Whispering Pines Tea Company

Today I was given a reminder as to why I stopped taking care of fish. Anyone who ever says they are easy is full of it or not doing it right. Years ago I had a ton of tanks, I was rescuing Bettas from local pet stores and trying to rehabilitate them, but one month I was sick, like really really sick. I lost pretty much all my tanks except for my self-sufficient 20 gallon, it was devastating. After that I had a Betta here and there that I rescued and loved for a couple years, by no more massive tanks. Recently the bug bit me and I want to get back into tank management, hardcore, I have two small ones but when I move I expect my tea room to also be filled with aquariums, cleaning water is a really good workout after all. What all of this about is I woke up to a dead Ugin the Spirit Dragon this morning, no idea why, he seemed fine the night before happy and healthy, with fine water. I am filled with sadness at the loss of my fish, debating cleaning the tank, moving the Otoclinus in with the other betta and his ghost shrimp and retiring that tank, or just getting a new Betta. Time will tell.

Ok that was a really depressing intro, I am sorry about that, so I am going to make it up to you all with some really pretty happy tea, yep, it is a fuzzy golden tea, this time with an epic twist! Whispering Pines Tea Co’s Earl Gold, a blend of Golden Snail (one of those Yunnan fuzzies I rave about quite often, and WPTC’s is something else) and cold pressed Bergamot oil, and then it was aged for 30 days. Before I get too into this review, you might have noticed I do not review a ton of Earl Grey Tea, turns out I am not really a huge fan of it, the real Erlkönig (think folklore not Goethe) is Ben, he is a connoisseur of the stuff. With that in mind, allow me to describe these fuzzy coils’ aroma, they smell really good, like really good. Blend cocoa and malt, chocolate and roasted peanuts, and underneath all of that is bergamot’s citrus zing that grows and grows until it is like having my nose pressed into a bergamot fruit. I like how it is not an immediate punch to the face with bergamot, since that is usually what I don’t like about earls.

Into the gaiwan the tea goes, yeah, this is going to be a gongfu earl session, that might be a first for me. The wet leaves are very sweet, notes of yams, cocoa, peanuts, and rich malt blend seamlessly with bergamot. The aroma reminds me of like the best ever chocolate orange, man I love those things so much. The liquid is a delicate blend of peanuts, yams, and cocoa, and hello bergamot at the finish, it just sits there and is friendly, not at all overbearing.

First steep, oh that is smooth, very smooth and very sweet. Not what I ever expected to encounter from an Earl, the expected bliss from the Golden Snails with a really crisp and tangy bergamot blend together really well. It starts with malt, cocoa, and peanuts, this builds to a really strong cocoa sweetness and honey, with a lingering honey finish. And then there is the bergamot, it starts mild and builds, underneath the other notes and never overpowering them. Again, it reminds me of the best chocolate orange.

Second steep, the leaves have more or less totally unfurled now, and the tea area smells really good. The aroma is a balance of cocoa and bergamot, like a perfect balance, it is rich and sweet and mouthwatering. I am salivating over an earl, what has the world come to? The taste is rich, very rich, hello malt and cocoa, and of course bergamot. This steep is not as sweet, and the bergamot has a touch of sourness that really wakes my mouth up, and it lingers for a while.

Third steep! Strong cocoa and bergamot reaches my nose from the cup, tea blenders, please, make more EG that is a citrus themed nose caress and not a punch! The punch is nice for some, but I really like being able to tell how good the base tea is. The taste is very rich and balanced, the sweetness returns and blends well with the cocoa and malt notes. The finish is citrus and lingers. Ben and I had many steeps of this and both became quite tea drunk. So what does the Tea Barbarian have to say for himself when it comes to this tea?

