this place is simply the best on-line loose leaf vendor in the United States. NO JOKE. Great selection that is updated every year with new crop - you will have to try very hard to beat it. Their markups are reasonable and the staff is very very knowledgeable. The service is generally very good and if you live in the New England area, it will get to you very very quickly. They package and store their tea well enough - I can tell since my probably more than 1 year old Puttabong still tastes great. The site could be better constructed for better browsing but then again it isn't too much of a problem. The site descriptions and the information they provide on each tea is top notch. read more

Great tea selection and great service. If you are a fan of quality loose tea Upton is the place. They have a large selection of teas from around the world. I especially like their selection of green teas from China and Japan. You can get sampler packs of almost any tea in the catalog (Usually priced from $1.00-$7.00) This is a great way to try a tea to see if you like it. They have a selection of tea pots, strainers, infusers and mugs. The catalog is a tome-the descriptions are very helpful in making your selection. Here on the East Coast my order usually arrives in a few days. The shipping via USPS is a flat $4.00-for any sized order. read more

Upton Tea is a fantastic source of all kinds of teas. They have a huge selection, offer very inexpensive samples so you can try a new kind of tea without making a huge commitment. Also, their customer service is fantastic: things ship and arrive quickly, are always well packaged (clean, neat, organized, well protected), orders are always accurate. The online catalog has lots of information - not just about the products, but about tea in general (history, cultivation, industry, tradition); I occasionally ask them to send a print copy with a shipment, just because it's nice to browse through to get ideas of new teas to try. The only downside I see with Upton Tea is that I always tend to over-order, because they have such a fantastic selection, and great tea is such an affordable luxury, it's easy to rationalize "oh, $8 for one more isn't really that much more..." My first experience with Upton Tea was years ago, when they were in their old location in Hopkinton. I worked just down the street, and stopped by to check out this "new tea shop" I'd heard about, not realizing that they were a 'mail order only' kind of place. The person who greeted me when I came through the door was a bit surprised to see a customer there, and explained that they weren't a retail shop, but just did catalog and internet orders. And then she quickly added, "but since you're already here, I'll be happy to help you", handed me a catalog to browse, and within 5 minutes I was out the door with a selection of fine teas. They would have had me as a repeat customer based solely on the quality of their products, but the customer focus they showed that day really sealed the deal. read more

This is the best tea retailer in the US (that I have found and I have tried over 50). One reason to try this place is their sample sized starter you can purchase to try a tea you have never had. The 1 to 2 dollar price gives you two-three cups of tea. The catalogue will guide you or just pick a number of samples and dive right in. read more

Can't say enough about this company. I drink a pot of tea at work most afternoons, so I go through a lot of tea and I demand good quality tea. I've bought tea from local shops and they're great but very expensive. Upton is extremely inexpensive by comparison and the tea is top quality. There are so many offerings that I tend to call when I order and I always get someone who is helpful and points me to cool new teas. If you drink tea regularly and you don't shop here you're either paying too much or drinking sub-par tea or both. read more

The idea of no Upton Tea is almost DT-inducing. I want them to add a storefront and cafe. In the meantime, it's great for tea newbies -- get samples to see what you like. You can spend some serious money here, but hey, tea is good for you! And they put your name on the label (now I feel special). There are some other good tea purveyors in the area (Mark T Wendell, MEM), but I think their quality, range, and depth is unmatched. read more

Awesome source of tea. After looking around online for a good vendor of high quality teas, I stumbled upon Upton. Their website may be a bit aged but their prices are reasonable and more importantly, their tea is great. They seem to specialize in black teas, Indian specifically but they do have a reasonable selection of Chinese and Japanese teas. If you are looking for Indian teas however, I can't think of anywhere else with a greater selection. read more

I'm not sure what I can add to the observations made by others. It is as good as it gets. The teas are excellent, the packaging is excellent, the delivery is fast and reliable, the website is easy to navigate, yu can see all your order history, (I wish they listed the dates of the orders as well, not just the order numbers), they provide extra labels if you need, customized if you need, the catalog is informative. I love their Melange Russe and Scottish Brekfast Blend. I've been using them for over 10 years. read more

Great prices, Unbelievable personal service, and product that does not quit!! I am a loyal customer for 3 years now. my advise: spend your time trying Uptons samples instead of looking at others sites. I have already waisted enough time looking at others sites for you. read more

I am a long time customer, and have always had prompt and professional service. I've only ever had one problem with an order and they resolved it quickly. They have a great selection. I am sad to be paying tax again now that I am back in Massachusetts, but it is worth every penny for the quality. read more

