Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yellow
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports (although this tea is no longer available)
Product Description:
Produced in the Yunnan district from heirloom tea bushes, this selection has a pedigree as unique as its character. The flavor is ethereal, with delicate, sweet notes that some have likened to apricot and apple. The finish is mellow and sweet. Supplies are limited.
Taster’s Review:
Ah! How I love yellow tea. My absolute favorite leaf type. It is so gentle, sweet, and soothing. Yes, I would have to agree with the description, this is indeed an ethereal tea experience.
I actually ordered this tea a year ago (Upton Tea Imports includes the date that the tea is packaged for an order on their packaging – including their sample packages! It is a very nice feature, one I wish more tea companies would begin to utilize). I didn’t realize how long ago it had been since I placed the order, and I am amazed at just how flavorful the tea is now, a year later.
The aroma is sweet and fruit-like, reminding me a bit of what my olfactory nerves would experience if I were walking through an apple orchard in bloom on a breezy day. The fragrance translates into the flavor, as I can taste hints of apple in the flavor.
The flavor is very delicate, perhaps even more delicate than a typical yellow tea might be, reminding me more of a silver needle, but with a complexity that I’ve yet to find in a white tea. It has a light sweetness to it that reminds me of honeysuckle. There is even an underlying tone of creaminess to this tea that is very indulgent, reminiscent of the finest milk Oolong. The mouthfeel is velvet-y soft.
Such a remarkable, beautiful yellow tea. I do hope that Upton Tea Imports brings this one back the next time it is harvested!
Huo Shan China Yellow Buds from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yellow
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Product Description:
The attractive leaves consist of tender buds and fine leaf sets. The cup is full-flavored, with a delightfully refreshing character. The aroma has a light, peppery note, which translates to a wonderful mouth feel. This was the best yellow tea we cupped in 2009, and it is highly recommended.
Taster’s Review:
I adore yellow tea. It is probably my favorite type of tea, but it is something that I don’t indulge in very often. It is more rare than other types of tea, and due to that rarity it’s a bit more expensive.
But it is not really the expense of the yellow tea that prohibits me from indulging in the yellow tea very often. It is because I am of the belief that if I were to enjoy it on a daily basis, yellow tea would lose some of it’s “special-ness.” Therefore, I have chosen to make yellow tea a bit of a ceremony for me – I even purchased a Yixing clay mug just for my yellow teas!
This Huo Shan is a remarkable yellow tea. It has a sweet, complex flavor. Notes of flower can be experienced in the aroma and in the taste. There is also a light, somewhat sharp spice note that approaches at about mid-sip that adds to the intrigue of the cup.
Nutty notes are introduced throughout the sip. A stronger floral note comes through in the finish that is reminiscent of honeysuckle. That honeysuckle taste lingers through to the aftertaste.
A truly delicious yellow tea – a very special tea, indeed!
Jasmine Silver Needles from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Company Description:
An exquisite offering for the Jasmine tea enthusiast. The white tea base is an extra-fine plucking composed of select leaf buds, some as a set with the small first leaf. A judicious scenting with jasmine blossoms yields a mellow, complex cup with sublime jasmine flavor and aroma.
Taster’s Review:
I have tried a few Jasmine Silver Needle teas, and of those that I’ve tried thus far, this one is my least favorite.
The jasmine flavor is much too sharp here, while the delicate white tea base tends to be overpowered by the jasmine notes. The flavor should be (and could be, based upon my previous experience!) much more balanced, with delicate notes from each component rather than what is in my cup now.
I have tried brewing this several different ways, all with disappointing results. I have tried a few different teas from Upton Tea Imports, but this is the first one from this company that has really disappointed me.
If you’ve tried this tea and have found it to your liking, I’d love to hear from you, especially if you’ve some tips to help make this more palatable!
Pai Mu Tan Grapefruit Tea from Upton Tea
Tea Type: White Tea
Where To Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Product Description: A premium Pai Mu Tan white tea, flavored with the taste of grapefruit.
Tasters Review:
Pai Mu Tan Grapefruit from Upton has a very gentle aroma. It’s gentle in every way, actually! The smell of it is a more floral-white tea with a hint of grapefruit.
As for the taste the grapefruit is subtle. There isn’t a lot there but what is there is lovely! Grapefruit goes well with white tea – at least I think it does!
This is very pleasant. I would suggest this for a nice calm-down or end to the day or if you are stressed – it’s comforting and relaxing! A nicely flavored white tea from Upton!
Chocolate Earl Grey (TE13) from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Product Description:
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
Origin:
Germany
Tasters Review:
My wonderful SororiTEA Sister Anne (AKA LiberTEAs) sent me some of this a while back and I thought I would officially add it to our blog as one of our reviews.
It’s been a while since I posted a review about an Earl Grey and I don’t think I have ever reviewed an Upton Tea on SororiTEA Sisters yet…so I figured I would check two items off of my Tea Review Bucket List today!
Chocolate Earl Grey from Upton Tea Imports – first and foremost – smells AMAZING! It’s pure chocolate and Earl Grey just like would would think – or HOPED – it would smell! This sort of takes me back to my obsession with Orange Chocolate as well! Ahhhh!
The aroma changes completely after infusion is complete. It’s still pleasant but not as awesome…I guess you could say. Don’t get me wrong – the aroma is still YUMMY but I can’t pick out each flavor like before. This doesn’t bother me too much because this often happens with flavored teas – as you know.
This infuses very dark brown and has a bit of cloudiness to it…I am assuming from the sugary-chocolate bits.
The taste is different but very good. I would say I can taste the cocoa type taste first then it quickly changes into a chocolate…so almost first being hot cocoa taste but then more of a chocolate bar taste. From there you can taste the black tea but then quickly changes into more of a bergamot and chocolate type taste. It ends more of a chocolaty-black tea flavored taste. Thru-out the entire sip it’s very smooth and the flavor changes intrigue me.
This is the first cup in a long time I have had to think about it with each sip (more than just a few sips, that is). This one kept my attention going strong the entire time.
As it cools at room temp for a few minutes I can taste a chocolate-woodsy-black tea type taste for the after taste more. This certainly isn’t a bad thing (in my book).
Anne told me to try a 2nd infusion with this one and I never pass up a 2nd infusion especially on a great cuppa! So for the 2nd Infusion…it smells like a gentle earl grey and cream.
The taste is still very smooth with a bit of sugary-ness to it and orange, floral, and cocoa hints hiding underneath.
This is a great infusion. Still a lovely tea overall…a nice treat!
Chocolate Earl Grey from Upton is an ADVENTURE in a cup! A great way to start or end the day! Wonderful!