“Like all the best Earls Grey, I could smell the Bergamot from across the room as soon as Amanda unsealed the package. That’s a promising start, even if it didn’t make her cough when she sniffed it as some past favorites have. Actually drinking it was an unusual experience – Earls are, of course, usually made with ‘Western Standard’ teas from South India, which tend to be strong nearly to the point of overpowering. As a tea barbarian, that’s the sort of thing I’m used to. The fuzzy gold used here is much more mild – enough so that I’m not sure I would call it an Earl Grey, exactly. However, to my pleasant surprise (and unlike several other “Early Grey but with fancier leaves” experiments I’ve tried before), it actually works really well. Whether Gongfu-style or Western, the milder leaves compliment the Bergamot, rather than being overwhelmed by it – the result is a smooth, earthy Earl variant less suited to kicking you into gear before exploring ancient ruins than to soothing contemplation atop a throne of skulls. An Ambassador Grey, if you will.
All the powers in the world couldn’t convince me to review an ANYTHING Grey going strictly by Gongfu – an insistence upon English-style* steeping is part of why I called myself a Tea Barbarian in the first place – but there’s one further surprise there. Don’t tell Amanda, but this tea actually remains much more flavorful when taken Gongfu. It’s a very unique Grey variant, all-round."

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/09/whispering-pines-tea-co-earl-gold-tea.html

My very first cake. Got this on a recommendation and sat down to try it. Put on some sounds of the Orient to get y mind right and broke a good chunk off of this cake. Put it in my Gaiwan after preheating it and let it sit for a while and soak up some of the steam in there. When I opened the lid and smelled it, I for some vegetal along with some vanilla and some dark chocolate. Did a rinse and steeped it according to the instructions on the Whispering Pines website.I was blown away. Brown sugar and honey was present as was a camphor that hung around on my lips. This thing never quit, either. Did maybe 12 steeping before it finally lost some of ts flavor and became a little watered down. This will be one that I will keep stocked in my cupboard!

OK, I deleted my last review on this tea because of my own tasting mistake. This tasting came out perfect for me. This isn’t a chai that slaps you in the face with spices. The spices are there but they are more subtle than most chai’s I have had. The first thing that hits you is the floral aroma of this tea. Fruity, almost. I get hints of malt, bread, cocoa, and even some vanilla coming through, but again, it is subtle. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel gives way to a finish of evergreen…almost a minty flavor. Very light in color and mouthfeel. Almost an orange yellow. This isnt your grandfathers chai, thats for sure!

So you know how we talk about tea drunk? Well, I was tea sloshed today after finishing my last reserved oolong tea from Shi’s family farm in from China that was only a week old when sent to me. Some strong stuff… but then I switched to this.
This tea in comparison to other phoenix oolongs is sweet and fruity. This is something I like since it is still summer, it goes real well with the weather right now. The brew of this is rather light and has a small amount of aroma that arises from the cup. However, the subtle taste of this tea becomes vibrant from the temperature of its liquid. This is a tea you would not want to drink warm or cold. Phoenix oolongs always make me smile as they warm my mood up :)

This is a delicious EG, no doubt. I did oversteep slightly as I was vacuuming while it steeped and it kind of took longer than I expected. So it is somewhat on the downslope towards bitter but not intolerably so and I’m relatively certain that if it hadn’t steeped so long it wouldn’t even be noticeable. After all, Golden Snail rules – how could a combo like this go wrong? But yeh, it isn’t for the blergamot crowd. The berg is fairly strong with this one. :)

Plus, the photo of the tea would have made me buy this even if it weren’t two things I love. Just gorgeous presentation of a beautiful looking and tasting tea.

I’m just one odd dude…

Here I am, all hyped up with speakers blasting that Rapzilla and drinking a roasted oolong!
It is kind of like I’m four months ahead of everyone else fighting off the lack of heat that others call cold weather. Of course I’m pushing the limits of going SSJ2 just by the mixture of good liquid entering my body giving me the ki I need, but add some sound waves that activate the electrical/chemical reactions needed to ellivates ones mood… I’m there.

