Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Upton Tea
Tea Description:
Description:
A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea that is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon. From our London blender.Origin:
EnglandSteeping Suggestions:
Leaf Quantity: 2¼ g/cup
Water Temp: 212º (boiling)
Steep Time: 4-5 min.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
According to the production description Richmond Park Blend from Upton Tea is ‘mellow’. I disagree. That’s not a word I would use to describe this tea at all. However, the product description for Richmond Park Blend from Upton Tea does go on to say that it is sturdy enough for the addition of milk or lemon. Eventho I don’t add anything to my cup of tea I will agree that it’s a more sturdy tea overall.
At first sip I wasn’t sure if this tea was on a level playing field when it came to the other black teas offered from Upton Tea. This was a tea that I’m glad I didn’t judge at first sip. It ended up growing on me. It took me a little time to understand Richmond Park Blend from Upton Tea. Once this tea and I ‘became friends’ I ended up enjoying it a lot more.
Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling are blended together for this offering. The flavor layers are ever changing throughout the sip. It’s heavy, then malty, then sweet-woodsy, then smoky, then earthy. This does live up to multiple infusions but be careful not to over infuse!
This is a complex blend that I encourage you to try but be patient with because it’s ever changing and taking the time to get to know will pay off in the end!
Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Upton Tea
Tea Description:
Eventho this specific tea is not currently on their website below you will read a bit more about the estate in which it came from.
The Putharjhora Estate is just west of the Assam district in northeast India and the Dooars region produces teas that are excellent for breakfast or early afternoon drinking.
Learn more about this company here.
Taster’s Review:
My favorite part about drinking teas from Upton Teas is that I get to learn about the different estates and region and I did just that with this Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea.
Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea has gray-black, tippy, twisty leaves that have a fairly standard, average, stereotypical black tea aroma. The brew – once infused – has a slightly peachy flavor that is almost overpowered by an earthy and woodsy nose. As for the flavor of this year it does pack a powerful punch. It’s not the strongest black tea I have had but it’s more intense than what I would consider medium strength. It’s heavy on the musky, wet woods flavor with hints of peach and maybe a bit of lemon, too. Eventho it’s woodsy it does quench your thirst unlike some of the other woodsy (naturally) flavored teas I have tried. It has a lingering muscatel type aftertaste that slowly morphs into something a little sweeter.
Putharjhora Estate Dooars TGBOP Black Tea from Upton Tea is a goodie! It may not be for everyone but it’s for me! Is it for you?
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!
