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Cameron B. drank DISCONTINUED - Golden Sunrise Black Tea by Whispering Pines Tea Company

1578 tasting notes

I purchased this from Shadowfall in her recent stash sale. Had to scoop up those Whispering Pines teas! I’ve actually never had a keemun before but I was willing to take the risk for such a reasonable price! :) The leaves are small, short, and extremely dark. I would describe it as “generic black tea” and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Dry, it smells a little musty with honey and raisin notes. Steeped for 3 minutes.

My first impression of the aroma was that it smells like an English Breakfast. There’s a little smoke and honey in there. The taste is quite bold! The strong flavor is the main event but it also has some very nice subtle accompaniments. There’s a lovely honey quality to it, and a very light smoke in the background. It’s a tad malty. I added about half a teaspoon of sugar and it brought out some lovely dark fruit notes that remind me of raisins or dates. This tea is a bit bold for me, but the sugar really helped the round out the flavor and I’m sure it would take milk very well.

A great experience for my very first Keemun! Thanks Shadowfall!

Flavors: Dates, Honey, Malt, Raisins, Smoke

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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4 comments

TheTeaFairy
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Interesting…I haven’t tried this one, but then again, it isn’t selling anymore, at least not under this name. Wonder if it was just replaced by Pine Peak Kummun.

Cameron B.
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I just ordered some Pine Peak so I can definitely let you know if I think it tastes the same. :P If not, I can definitely send you some to try!

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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It was replaced by Pine Peak, which is like 97x better ;)

TheTeaFairy
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Cameron, thank you so much, you are sweet but I’m gonna pass….I have a hard time keeping up with my own stash right now, and I have tons more on the way :-o

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Comments

TheTeaFairy
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Interesting…I haven’t tried this one, but then again, it isn’t selling anymore, at least not under this name. Wonder if it was just replaced by Pine Peak Kummun.

Cameron B.
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I just ordered some Pine Peak so I can definitely let you know if I think it tastes the same. :P If not, I can definitely send you some to try!

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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It was replaced by Pine Peak, which is like 97x better ;)

TheTeaFairy
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Cameron, thank you so much, you are sweet but I’m gonna pass….I have a hard time keeping up with my own stash right now, and I have tons more on the way :-o

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-year-old software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, bento, baking, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is collecting hobby related-things… ;)

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I will often sweeten iced tea. I brew Western style, and fluctuate between using mugs or teapots with small cups depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I also use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Current Subscriptions:
52teas
Bird & Blend
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Sips By

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, and oolong varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially mango and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura and chamomile. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Purveyors:
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Kusmi
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre
Yunnan Sourcing

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age.

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/cam...

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