Whatever, I’m just saiyan I am in a great mood (in my own dialect I suppose)

Liquid nom. Medium roasted TGY is much better than dark roasted because you can taste the olive color (do colors have taste) when you open up the leaf.

Before I review this, I should say that I am just beginning to get familiar with oolongs. I normally find my home in black tea. I am a fan of bold, strong teas.

The first infusion of this leaves me with the feeling that it is a solid and smooth entry into the world of oolong. I am not recognizing any of the flavors (such as barley and coconut) that others seem to have gotten. I am mostly getting a buttery vegetal/minerally type flavor. It is good though. Not too overpowering but not too weak. A nice solid balance.

Second infusion at 2 minutes is a little thinner, not as buttery, and a bit more floral.

Third infusion at 3 minutes. Whoa! The rich buttery scent and flavor comes back. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it happen where a tea gets weaker upon multiple infusions and then gets stronger again. Impressive.

I think I am going to be a bit more inclined to try some other oolongs after this one. It is a good middle ground between black and green for me.

So, my goal is to review more of the teas I have, starting with my newest obsession, Ambrosia. I really like this and have been pushing it onto everyone in the vicinity. This really swings towards a vanilla marshmallow for me. I have been playing around with it and find that I like to use quite a bit of tea for each serving. Less is not balanced enough between the syrupy vanilla and the tea. More than 3-4 steeps, depending on how much attention I am paying to it while brewing, and I find that it fades considerably. The taste goes away, some of the vanilla scent lingers though. I let the steep I am currently drinking sit for a bit too long, so it is very brisk but not unpleasant. I do find a bit of an almost woody taste behind the vanilla. This tea really lives in the vanilla though, by itself the black tea would be pleasant but not as well rounded.

In summary, sugar and vanilla on top of a nice round woody black tea.

I like this one pretty well, it’s nice and smooth,not quite as chocolatey and bold as the previous North Winds, this one is more fruity and floral, still very delicious.
I ordered my Autumn 2015 North Winds already so I’m gonna enjoy this one up while I have it, i’ll prolly save some back so i can taste them side by side just for funs,
I have always enjoyed all versions of North Winds that I have had,it is one of our favs I think.

Brenden… dude… Firstly, when I originally started looking at this company for tea, I already had respect for the handcrafted, Michigan inspired feel. Being a native and current Michigander myself, it was instantly something I could respect.

Then I ordered and tried some of the teas. I fell in love (especially with North Winds). I am still a relative newbie to the tea scene but I knew I had tasted quality and that my relationship with how I judged tea had changed.

I lay all this out in order to say: It’s been done again. This is pretty much the best herbal tea I have ever imbibed in. It doesn’t hurt that I am a ginger freak and this tea, from smell to sip, has a wonderful rounded ginger aura. Even with making my cup strong and dark, there was no astringent bite. But it’s not just ginger. There is something else there. A sweet, honeysuckle tartness with a hint of pepper to keep it from being cloying.

Also, really reasonably priced for the smooth flavor and relaxing feeling it presents. Will certainly be using this often this upcoming fall/winter.

Picked this for a gentle tea to share with my fiance while rewatching The Two Towers.
Steep 1, 20 sec: Menthol sensation all over my mouth, slight prickly feeling from the trichomes I believe. Light sweetness and even lighter florals, but dominantly the flavor of fresh hay, before it has been baled.
Steep 2, 15 sec: Lighter in flavor and texture.
Steep 3, 30 sec: Much sweeter, with a sugar-in-the-raw sweetness.
Steep 4, 45 sec: More mineral sweetness, dominant hay and perhaps slight sage flavor in the aftertaste.
Steep 5, 1:30: Darker than previous steeps. Faint sugar, almost like aspartame, with a slight “boiled tree leaves” backbone. The same menthol-like sensation has accompanied each steep.
Yum, but I like my silver needle accented with jasmine more, I think. It is rare that an unflavored white tea is chosen by me. This was a generous sample, and I’m glad I got to try it, but I think I prefer Bai Mu Dan or Yabao.