I am a long time tea drinker (bagged) and finally decided to try loose leaf teas to see if there really is a difference. I had my last cup of bagged PG Tips right after tasting loose leaf teas from Upton. They have a huge variety of tea, from inexpensive to "I'll spend that much on a few ounces of tea if I get a Visa gift card for my birthday." They also have samples, samplers and all kinds of tea paraphernalia. They will print a custom label for each package of tea you order (not hard in this day and age with with technology, but a very nice touch) and always ship promptly. I find other online purveyors of tea can't come close to matching the quality and selection of Upton. I wouldn't consider ordering loose leaf tea from anyone else. read more

Love Upton Tea! I have been ordering online for a few years and really appreciate the quality. So helpful to read reviews about each tea by buyers, as you really get a sense of the tea and what you might like. The price is good and the packaging is nice, especially if you get it as a gift, as you can have a custom label made with the person's name, nice touch! read more

Fantastic in all ways--just had to add another 5 stars to their well deserved perfect score!

This is probably the top drawer tea purveyor in the Nation. Superb service, incredibly fast shipping (most of my orders are out the door the same day I order!), the most knowledgable staff, and the best selection, bar none. read more

Quick turnaround time from order placement to delivery. Have been drinking their teas for years and each time throw something new in. The size variety makes it easy to stock up on favorites while adding a twist. read more

I love Upton Tea. They're just so great. They have a HUGE selection of teas... but I'm very picky and know exactly what I like. Luckily, the tremendous body of customer reviews and staff descriptions of each variety makes it really easy to find something I want. They have a small but well chosen selection of tea accessories-- i.e., they sell high quality, good products, not gimmicky rubbish like you see in some mall tea shops. I have been very happy with the infuser basket I bought from them several years ago. Whenever I have been in touch with the people who run it, they have been polite, responsive, knowledgeable and friendly (Never had a problem to contact them about, but I've sent thank you notes and questions.). The shipping has always been lightning fast, too. I used to live in Massachusetts so I thought it was just proximity, but I've moved out of state now and it still always comes on the first day possible, even before the expected delivery date. If you love tea or like tea or want to try liking tea, please buy from Upton! I'd be lost without them. read more

I have been ordering online from them for several years now. They are awesome!! Much better prices and selection than Teavana. Website pretty basic format, but I LOVE, LOVE the catalog! It's like an encyclopedia of tea! And being able to buy sample sizes has been great in allowing me to explore new types of tea. They keep their shipping rates very low, the tea is nicely sealed individual bags, I have had zero issues...orders always correct and filled/delivered very promptly. This is a GREAT company! read more

Upton Tea is a Boston-based mailorder company. If you look at their website (http://www.uptontea.com) or flip through their catalog, you will see that they are absolutely serious about tea and offer teas and herbal teas from every continent except Antarctica. For best browsing, I suggest you sign up for the print catalog and ruminate over hundreds of teas they have in stock; every catalog has an interesting article about the history of tea, a glossary, and instructions on how to brew tea. The descriptions of the teas parallel those of wine by serious wine people--it's somewhat heavy with lingo, and descriptions might be a bit obtuse ("creamy", "vegetal", "malty", etc.), but Upton's service is really good and they will help you find what you're looking for. If you're a budding tea enthusiast, you might be overwhelmed by the selection, but don't fret. Upton offers some sampler packs so you can try 4 different kinds of black or green or blended tea at once and get acquainted. They also offer sample sizes (each good for several servings) of pretty much all of the teas in the catalog, including the super high grade and/or rare teas that may go for $30 a tin; the samples are mostly in the $1-2 range, with the expensive teas going for $5-7. By buying sample sizes, you can easily order a good breadth of tea varieties and only spend a little bit. The catalog also includes some brewing equipment, but they stick to one brand, Chatsford, for pots and one-cup infusers. Upton is definitely one of the best tea purveyors around. read more

I'm not a tea expert so I was initially too overwhelmed by their variety but the website helped me find the right teas for my taste & budget. I've now been ordering their teas & tea making products for many years and I've never been disappointed. I don't feel nervous ordering something new or different because their descriptions are so accurate and their quality is amazing so I'm always very happy with what I get. Also, It's difficult to find loose leaf teas in my area so I appreciate I can get so many kinds of loose leaf teas in just the right amounts to fill the lovely tins I ordered many years ago. Very convenient and environmentally-friendly. read more

I have been ordering tea from Upton Teas since 1989, without problem. Well, sometimes I left it too late and had to go through agony waiting for the post. It's a great place read more

I love this company! Great, enormous selection of tea and tea products, high quality teas and fabulous customer service.

