk reaction, as I would have been a jerk indeed had I dumped this cup!
This is one of the smoothes teas with absolutely not one bit of astringency or bitterness I have ever had!
I am glad now that I have enough for another steeping session for a later time, I expect to get many more steeps out of this leaf!