This tea is truly magical! Extremely well blended! I actually had to check back at the ingredients since I was no longer sure that it was vegan, but of course it was. I saw something on Steepster a while ago written by a representative of a tea company about how blending tea was not some magical art. I strongly disagree with that statement. Very good blends, like this tea are art. I believe it is very easy to tell when love, creativity, and time have been committed to the creation of a tea. I know that is how I used to blend teas and still do for myself and I can tell the same type of care from some other tea companies.

I had this tea once before, western style, and I think I may prefer it that way. There was an overwhelming coolness that washed over my mouth and a sweet nectary floral flavor pushing through the cool charcoal presence of the roasting. For once, a darker oolong that doesn’t taste like smoke!
Filled the bottom of my gaiwan with leaves. Infusion times: 20s, 15s, 25s, 30s, 40s, 1m, 2m, 5m
First: It tastes like very little at first, but a slight cooling sensation is still detectable. A slight nectar builds on the tongue. The charcoal is very light this steep.
Second: I may have to stop following the directions. He always seems to suggest a shorter second steep, I think in an attempt to capture the first steep. But the second steep is usually the one that knocks my socks off. This is maybe sweeter, but also lighter than the first steep.
Third: Cooling stronger, charcoal more assertive. More caramel sweetness in aroma and taste. Slight touch of ‘leafyness’.
Fourth: Sweeter, more floral smell. Greener flavor. Cooling sensation intense. This steep is most like the western style steeps. This steep is my favorite, even though it is slightly missing the nectars from the first few steeps.
Fifth: Sweetness is back, and so is the charcoal. The aroma is incredible, but the florals don’t translate as well to the liquid. Still, quite good.
Sixth: Minerals, and cooling, and fine baker’s sugar! Loving this finish! Almost vanilla like scent in the aroma cup.
Seventh: Losing most everything but that cooling sensation. Kinda greener too, but even though there’s not much else, I still thoroughly enjoy it.
Eigth: Five minutes is a long steep for a gaiwan! It was HOT! Slight cooling, mostly a flavor of a spent tieguanyin to be honest! Still this tea and I went on a long journey, and it sure took a while to go over the hill.
Overall, I like it. I think about that cooling sensation for about a week after I drink it, and I supposed that’s the mark of a tea that was good enough to stick with you! I have teas that I like a lot more, but this one deserves my high rating none-the-less.

Wow, I’m really the first one to review this? I’m surprised, because this is a really good chai.

Brenden’s description is very accurate. This tea is an obvious chai with a weird mesquite undertone that really reminds me of traveling in Egypt. It was not as sweet as I was expecting it to be, but the taste was consistent in every steep with the mellow white tea contrasting to spicy texture hinted by berries.

i’ve been under the weather lately, however it wont stop me from making reviews

an awesome tea!

little glass pitcher thingy: Grandpa style

when i smell the leaves, dry they smell roasted and fruity.

when i smell the leaves wet, they smell roasted and like grapes.

when i smell the brewed tea, i smell grapes and roasty aromas.

when i taste the brewed tea, it tastes like. strong wine, grapes and roasty.

i rate this tea a 100 because i don’t taste grapes or wine often in teas

With all the caffeine I intoxicate myself with, I need an herbal detox to de-stress. I am very glad that I bought some of this, and it shipped to my dorm in a day, with a Cricket sample (thank you Brenden!). Now, the consensus?

Nichole’s description was perfect: it is a liquid cinnamon roll. I taste all the notes described in every steep combining into a winter desert tea. I taste the cinnamon with the minty basil of the note lingering in a background of berries. I taste more berries in the later steep, but the tea is very consistent.

I thought that I was going to rate this one higher, but I’ve been spoiled to taste the other blends. However, this is one of the best tea blends that I’ve had from Whispering Pines forming the most cohesive profile yet. This really is a chai in its own right, and a good one at that. I now feel prepared to relax, and make the most out of the coming storm.