Their selection is great, and being able to order small samples puts Upton at the top of my list. You can't go wrong with this company; try a sample and if you like it, order a larger quantity. And the quality of their teas - excellent. read more

I have been a customer of Upton Tea Imports since they were first mentioned in the New York Times in an article on online shopping. That article probably appeared sometime in 2002. Their selection is fantastic, their staff is very informed and helpful, the shipping is extremely fast, and they carry by far the best assortment of teas in the U.S. read more

I had searched for a particular tea for most of my life. Having tasted this tea at a "Tea from Ceylon" promo some 50 yrs ago in England. I was told by many tea importers that it "didn't exist'. My neighbour gave me a Upton Tea Catalogue and there it was! Well, I ordered it promptly and sent a cheque. That order arrived within 5 days and was on my table. The tea tasted just as good as it did as I remembered it . As for service I was "blown away" You won my vote for business of the year. Larraine Leonard aka egaqueenmum@yahoo.com read more

Catalog is amazing, web site is easy to use and full of information. It may not be as pretty as others but I always have found out that the more flashy something looks like the less they have to offer. Upton seems to spend the lions share of their time on the customer and less on the adverts. This company wants the customer to understand and know the history of what they are buying. I recomend friending them on Facebook for even more info. But the best thing about Upton is the customer service, fast and ultra friendly. If you have a question they are always eager to help. Uptons service is an example of how a company should operate. Try it once and you will be back. read more

An amazing collection - almost too much! The descriptions are helpful, but in the end you have to try things. It took us quite a few assams and Earl Greys before we found one we liked. I was pleasantly surprised to see they not only sell Nilgiri, a tea I really like, but even had a selection of them! Recommended, just be patient enough to try several and dislike a few before you find the tea you really love. read more

An exellent company to deal with, very easy to order, the site is appealing, and works well, checkout processe could not be simpler. They have a wide selection of teas, and background information on each one, taste profile, user rateings, and the ability to choose what size package of tea you want to order(I should add that other places do indeed do this, UT is diffrent, they explaine how much your getting, and the avarage number of cups it will produce) Sofar the best company I've delt with, exelent selection of FRESH tea(no stale, old teas) and a good selection of tea products. I like this company, not only how they present there products, but how they sell them: Honestly, and from a tea drinkers perspective. I also like how there not stuffing products at you "Oh! You like that tea? You should buy our extreamly over-priced, and realy dosent work that well magic tea infuser! Oh wait! You can't just buy the small one! You need the reeeealy large one that no one will ever need to compleatly fill it! Oh! Stop! You don't have our 'amazing' tea spoon? Well I'll add it to your order, its only an arm and a leg" (if you drink tea, you know EXACTLY what company I'm talking about) upton tea isn't like that, infact, I've dropped all my buisness with the others (if I can get better coustomer service, better tea, AND still have money left over after buying it, why not switch to upton? Only place I know where I can get quality tea, that I'd pay triple digit price for other place, for a double digit price!) Well, kinda went overbord with the review, if your even thinking of going to upton(but are hesitating) just do it, you WON'T be sorry! read more

I just want to echo others comments on Upton Tea. Extremely fast and courteous service. Excellent teas at good prices. IMO, Upton's is the best! read more

I have been a customer of Upton Tea for a few years now. I really have no reason to go elsewhere. You simply can not find a better company to order tea from. They literally have it all, from price and selection, to customer service. I have always preferred a bold tea, such as an Assam. However, I did break down last week and bought one of Upton's more expensive teas. It was there Formosa Jade Imperial Oolong. I can say in all honesty, that I have never had anything like it. It's so great, that I would have a hard time trying to explain it. read more

Upton Tea has been my go-to place for about 15 years by now. Great selection of not just the typical types of teas, at a good price. The Christmas blend is wonderful, they also have wonderful Keemuns, Yunnans, etc, and their blends are great! Service has been impeccable. With all these new tea companies popping up everywhere, I still prefer Upton Tea by far! Shipping is just over 4 Dollars, so I usually stock up for the next 3-4 months.... Just a bummer they don't have an actual store to go to, just internet. read more

I would prefer to give this company zero stars but it wasn't an option. The Japanese tea I ordered was very expensive - even compared with buying it directly from Japan - and the quality of the tea was poor. It was supposed to by Gyokuro, the finest of Japanese teas, but it certainly did not look or taste like it. They packaged the tea in a nice looking foil bag and put my name and the date they packaged it for me on it. I think this is a ploy to make you think it is fresh on that date but in fact it has apparently been shipped to them in bulk. There is no way of knowing the actual harvest date, which is very important with Japanese green tea. The finer the green tea, the shorter the shelf life. Because Upton advertises in The New Yorker I expect they have huge advertising costs, which, it appears, they are passing along to the consumer! My advice - buy from one of the online Japanese companies. Some don't even charge shipping. read more