mrawlins2

I got my Upton order today!!! Super quick shipping also which was nice. I put a sample of this in with my order and I am excited to try it. In fact, this is the first tea I’m trying from my order. I’m also extremely terrified of this tea. I have started to develop a taste for smoky teas, but I’m wondering if this will be too smokey, too soon…. The scent is straight up smokey almost bacony….but not off-putting.

Okay, I’m too much of a chicken to try it straight up so I added a healthy dose of cream and a bit of sugar. Here goes…..wow, this is actually pretty good. I don’t know about drinking it plain but as a milk and sugar tea this is good. Perhaps even great, but I’ll have to see if this is something I crave. The tea initially hits you with a whisper of smoke that blossoms into more sweet smoke. Even though I added stuff to the tea, I can tell that there is a natural sweetness. I’m liking this.

And the great luck with this tea continues! So much, in fact, that I find myself reaching for this blend every chance that I get. My other teas are going to get jealous! Anyway, today the tea is very much the lovely honeyed biscuit flavor that I love. Love, love, love!!! So, so good this morning! Hopefully it will help get me up and going for all the errands I need to get done.

The second infusion is just as full-bodied as the first. Absolutely delicious and creamy. I love it!

Okay, so my great luck with this tea last night wasn’t just luck. It is delish this morning also! Maybe it was a fresh batch when I got it and needed to mellow out a bit. But no matter why it is so much better to me now, the fact is that I like it way more than I did. This tea deserves a slight rating boost. It is so, so rich, hearty, honey sweet, bready that I just can’t stand it!

I like this a lot more than I did a week or two ago. I used a short steep time combined with a bit of cream and sugar which turned this hefty tea into a smoother, hefty tea. This is almost like a dessert tea tonight, just perfection. If I continue to enjoy this tea this much, a rating increase may be in order.

I’m reaching for this tea yet again this morning. I don’t usually like Ceylons this much, but I also usually find them a bit too weak for my liking. Well, Steepsterites, this is not your typical whimpy Ceylon. This one has some heft to it that is quite satisfying with a bit of milk and sugar.

I can’t sleep and wanted tea, but was sure that caffeine wasn’t a good idea so I reached for Vanilla Comoro. I love the smooth vanilla/caramel flavor of this tea which is perfection with cream and sugar. I’m not sure if it will help me sleep, but at least I’ll enjoy my sleepless night!

After submitting an order today from Upton (which was filled with lots of goodies including Rose Congou, Chocolate Earl Grey, East Frisian BOP and a couple of samples!!!), I had a hankering for this tea. I actually like this a bit better today than the first time I had it. Robust, rich and delicious – I almost forgot about my new tea order for a second.

I’ve been looking so forward to this gongfu session, that I almost did it last night!
1st infusion – 15 sec
Medium golden hue with a deep cocoa aroma. Light sweetness, taste is mainly that of cocoa.
2nd infusion – 25 sec
Aroma is now very toasty with no apparent sweetness. This infusion is not very flavorful and has a bitter edge. I’m hoping the next infusion is better.
3rd infusion – 35 sec
Sweetness is thankfully back in the aroma and taste. The infusion is much lighter in color and flavor than the others so far. Clean and sweet.
4th infusion – 55 sec
This infusion has a very bready smell. Flavor is still sweet and very much of cocoa.
5th infusion – 1 min 15 sec
The tea is much lighter in color and doesn’t have much of a scent. It just tastes like a basic, naturally sweet black tea. Luckily, the leaves are barely unfurled so I might get something interesting soon.
6th infusion – 1min 45 sec
Light, sweet, slight hint of figs.
7th infusion – 2min 45 sec
Not much to say about this one. The leaves are still rolled, but perhaps this gongfu idea just doesn’t suit this tea. I’ll give one more infusion a try though.
8th infusion – 4 min
Okay, this tea is officially done providing me enjoyment. It was good while it lasted though!

This is definitely a very interesting and different tea. The dry leaves are long, dark and twisted with scents of cocoa and dark fruit.

1st infusion – 4 min boiling water
The tea is a medium, translucent brown and the tea leaves are not yet unfurled. The taste is smooth and naturally very sweet with hints of raisins and figs. There is very little to no bitterness or astringency.

There are not many teas that make me say “wow”, but this is one of them. Delicious and the natural sweetness is addictive.

2nd infusion – 5+ minutes boiling water
Unfortunately, I lost track of time on this infusion. Thankfully, this tea is quite forgiving. The scent is more cocoa this time around and less fruit which carries through to the taste. There is a slight roasty flavor – all around a really great, easy drinking tea.

The beautiful leaves are still not quite unfurled so I may have another steep or two (either tonight or tomorrow). Really great stuff, this is.

I only used about half the sample, so I’m looking forward to a round of gongfu brewing soon!

