Whispering Pines Tea Company

This is the tea that I’m currently drinking, so I’m definitely posting out of order right now. But, I feel like I’m making some very good observations right now with this blend so I think it’s important I write my note now and not later when I’ve forgotten them!

Firstly; let me just start by saying that I think this is a perfectly good tea and I can see why a lot of people love it. I just think that, for a couple reasons, it might not be a perfectly good tea for me!

Sipping on it, the first thing I noticed was a very lovely and rich cocoa flavour. This aspect of the tea I’m greatly enjoying! However, this quickly transitioned into some really, really intense raisin-y notes. I am not a fan of raisins and I am perhaps maybe a little harsher/more critical of teas with raisin flavours in them because of this. However, ultimately it’s not the raisin I’m picking up in this blend that’s overall leaving me feeling a little out of step with the tea.

The more I sip on this the more I’m observing a sharp tangy or sour fruit note and a very powerful yeasty bread flavour that is increasingly reminding me of rye bread. I do like rye bread; there’s a pleasant sourness to it that I find appealing, and it’s interesting that this tea is conveying that – but overall with the flavour there’s a very displaced and disjointed feeling to those notes and it’s hard to feel at ease sipping on this one.

Perhaps it’s a little bit of an acquired taste/flavour? I have more of this so I will certainly be playing around with how to prepare this one to see if I can produce a better cup.

But again, reiterating that there’s nothing wrong with the tea itself; it’s just simply not to my own tastes! I still understand why it’s popular and can appreciate the interesting notes that are present.

This tea was absolutely delicious! The dry leaves smell of chocolate and licorice, and the infusion is strong and dark. It’s a strong, earthy tea taste, with an aftertaste of chocolate. It’s deep and layered, like a forest floor, and wonderful!

Hm. I am not as in love with this one as everyone else seems to be. When I slurped it, there was a scent of smoke though not the taste. I get a creamy feel overall, but this isn’t my kind of vanilla. It certainly smells strongly of vanilla and the taste is there, though not as strong as the scent. It’s a pleasant enough cup but it doesn’t send me over the moon. Thanks for sharing, Ost!

Guess what??? I got a little whiff of smell!! It turns out that a month after surgery, about the time my sense of smell should have kicked in, I got a sinus infection. Since June 1 I’ve been on two different antibiotics, and the doc just prescribed a second round of the last one. This infection, like a lot of sinus infections, is darned stubborn and doesn’t want to die. This antibiotic is very, very powerful. Naturally, I got a yeast infection. :(

But I’ll take it, if it comes with a return of a sense of smell. It’s not all that strong. Yet. Hopefully it will get clearer in time. Last night I could smell and taste DAVID’s Cold 911 just fine. This morning I made a cup of this and couldn’t really smell or taste it. But I have hope! I’ll hoard the last tablespoon of this tea in hopes of being able to tase and smell it soon.

It’s Easter! I get to ignore the stacks of books piled precariously on the floor, waiting to be organized and put into their bookcases. It’s cold too, so I deserve a delicious, warming tea!

I really love this one. I don’t have very much of it left, so I want to save the rest for after surgery. Without a sense of smell or taste, this tea is smooth, mellow, and slightly sweet. Really a delicious cup. But I’m hoping hard that my sense of smell will be restored at least temporarily so I can taste all my favorite teas, including this one.

I am not looking forward to surgery. It is painful, expensive, and not a cure for nasal polyps. But in the years since my last (fourth) surgery, some new treatments have been developed that may delay the return of polyps. The ENT will be implanting a device that should keep the openings to the sinuses open, so less debris will be trapped in the sinuses and cause infections. Fingers crossed.

That was probably more than you wanted to know! So, to recap, this is a delicious tea!

A friend came over to help me pack my books. (All 1785 of them) Took us nearly three hours. On our break, I brewed a pot of this. She is one of those people who really prefers bagged tea from Bigelow, so this one didn’t impress her much. I am always flabbergasted when people don’t enjoy a high quality tea, but I guess it just depends on the person.

Anyway, it is certainly a favorite for me. And now it is time to say good night. Another long day at the day job, then more packing. Charge!!

I need a comfort tea!!! Yesterday we had our first real snowfall of the year and my car got stuck in the parking lot. I had to shovel my way out, and after I finally got settled back home I noticed my right shoulder was sore. I thought I was just out of shape and went on with my day. This morning it hurt quite a bit when I got up. I must have slept on it wrong. But as the day went on, it hurt more and more. The skin was warm and tender to the touch. I couldn’t tell if it was swollen or not. I called my doctor and was able to get in this afternoon to see her. (Gotta love it when that happens!) Turns out I might have torn my rotator cuff. When she said that I imagined a gaping 6 inch tear. But apparently it is a millimeter or less. She gave me a sling and a fancy gel ice pack and told me to take Tylenol for pain. I’m allergic to naproxin, aspirin and ibuprofen, which is a shame, because they do a better job at reducing swelling. So I’m drinking this tea because it’s a comfort. I’m feeling very sorry for myself tonight. Even knitting hurts. Sometiems life just isn’t fair, is it. Luckily,this tea is delicious.

