Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
The Times Cook (The Times, London) has suggested this insightful blend of Ceylon teas from the Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Dimbula regions. An exemplary Ceylon experience.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened this pouch, I was surprised at how floral it smelled! I generally expect a black tea to have a somewhat earthy aroma, and sometimes a hint of flower will be tucked in there amongst the other scents. But the floral aroma of this Frances Bissell’s Special Blend from Upton Tea Imports is so distinct! It’s quite delightful!
The flavor is also pleasantly floral. But don’t take that the wrong way … this is not an overly flowery tasting tea like, perhaps a jasmine scented green tea might be. But there are some sharp floral notes to this cup. I taste hints of honeysuckle! I also taste a sweet and sour note that reminds me of a just under-ripe plum … or perhaps … now that I continue to sip, it reminds me of a juicy citrus. It is more sweet than sour, and it is quite a delightful contrast to the aforementioned floral notes.
There are also hints of earth, wood and a crisp briskness that is invigorating. It has a very bright flavor – it’s very refreshing. This would make an excellent iced tea, and would be really nice served with a thin slice of citrus to accentuate the natural fruit notes of the tea. I found it quite delightful served hot too. A really nice afternoon pick-me-up.
Yunnan GFOP Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
High-grown Yunnan of excellent quality. Sold by some as the best available, this grade is actually the best of the commonly available grades. Brisk flavor without the harshness of lesser Yunnan teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Yunnan GFOP from Upton Tea Imports is a really lovely Yunnan. It is is everything that you expect from a high quality Yunnan. It is sweet, malty, rich and has a delicious peppery overtone.
The leaves are long and wiry, and vary in color from a golden tan to a chocolate-y brown. The tea brews up dark, and smells slightly earthy, with notes of spice.
This tea has very little astringency, and no noticeable bitterness. It’s really a pleasant tea to sip – very agreeable! The aftertaste is slightly spicy with sweet notes.
This is a rich and robust tea, which makes it a good choice for a morning tea (and would take the additions of milk and honey well, although I prefer it served straight), this tea would also do quite well as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Delicious!
Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A tribute to the famous London tea auctions, our Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend is a blend of two classic British teas: a brisk Ceylon and a thick, malty Assam. The result is a flavorful mixture which lends itself to the addition of milk.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports is a deliciously robust blend of teas that is perfect for that all-important first cup of the day.
Combining Assam and Ceylon is not a new idea, I’ve had quite a few “breakfast blends” that utilize these two teas. The two seem to work together quite well. The Assam brings its rich, bold flavor to the cup while the Ceylon offers a bright, even-toned quality to the tea. The result is a very satisfying cup of tea that is strong enough to get you going in the morning .. but also something that would work nicely as a mid-day pick-me-up.
I notice some light fruit notes to this cup, as well as some distant floral tones. The Assam has a really rich, comforting character … deliciously sweet and malty.
There is a fair amount of astringency to this cup, but, I’m not tasting any bitterness and that’s a definite plus. I would not recommend oversteeping this tea though, because I can’t say it wouldn’t be bitter if it were left to steep too long. I steeped this in boiling water for 2 1/2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch, and I’m very happy with the result. I drank mine without any additions, and found it to be just right for my morning cuppa – edgy but not too edgy. If you want to soften that edge, you can add a bit of sweetener and/or a splash of milk or cream. This would make an excellent latte … but I really enjoyed it straight up!
Monte Branco PF1 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:
I ordered this tea on the fly. I was making an order for a trade partner but tossed in a few samples for myself from Upton just for something new. I do love that you can grab samplers of every tea Upton Tea Imports carries for a buck or two, sometimes more, depending on the tea of course. Its a great company with a ton of excellent teas to sample.
I will admit I am not a big fan of their website. Its a little cumbersome and clunky but I manage to work it out when I want to make an order. Their physical catalogue is a sight to behold and has an honorary place in my magazine basket.
When I opened this tea and poured some leaf into my hand I was taken aback. It looked like coffee grounds, or fannings from a snipped open tea bag from the grocery store. I was confused for a moment and very skeptical that this tea would produce anything I wanted to sip. Regardless I steeped it up.
Pleasantly, I was surprised. There is a nice light malty base, with a sweet fruity flavor. It is lightly floral as well but you really have to pay attention to pick up that note, except there is this interesting after taste of fresh spring water that rose petals have been resting on. It is a cleansing quality of this tea that I highly appreciate! The rose essence in the spring water flavor is so subtle, actually the spring water flavor is more prominent than the rose.
There is a slight astringency typical of a black tea, but not to be confused with bitterness.
As the cup cools the vanilla note is more obvious and a creaminess to the mouthfeel comes out.
I just want to say this is not what I expected from these tiny tea particles! Granted its not difficult to rise to one’s expectations when those expectations are set so low, but this tea really has pulled through and made me step back and appreciate it.
I could see this becoming a morning staple. Granted maybe not my very first choice but absolutely one of those dependable, good quality morning teas for when I don’t want to try something new, and just need a tea that I know is going to satisfy! I always like to have several of those on hand!
I also think this tea would be absolutely perfect as an iced tea served to friends and family. It has enough depth and boldness to hold up to ice, and it also sports a lovely deep color.
Chocolate Earl Grey from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Product Description:
A premium black tea combining the popular tastes of bergamot and chocolate with a hint of lemon. Decorated with flower petals and lemon peel for a delightful presentation.
Ingredients: black tea, chocolate pieces (sugar, cocoa, soy lecithin), cacao beans, lemongrass, lemon peel, corn flowers, jasmine flowers, sunflower blossoms, natural & artificial flavor
Taster’s Review:
When I saw this Chocolate Earl Grey on Upton’s website, I knew I had to try it. A chocolate flavored Earl Grey? Of course I had to try it! Fortunately, Upton Tea Imports offers their teas in sampler sizes that are very affordable.
The aroma of the dry leaf is very interesting – the combination of bergamot and chocolate creates a very unique scent, making it very difficult to describe. I mean, usually, when I take a whiff of a bergamot flavored tea, I *know* it! The scent is very distinctive – usually overwhelmingly so – but in a very good way! But when sharing the stage with the also distinctive fragrance of chocolate, the bergamot becomes a bit subdued, smelling a bit less like citrus and a bit more like the floral note that makes gives bergamot it’s “not just any citrus-y” scent. Combine that with an oh-so-subtle hint of jasmine as well as some lemon-y notes from lemongrass and lemon peel. The jasmine and lemon are very subtle, but there, and it adds a sense of intrigue to this blend. I could not wait to taste it!
The chocolate is the dominant flavor of this blend. The bergamot becomes more like “wallpaper” in this tea – you know it’s there, and sometimes it catches your attention, but, for the most part, it kind of blends in with the rest of flavors. It is the lemon essence that really adds some definition to the citrus flavor of the bergamot and helps to bring it out. I can even taste a pleasant lemon-y tang on the tip of my tongue in the finish.
There is no bitterness to this tea: just a deliciously sweet chocolate note at the start, a beautiful floral note in the middle, and a sweet-and-tangy citrus note at the finish with a slight astringency that lingers on the palate. The second infusion is quite different. The bergamot emerges with the second infusion, and the chocolate flavor has become more of a savory cacao flavor. Still very delicious – just different.
This is one of my all time favorite blends from Upton Tea Imports. It combines my top three favorite tea flavors – chocolate, Earl Grey and even jasmine! – in one exciting flavor.