189 Tasting Notes
I made my way through this fine cake in the past two years and it just got better and better. The sweetness seemed to intensify and the already heavy, mellow body just got thicker and soupier. Yum! I think a reorder is in store. As an afternote, I like dealing with The Puerhshop.com because they never misrepresent their product.
I ordered the organic version of this tea rather than my usual Kenilworth and I’m quite pleased with the selection. Whereas I find the Kenilworth to be a classic Ceylon, the Greenfield surprised me with an Assam or Yunnan-like richness that I wasn’t expecting. 4-4.5 minutes seems spot on for this tea and I’ glad to see the tea doesn’t break down or get bitter after sitting in the cup for a while.
Preparation
This was a great tea from Upton that disappeared quickly. Pronounced chocolate and tobacco notes, with a red-wine body reminiscent of good Keemuns. Upton has a habit of finding these unique China blacks that can really add a great diversion to our standard daily brews.
I’ve enjoyed many cups of this tea and almost always replenish when it’s gone. Why? It’s not trying to be something it’s not, like some Assams I know. It tastes the way a proper black tea should, with enough interesting flavor notes of dried fruit to keep me coming back again and again. If you like this, Upton has an organic Greenfield Estate Ceylon that is quite nice.
I’m not one of those people that will spend a lot of money on green teas because, case in point, you can get a very satisfying green tea that hits all the notes—sweet, light, pleasingly vegetal—for a very reasonable price, from the always reliable Mark T. Wendell company.
One of my go-to teas. Very smoky but always mellow—never bitter, which attests to the quality of the base leaf Hu Kwa is made from. The red liquor always sparkles.
One of the coffee shops in town swears by this tea and this company. Do you like any of their other teas?
I do. They seem to find great examples of the major types of teas, like Assams, darjeelings, and Keemuns, etc. They don’t offer a lot of options like Upton tea does (they have nearly 100 darjeelings which can be a bit overwhelming) but what they do offer is quality. I’ve enjoyed their dragonwell green and their basic Darjeeling quite a bit. thanks for asking.
I’ve tried two different lots of this tea and loved them both (though the first lot from last fall was a little richer). Typically smooth and sweet, and earthy after a 4-5 minute steeping, I drink this tea any time during the day. Frankly, other than fine darjeelings, or lapsang suchongs I find myself drinking gold bud Yunnan teas almost every time I drink black tea.