359 Tasting Notes
So this time, I didn’t “choose” a tea out of my Terri box. Tonight, I just put my hand in it and grabbed one the zillion bags that’s in there. Abracadabra! This one showed up.
Yay, my first Yunnan Sourcing tea ever! I’ve heard so many good things about their teas, my mouth is watering!
Oh, oh, is this one of those medium bodied sweet Yunnan I am so fond of?
But, uh, wait…this also reminds me of Oriental Beauty Oolong! I’m confused, this feels like a fusion of the two.
Whatever this is, (I obviously know nothing about it), it is absolutely scrumptious!
Just like Oriental Beauty, I get super sweet honey notes, with a floral finish and that little je ne sais quoi I always find in OB that resemble muscatel but is not.
Though it reminds me of OB, it’s clearly not cause it’s very chocolaty, something you just don’t find in OB.
It’s so aromatic and tasty.
Such a beautiful tea, right up my alley, and the good news is I have enough for another cup, maybe two!!
Thank you so much Terri , another hit :-)
Ok, before I start, I’d like to warn you that what I’m about to say does NOT affect the quality nor the freshness of this blend…It is only based on my sensitivity to certain scents.
Please forgive me Brenden but this dry blend…it smells like feet! Well, feet sprinkled with cinnamon and and other goodies.
Yes, I have been known to identify stinky feet in tea…sometimes it’s in the smell, but it’s obviously worse when it’s in the taste!
Luckily, in doesn’t transfer to the taste at all in this blend, phew!
Elder Grove is all cinnamon chocolate lemon drizzled. Just the right amount of sweet and citrusy notes.
Another blend that feels so earthy and organic.
It’s very relaxing, perfect infusion of the evening…
Thank you Brenden for this generous sample. (And sorry for the feet comparison!)
I just ordered a sample of this. Now I can’t wait to smell the feet! :P
Haha! It’s only in the dry leaf, the brew smells just wonderful!
Hahaha :) That’s funny! Glad it didn’t taste like that to you ;)
You crack me up. I’m glad it didn’t taste like stinky feet at least.
Cheri, if you make this part of your WP order (cause it is worth ordering) you have to let me know if you find the “feet” notes, lol. Should I suggest this note to be added to the Steepster flavour data base?
Getting closer to lacing a WP order. I’m assuming they take playpal?
Hi Terri :-) Yes they do! This is one of the best cinnamon blend I have had…the chicory makes it chocolate-cinnamon, so good!
No feet for me. I love this one.
I think there should be a feet option, I’ve picked up on footish notes in tea too, although I think mine was a chamomile (:
Aaah! Nattie, thank you so much, what a relief to know I’m not alone, lol!
I usually don’t cold steep spent leaves unless I drink oolong or pu’erh, they have so much to give, I often stop my sessions and just cold brew the rest.
Yesterday, this one was weak for me at the third cup. I would normally just dispose of it. But I thought that maybe the vanilla bean in it could still gift me with some goodness, so I tried.
It filled a 24oz jar for 20 hours in the fridge. I thought this is way too much water for such a little bit of tea, it will probably taste like noting…WRONG!
OMG!!! It’s hot here today and this is soooo refreshing!
It tastes like vanilla sugar, so deliciously yummy.
I conclude that this tea might be expensive but out of 1/2 tablespoon, I got three hot 8oz cups and a 24oz jar of iced tea!
I’d say not a bad yielding ratio :-)
Oooh! Good to know. Now I just need to buy some.
I love coldbrewing this one! I don’t think I’ve ever actually tried to make something with old Port leaves and been disappointed by flavor – it really seems to just keep giving!
Sounds like a bargain to me!
Cheri, can’t wait to hear what you think about it!
Inranger, it is when you look at it this way instead of just price tag…
Brenden, I like this one wayyy too much! Now I feel like having it cold steeped all summer long…will try the same with Golden Orchid when it gets here.
Well, I’ve already got an imaginary order with WPTC going…hopefully next month I can come off tea buying hiatus and actually place it. (It’s looking good. I need to double check the credit card statement when it comes and make sure I get through the rest of the month accident free.)