I have had an utterly frustrating day! Chewed out by my boss (I made a mistake, and I deserved it, but didn’t do a lot for my mood, yeah?) Printer failed, so I actually went out and bought a new one. Unfortunately I forgot to buy a USB cable. Back to the store for that. Tried and TRIED to set it up for my wireless network, but …. No dice.
At least with the USB cable I can print from 1 computer. My entire evening was spent on that, and now I have nothing I was going to do done. I am so snarly that I can’t possibly sleep. Again. Someday, as God is my witness, I am going to go to bed and get more than 5 hours of sleep!!!

Rant over. The point of all that was to say that I deserve a treat. I’m drinking a cup of this. Now I am backing slowly away from the computer. If I make a sudden move I might kick the d@mn thing. Good night.

Decided to take this with me to a meeting tonight. Forgot to ditch the leaves after it brewed. They stayed in my travel mug for nearly THREE HOURS. Tea still tasted good. A little over-steeped, perhaps, but very drinkable. Just slightly bitter.

That cheap travel mug actually kept the tea burning hot the whole time.

Ack!!! I put this to steep and then my phone rang. 8 minutes later I remembered my tea. I was horrified! That beautiful tea, over-steeped and probably bitter! I tend to prefer weaker, milder tea because I can’t bear even a hint of bitterness, so I steep at the shorter end of the scale.

But no! The taste is stronger, but not bitter. Still enjoyable even at an 8 minute first steep. I think I enjoy this tea more with every cup.

Sipping a cup of this before bed. Delightful! Naturally sweet, mild, and smooth. Delicious.

I ordered this when several teas became available at Whispering Pines again a few weeks ago. I read so many glowing reviews of this tea that I was almost afraid to try it and find I didn’t like it. But I did! This tea was mild, smooth, and slightly sweet on its own. No bitterness whatsoever, no sour notes, no astringency. Just a beautiful dessert tea that I look forward to drinking again. Lovely tea!

Another sheng puerh sipdown from a few days ago. Looking back, I clearly wasn’t too sure about this tea when I first got the back. On this final drink, I enjoyed the experience much more – so, either it mellowed out with age as I’d hoped or I’ve just gotten used to it’s slightly wild flavour profile…

Whatever the case, it was a really lovely session with these long, twisted, emerald green leaves. They steeped out beautifully over many infusions (we were probably drinking it for at least 10). No idea if Brenden still stocks or blends Arbor Mist but, if he does, I may well treat myself to a new bag once I’ve chipped a bit further away through my old collection…!

I cracked this out again, yesterday (which lasted me into today) – my goodness does this tea have some staying power! By the end of 12 infusions, it was still going pretty strong!

I’m still not sure this one is a favourite, yet. The savory, vegetal flavour are really intense – it’s not unpleasant, for sure. It is very much drinkable and I kept coming back for more. But, at the moment, it isn’t one I reach for with the same keenness as some other teas in my cupboard.

I read somewhere that sheng puerh mellows, and becomes smoother, with age. If that’s the case, perhaps I ought to let a little bit of air get to this and just try it again in a few months (I also read that loose puerh, such as this, ages faster so maybe this’ll be a nice one to “test” such things out on).

Either way, I did enjoy this tea and will continue to enjoy the rest of my bag!

With my recent appetite for greens and green oolongs, I felt the logical next step was to try a Sheng Puerh. This one came highly recommended, so I included a small bag in my first order from WP.

I took it down to London with me, for my interview at Kings, whilst I was staying with my boyfriend. And it was absolutely sensational.

With it being my first Sheng Puerh, I was obviously a little apprehensive. It smelled very strong and unusual, to my unaccustomed palette. I made it roughly according to WP’s Gaiwan recommendations – I used ~3g in a 100 ml Gaiwan. I did lots of short steeps using water that was just off full boil. I think, next time, I’ll try to use slightly cooler water (to tone down the bitterness).

The tea was really delicious. In colour, it was pale-green/yellow and the scent was so unusual – kinda vegetal, a little bitter, camphor, florals… So complex! On the palette, it was much the same – there was a bitterness, but it was light and quite pleasant and really “worked” alongside the surprisingly savoury overall flavours. I do think I’d like to try it a little less bitter in future, though, so like I said above I’ll probably use slightly cooler water next time!

I drank this tea with my breakfast, before the interview, and then spent the afternoon drinking it, whilst reading Malcolm X and just generally enjoying my day.

As with the Shou puerhs I’ve tried, I’m not really experienced enough to give this a score that means much, either to me or to the community at large (I don’t wanna affect the overall scores etc). But I’d definitely recommend this tea, within the context of “tea” on the whole.