As a former coffee drinker, I was excited to try this tea. After steeping this tea for about 8 minutes, it definitely smells like a coffee beverage which was aided by adding a bit of sweetener and milk. Although this does remind me of coffee, the underlying flavor is definitely that of tea which I appreciate. This is quite good!

Prepared gongfu style in a beautiful blue and white gaiwan.

1st infusion – 30 sec
Strong, dark flavors, slightly bitter but definitely drinkable

2nd infusion – 25 sec
Much the same profile as the first infusion, but smoother with hints of orange becoming more prevalent

3rd infusion – 45 sec
More floral aroma, the crisp, earthy dark oolong flavor is starting to emerge with the orange pushed to the end of the sip and the aftertaste. This infusion is quite lovely and easy to drink.

4th infusion – 50 sec
Again, very floral aroma. The oolong and orange seem to equally share the stage in this infusion which is the most balanced so far.

5th infusion – 1 min
Round and flavorful. Delicious and well balanced in flavor.

6th infusion – 1 min 15 sec
Aroma is now of orange and the dark oolong flavor is back! Orange is not present in the flavor of the tea, just in the aroma.

7th infusion – 1min 25 sec
Good but very mild flavor. I think this oolong is at its breaking point but I’m very pleased with the number and quality of infusions today.

I’m starting my day with a delicious cup of Queen Catherine… my last cup of the Queen to be exact. This will definitely be going back on my shopping list because this tea is magnificent. Perfectly strong and slightly smoky without being astringent or bitter – no matter how long you seem to steep it.

I almost made another tea tonight, but I am sure glad that I didn’t! I haven’t had Vanilla Comoro in awhile which I think is why it tastes so incredibly delicious tonight. Sweet, smooth vanilla and caramel all backed by a briskly malty black tea base and to think this is decaf! Just. So. Good.

I needed something bracing today so naturally I reached for the most bracing tea in my cupboard at the moment. I only steeped this for about 3 minutes today which reveals a strong yet smooth tea that is perfect for this morning. Now, if only this tea will inspire me to be somewhat productive today…

Okay, I definitely should know by now that caffeine this late at night is not the best idea ever…but I wanted an Earl Grey Supreme latte!! As I drink this tea, all I can think of is smooth, bright, and rich. Definitely worth any insomnia tonight!

This is a smooth, crisp Ceylon with a rich flavor that holds up well to milk and sugar. Pretty generic tasting Ceylon, but that could just be because I don’t drink enough Ceylon to be able to distinguish between varieties. The aftertaste is quite strong also. Overall, a decent tea that is quite enjoyable tonight.

I cold brewed this tea for about 24 hours and I really, really like this tea prepared this way! Taken without additions, this tea is earthy, smooth, and has a natural sweetness from the honey flavoring. This is a very easy to drink iced tea and I think this tea may be cold-brewed for the remainder of the tin. Delicious and perfect!

Mmmm….so, so delicious and perfect for a movie night with my husband. I’m almost out of my bag and my husband loves this tea so much that HE came up with the idea to order more soon.

I was SO tired last night that I set this tea to steep, promptly forgot about it and left it steeping all night while I went to bed. I awoke this morning to a very fragrant cup of Spiced Pear tea. Not wanting this delicious tea to go to waste I decided to go ahead and try it. Surprisingly it doesn’t taste overdone or bitter. The cinnamon is quite strong but it also backed up by a sweet, refreshing pear. I wouldn’t purposely recreate this pot of tea, but I think I’ll make it through the cup.

A shorter steep time today is resulting in a much more floral taste. I love this tea! I have been craving it quite a bit lately since it is so luxurious and relaxing. A nice, smooth tea that definitely fills my chocolate cravings.

I think I’ve finally figured out how to best prepare this tea for myself. I brewed up a pot at slightly under boiling water for only 3:30 minutes. I then added a bit of honey and half and half. I’m loving it this way! The tea base shines and all the different tea types blend wonderfully. I can’t really pick out one from another which I’ve found rare in many tea blends. The honey note is floral and delicious. I think this is definitely the way I will continue preparing this tea.

Perfectly roasty, tangy, and full of dark chocolate notes. I think I actually prefer the second infusion better than the first. Definitely a tea to try at least once!!

Wow, this tea has one potent aroma! After brewing up a batch, the tea is a deep brown color and smells malty and of fresh hay. I tried this plain, but it is definitely going to be a milk/sugar only tea for me as it was quite strong/bitter. After adding a bit of honey and half and half, you are greeted with a smoother, yet still strong black tea with notes of dark fruit and honey. I think this is a great breakfast tea and would probably be a great cold-brewed tea to tone down the strength a bit. Overall, I’m not disappointed in my purchase, but I was expecting this tea to have a bit more sophistication like I find most Harney teas to have. This tea is pure, delicious brute strength!