Well I hope your imaginary order becomes reality ;-)
Just waiting on the Ailaoshan Black for my first order. According to my calculations that means in about 2 weeks I can enjoy me some WP goodness. Anticipation is a wonderful thing. :)
Oh, inranger, don’t I know, anticipation IS wonderful…as long as it doesn’t last too long :-) But Ailaoshan is totally worth the wait! Have you decided on the other teas you are getting from WP?
Yes, a savant fairy gave me a suggestion list which is now saved on my WP wishlist, then Brendan suggested on more that I’ve added. My list must be up around 8 or so teas by now. :)
Haha! never been called a “savant fairy” before, but I do know great tea when I see it ;-)
What ever you choose, I’m sure you’ll be happy with it!
Very interesting. I’ve seen posts about cold steeping “used” leaves before. I am going to need to try that, starting with my Port!
I frequently take all of the leaves from each tea i’ve steeped over the day and make a pot of it all together coldbrewed. I have not once had a pot that didnt taste delicious :)
It’s also fun too, because each pot of tea is totally unique and not something that can really be re-created easily :)
Awesome idea :-)
I’ll be interested to find out what you think Sarsonator.
So I don’t drink Sheng often enough.
And when I do, I keep telling myself, jeez, why don’t you, silly?
Maybe cause it requires more commitment than some other teas? Like, I can’t have this while cleaning up the house or doing chores. No, that would be disrespectful. If I have it, it has to be at a moment when I know I can dedicate time to it.
I think Terri said it propels her into a cosmic state of mind. I agree, this is legal drugs.
This being so “young” feels almost like a white tea, it has that White Peony apricot-y peachy taste, with very sweet honey notes.
3rd and 4th steep bring something very floral with soft woody notes. The wet leaves smell spectacular, wet wood and eucalyptus.
I find zero astringency in this, very smooth and soothing.
Then, something unexpected happens…it morphs into a fuller bodied tea, stronger bark notes and assertive spicy sweet taste. It reminds me of Ginseng Oolong. I also get some roasted almond. The colour of the brew intensifies as well.
I’m just starting to play with it, my afternoon will be peaceful I can already tell.
Doctor prescribed new anxiety pills yesterday…I think I should just keep drinking this instead :-)
I really need to start trying sheng. It all sounds so delicious. But that whole time commitment…..
Cheri, this is only me though…maybe others do drink it while doing chores and it’s just fine :-)
tea is definitively a better companion than pills. But you can have your pills with a cup of tea, I’m sure your doc would prefer that.
Lol, you are probably right Ysaurella ;-)
Drinking tea in a ritualized way can be very calming. I’m a little weird in that when I’ve suffered through periods of anxiety, the best thing for me to do is to travel somewhere completely new alone. There is something about the stimulus of new things, new languages, and new knowledge that settles me in some way. If I’m at home all I will do is sleep. In Myers-Brigg I am half way between an INFP and ENFP, it makes for a strange set of circumstances where people turn to me for leadership that I usually just fall into, and conversation, but I like long stretches of time alone as well.
Lol “new and alone” would not be good for me right now, but I totally dig what you just wrote, thanks for that. I work in a high performance environment as a leader, I’m off work right now. Alone time as always been a priority in my life as well, something I need as much as I need air to breathe!
Master Han makes some great Shengs. His 2004 Shou was really good.
Master Han (Solo) is the Jedi Master of Tea :)
I love sheng so much (and shu too) but with the exception of Special Dark which I steep western style pretty much every day, I don’t have it often enough. And the time commitment is exactly why. I have some really nice puers and I don’t feel like I do justice to them if I don’t sit down and carve out time dedicated to just tasting them. So I don’t have them often enough and I need to find a way to do that because shengs hit my re-set button and whenever I make the time for them like I did yesterday, I always tell myself that it needs to happen more often.
Who needs chocolate cake when you can have some of this?
I’m not a dessert person, but I do love my chocolate!
To die for!!! This is all chocolate and crispy toasty rice.
I’ve been having cravings all day today. Now I am sated and satisfied…munching on dark chocolate and drinking this tea feels like I have everything I need tonight.
Sorry, I’ve got nothing else to describe here, that’s all I have!
I finally got to try this because TeaTiff sent me some. I asked Verdant if they were planning to make more when the Laoshan Black comes in and yes they are! So I’m happy.
Yummmm :)
MzPriss, too bad they keep,running out of Laoshan…it’s just too good!