My first experience with Keemun wasn’t a great one; I found it bitter and kind of smoky, and I’ve more or less avoided them ever since. I received this as a sample with my last Whispering Pines order, though, and based on the success I’ve had with their teas recently, I felt encouraged to give it a try. I followed the recommended parameters and used 1/2 tbsp of leaf, in water just cooled from boiling (about 200 degrees), for three minutes. No additions. The resulting liquor is medium brown, and smells of malt and chocolate.

Upon tasting, I’m instantly reminded of some of the Taiwanese black teas I’ve tried. This shares the same fruitiness, and has the undisputedly delicious bread and chocolate notes that I really enjoy in plain black teas.The initial flavour is chocolate, and while it has a creaminess and a lightness of flavour that put me in mind of milk chocolate, it also has a slight cocoa-like dryness that reminds me of a high quality dark chocolate. After the chocolate comes the distinctive taste of bread; rye like and a little yeasty.

For all the rich-sounding flavours, I’m actually finding this quite a refreshing, clean-tasting tea. There’s a hint of something almost eucalyptus-like right at the end of the sip which leaves a fresh coolness on the palate. I can definitely see why it’s called Pine Peak!

After tasting this one, what I’d really like it to breathe some mountain air. As that’s not possible, I’m going to settle for trying a few more keemuns. Hopefully some of them are as good as this one!

Very good! The smell out of the bag is like a sweet candy, but the smell when brewing is earthy mushroom. The taste is great – I can taste an almost cocoa note but very natural. The cocoa/chocolate does NOT stand out like teas such as Florence from Harney & Sons. Not a fruity taste for me this first time around, although I smelled that in the bag.

Very comforting, smoothing, no astringency, no bitterness, such a pleasant, HAPPY tea :)

I’m also in love with the name. Will definitely order more of this and try out again. I think I’ll experiment with brewing longer than the directions

Ok, third attempt. I think I can smell the vanilla, but the tea bag was really full. I feel like I have to explain. I put my tea in a tin, but couldn’t fit it all in, so I was left with a little bit extra in the bag. It’s hard to measure tea in the bag, though, when it’s that low, so I gave up and poured the rest of the tea in a tea bag. It was maybe enough for a tea pot. Anyway, I used my large mug. (I still haven’t replaced my elephant tea pot, but it’s a waste to brew tea in a teapot of that size if I’m going to pour a majority of it in one mug.)

Anyway, I don’t really taste the vanilla. Though, I did have a salad earlier with sautéed mushrooms, so I’m really picking up on the mushroom flavors in this now. On a side note, I do want to try the tea with the morels as well. This tea has a depth that I think fits a great forest – not that I’ve been in many in real life. North Carolina is 97% pine forest. I feel like this shows a real forest’s intensity, so now I’m wondering if Mirkwood could possibly taste any darker. Darker, like thick tree canopies and wet soil, not join the dark side, Luke. I imagine that would taste more like vanilla and caramelized brown sugar. Cookies. It would taste like chocolate chip cookies.

Anyway, what I really want isn’t vanilla. What I want is a vanilla drop kick to the face. Maybe I should try vanilla rooibos.

Can I say this tea tastes like Groot? Like the frosted flakes slogan, but instead “It’s Groot!” That sounds worse out loud than in my head. Trees have feelings too. The Ent will never talk to you now.

Second attempt. I used a full tablespoon this time. Steeped it too long, because I forgot about it. I realized what it smells like, though. It kind of smells like barbecue. This does get bitter. I’ll need to be careful with it.

I received this in the mail today. I was pretty excited about receiving this. I even got a North Winds sample with it, so I get to try that tea too. I opened Elderwood, and it smells sort of like sweet potato, but there’s something indescribable about the smell, sort of savory like chips. Maybe like sweet potato chips.

The tea is really lovely. It has a nice golden color. The flavor is pretty dark, and I don’t really taste the vanilla in the first steep. I think the next steep might have a darker color. So, I left it in a little too long. It’s not much darker. I don’t taste the vanilla either, so I might have to use more tea. I am using a large mug, so that could be the issue. So I’ll try more tea next time. I certainly have plenty of it.

I do think this tea has a nice woodsy taste to it. It’s definitely going to the top of my strong black teas list. I’ll write a new review later.

I haven’t had this one for a while. I’ve been mostly drinking tea in the late afternoon and evening lately, which means I usually go for a dessert-y or non caffeine teas. But today is pretty cold so I decided to brew a pot of this.

I’d forgotten how GOOD this tea is. So smooth. No bitterness or astringency, just rich, well balanced black tea. Days like this make me wonder why I always start my day with coffee. A good tea like this will wake me up and make me happy to be up. Or at least, happy to be drinking this tea :)

I made this iced several weeks ago. I may have over done the leaf, because it was strong and very close to bitter. I’ve never had this one bitter before so I was surprised. Then again, it sat in the fridge for several days. I think this one is better (for me) as a hot cup on a cool morning.