Whatshesaid, Oh yah, yum factor very high here :-)
Whatshesaid, BTW weren’t you the one who told me about Lindt Madagascar dark chocolate? Well, guess what I’m eating now girl?
I can’t wait for it to come back, it is soooo yum!
MzPrizz I’m so glad you just mentioned that! I’ve been wondering if Verdant going to have any. I want to try it SO BAD
*was going to have any…forgot my verb, apparently
They’ve been out since I started looking for it. TeaFairy – I love LB! I’m waiting for some new.
Hmmmm – me thinks lots of us are waiting for this to get back in stock. LOL will need to be quick on the buy button and get some before it sells out. :))
I wish you could preorder the blends too…
Wait, wait, wait… a black tea with roasted rice?? I have only had it in green! This sounds so intriguing!
Sounds good!
I’m totally waiting for this…. It’s the only Verdant blend I’m really itching for right now… :P
vanilla.citrus.spice.
Bless my heart, I have Vanilla Citrus Spice on the way too
mzpriss – if you’ve never had it before…let it steep at least 5 mins. lol i usually do about 10mins haha
I agree with sil, the longer VCS steeps, the better!
@Sil – thanks! I haven’t ever had it before, and I generally like a longer steep anyway, so this is helpful :)
Port in the afternoon? Hey, why not!
I’m an advocate of drinking my best teas at very ordinary times. Why wait for a special occasions? Just make the ordinary extraordinary!
This is fine tea, I mean REALLY fine.
Brenden suggested I use one of those little Chinese Gongfu stainless super fine stainers for his vanilla tea. I’m all out of Golden Orchid (new batch on its way, yay!!!), but I thought I’d give it a try with Port.
I already see a difference by looking at the tea through my doubled walled mug. Last time I had it, I used a regular strainer and the infusion was a little blurry. It’s crystal clear now. The difference is subtle, but I can see how the taste seems different, “cleaner”. Hard to explain and fully grasp cause I drank Port only once before.
There aren’t many of them, but I see little hairs of red saffron in the blend here and there, and they do render a Spanish savoury flair to the cup and a beautiful bright amber copper liquor.
First thing to notice is the delectable and creamy vanilla, its feels organic and a little earthy. Paired with the exquisite and sweet black base, and the “cederness” of the roasted cedar leaves, this tea turns into a sophisticated caramel infusion, with floral and fresh evergreens notes.
Yes, it’s very expensive, but it delivers and I think everyone should experience it at least once. (The problem is I am now hooked and I know I will reorder when I’m out!!)
Just a superb creation.
This tea just sounds soooooo amazing. I love saffron.
:)
I’d never heart of saffron tea before today, and now here it is again! :) www.laperse.co.uk has a line of saffron infused teas that I recently got a sample of….i was going to give it to a friend, but now I just may try one! Port sounds fabulous!
Saffron is so good, can’t be beaten simmered in white wine to create the best shrimp rice ever, mmm, ok now I’m hungry, lol.
That sounds yummy, too! :)
I love saffron. This tea sounds interesting too! :)
Terri, when you told me you didn’t do “flavoured” teas very well because of different intolerances and allergies, I thought it included blends as well, that’s why I sent you only the straight WP, not wanting to take any chances. Otherwise I would have included this one and many more in our swap. MAYBE NEXT TIME :-)
NExt time!!
I do drink blends, I just don’t want anything with artificial flavors especially, but also sometimes have problems with ‘natural’ flavors. Blends that are actually made from real things are usually ok. :)
But that’s ok, I have a ton of tea to sample for now! :D
Oh, had to read the tea description to get the tea – thought it was Port-Port wine tea. had one once which was nice if a bit artificial.
Lucky for you, Terri (and everyone!) I don’t use any natural or artificial flavors. All of my teas are 100% real stuff :)
Cteresa, I love Port wine, I have a Portuguese friend who brings back bottles for me that are out of this world!!
WP: and it shows :-)
I am so thankful for Teavivre’s review contest, I have won a 5 tea sampler pack and that makes me really happy this morning!
So to honour them, I have decided to drink one of my favourite of theirs.
This is my best everyday Tie Guan Yin. By everyday, I don’t mean this is average tasting, I mean it’s affordable enough to drink on an everyday basis.
Cause this TGY is absolutely fabulous, it competes with some of the most expensive ones I own, for a fraction of the price. It is everything I love about high mountain oolong. Floral, buttery and sweet, but also juicy and refreshing. There’s a pure crystalline mineral quality about this tea. I get hints of vanilla also, which makes this cup so very creamy and yummy!
Its name is representative, it truly is a TGY King!
I searched a long time before settling on this tea, I tried lower grades TGY to see if they could make a decent cup for a daily basis. But I quickly came to the conclusion that quality is proportional to the $$ you are willing to pay. That was until I got to try a sample of this wonderful tea.
It is almost at par with another one I buy in much smaller amount but would cost $60 for the same quantity!
Thank you Teavivre, no wonder I keep coming back for more :-)
And congrats to all the other Steepsterites who have won something in the contest!!
congrats! I reckon I’m still too much of a rookie…entered once…got a $3 coupon….reckon they didn’t like the smoking monkey vision I created during the review! :)
Congrats! And this sounds like an awesome tea. I’ll have to add it to my list.
Congratulations. :)
Was there a contest? LOL, I never know about these thing until I’ve missed them!
Congrats!
Thanks :-)
Congrats!!
Mmm, I love this tea too.
Shoot, I missed the contest as well
It’s a little strange that I actually like this blend. I mean, I hate red Rooibos, I’m not a fan of Lapsang, don’t even like my Keemun when they are too smokey…Basically, I only like smoke in my food or in my fireplace.
But this tea is like eating something deliciously smokey. It feels like a real treat. It’s not something I would drink at any hour of the day though.
Why did I choose to drink it tonight? Cause I ate some delectable smoked salmon for dinner and I thought this tea would end the meal perfectly.
And it did!
The blend is pure alchemy, I think that’s why it works so well, it contains a little bit of magic..
The Rooibos? I can’t see it, I can’t taste it, that’s the way I like my Rooibos!
The smoke? It’s just right, not bitter, not too pungent, just very campfire woody. The cinnamon and the smoke work so well together, it’s the most pleasurable thing.
I’m outside in the gazebo, it’s nightfall and I’m just chilling, listening to a little frog’s symphony, little pleasures are so rewarding!
I love smoked salmon! :3
…and this tea sounds amazing. Definitely adding it to my Whispering Pines list.
Tea + Magic is how I roll! :) Oh, and salmon, too…I LOVE SALMON!!!
Cameron B, I’ve noticed from previous posts that you like cinnamon a lot, right? I think this will really work for you :-)
And yes…SALMON is food of the GODS!!! (And so is the kale dish I prepared for it!!!)
almon is food of the gods!!
It depends on the tea, but I would definitely enjoy it in this. :D
Ohhh we should share recipes :)
Hmmm…maybe you wouldn’t like my recipes so much. I’m a “semi” vegetarian, I eat meat only once or twice a month, and I am a green smoothie fanatic lol!!
Veggies, seeds, nuts, fish, fruits, health freak!! But I love bacon, if that counts for anything :-)
I need someone to teach me how to eat like that, The TeaFairy! You must be super healthy!
Man, EVERY tea that WP makes sounds so good. One of these days…
mj1851, it’s just a lifestyle…I have no merit, I really love the way I eat and I never liked meat all that much. But because I eat it so rarely, if I crave it I just have it! The good thing about eating well 99% of the time is that you can indulge once in a while without feeling guilty! And I eat my dark chocolate almost everyday :-)
Haha! Christina, I guess it depends of everyone’s personal tastes, but so far, WP teas just fit so well with me :-)
Tea fairy – I eat the Mediterranean diet. Only eat chicken sometimes and fish if I catch it. Everything I eat is homemade, locally grown, and/or organic if possible.
I make my own yogurt, pasta sauce, rice milk, kombucha, etc…
And I’m nuts about nuts, berries, and fruits. I try to eat at least an apple a day and always have at least one meal of rice and steamed veggies a day.
In conclusion, I think I’d like your recipes ;)
Haha! OMG, you are a few steps ahead of me Brenden! Your own kombucha?
That’s awesome! So happy to know you’re not a hunter.
And of course, I too loooove the Mediterranean diet!!! I’m not crazy about rice milk, but I make my own almond milk and peanut butter, so good!
Lol, this tea review really digress ;-)
:) Yep, I’ve had my kombucha going for about a year now…I’ve actually just installed a heating element and thermostat to control the fermentation, too!
You might be interested in learning how incredibly simple it is to make your own kombucha…hehe… www.whisperingpinestea.com/kombucha ;)
I’m glad to hear about the dark chocolate or I might suspect that you are not human, TheTeaFairy
Aww, thanks! My goodness, good job, you really make it sound full proof. I will have to meditate on that a little before deciding to try. What’s scares me is not knowing what the heck I’m doing, but your step by step guide is pretty clear. Will let you know ;-)
Lol, mj1851, I also eat pasta and cheese every week and drink red wine if that makes you feel better ;-)
(As long as if I do a HIIT workout on that day!!!)
Mandala olongs…Ooh, la, la…
I’ve decided that Colored Species is my favourite…well today it is. Yesterday, it was Milk Oolong. Tomorrow, it will be Golden Turtle. Yes, they do Oolong pretty well.
It’s a soft oolong. Not very sweet and buttery like so many others of this type, but lighter, more floral.
Lilac and orchid, I even pick up so jasmine in later steeps. But it’s not overly perfumy. In fact, it’s not over the top anything, it’s just one of the most well balanced green oolong I have ever had.
It reminds me of Da Yu Ling oolong, the taste of mountainous climate.
My mouth feels so fresh after each sip…forget gum or any type of freshener, drink more of this and you’ll have the breath of an angel I guaranty it :-)
This is just the most exquisite afternoon tea…and I just reordered, taking advantage of Mandala’s sale, cause I can’t ever run out of this one. Ever.
This one sounds really good, too. I see that once I’m allowing myself to buy tea again, I definitely need to place an order for Mandala oolongs……..
Yes Cheri, it’s all about self control…something I was born without!
I figure if I can get through the rest of the month, I should be okay buying tea. Maybe. Last month’s credit card bill was more than twice what it normally is. This moth has featured two car accidents. (Neither was my fault, no one was hurt. But still.)
Oh yes, I remember reading your note about the cats and the accident…so terrible. What an ordeal, two accidents in such a short period of time.
It could have been way worse. No one was hurt, and insurance is covering most of it.
self control? What is that?
I guess it’s the thing that’s been keeping me away from the Mandala website…probably for far too long!
Cheri, we’re thinking about getting a dash cam (like the ones they use in those scary russian videos on youtube) because I was road-raged this week and have the damage on my car to prove it, but he drove off, feeling righteous. It’s crazy out there!
It is crazy out there, donkeytiara, but neither of mine were like that. One was just distracted driving on the interstate, and the other was someone in a parking lot, couldn’t see around the SUV he was parked next to and he backed out way too fast. I hope the damage on your car isn’t too bad, and that your insurance will take care of it for you.
I’m sipping Morning Sun and life is good…
This feels thick and dusty in the mouth. Malty with no trace of astringency, very smooth. I love how different this tea is, it’s sweet, roasty and earthy, but there’s also a sharpness to it, like fresh juicy green bell peppers.
It’s gonna rain soon…but who cares, I have sunshine in my cup…and I love the rain!
(If only I didn’t have to deal with mosquitos, they are the size of a quarter this year…what’s up with that, a super species?)
I hate mosquitos so much. I am one of those people who is both extra delicious AND extra allergic! :(
Haha! Stephanie, me too! apparently my blood is the best mosquito food ever, everyone else is safe when I’m around :-(
me too!
You must be like my friend Mike, when I worked up North we used to like to work with him because he’d take the worst of it. Other rules to avoid being mosquito/ black fly food. Avoid dark colours, don’t shower wear heavy perfumes before heading out into the woods etc.
I follow all these rules and I am always pure bug food. My friends all make fun of me and say it is not a real vacation until Tiff’s face is swollen. I am sadly your friend mike in our group of friends.
Sorry about that, one of my coworkers always ended up with a swollen face as well, even when we used hardcore feet. One season I worked with a girl, who had worked on the blackfly monitoring project at Algonquin Park, she used to go around and monitor the level of larvae in the streams in order to give us an idea of how long of a blackfly season we had left!
Yay!!
I aim to please!