Whispering Pines Tea Company

This was my first cup of the day yesterday, and the cup that started my Whispering Pines day. I know I’ve had this before, but it looks like I never logged it. And unfortunately I didn’t take very good notes yesterday so this isn’t going to be a proper review of the tea either. What I can say was that this was so very chocolatey. Sweet delicious chocolate, with a touch of malt and caramel and just devilishly good.

This sample came from Mandy. This tea seems to get quite a bit of love around these parts, so I was rather excited to try it. Jasmine is one of the few florals that I can stand, assuming it’s not overly powerful. The green tea leaves are dark blue/grey/green and quite thin, and they’re curled up slightly. There are also very thin pine needles mixed in. I used 1.5 teaspoons of leaf and steeped at 175 degrees for 1.5 minutes.

The brewed aroma is very sweet with jasmine and just a little bit of pine scent. Hmm… Brewed this way, this tea is a bit too light for me. Perhaps next time I’ll try a longer brew time. The jasmine is at the forefront, but it’s not too strong. The green tea is quite mild and buttery with a sweet edge. The pine mostly manifests as a nice cooling sensation near the end, but I can also taste hints of it throughout the sip. Overall, I can see this one being nice and comforting and relaxing, but I think I would either brew it with more tea or for longer.

I like this tea a lot but the first steep seems to have A LOT OF CAFFIENE or is it just me? I needed a boost today so I drank the last (sipdown I suppose) of my free sample! The first steep ahs that great carob Carmel and malt taste the second is more malty not so much carob and I didn’t get much form the third but since I split 1 small sample into 2 different brews I suppose it could be underleafed! Still like this tea a lot and may buy it again. It gave me the boost I was looking for.

A little malty, very strong hay, somewhat fruity. Interesting.

I’m not wasting my time on a thorough note here because with my luck, it won’t even post anyway.

Thanks to ost for this sample!

This one is pretty smokey, but it does have some lovely fruity flavors and no bitterness. I guess I didn’t realize it wasn’t a blend, and just a straight sheng, or I would have done it gongfu. I still have enough for another round, so yay!

I’ll do a gongfu session later with more notes!

I’m starting the day with a sipdown from my TeaFairy collection, :)
This is such a rich & nuanced tea, that I don’t know where to begin. It’s sweet, thick, & tangy, heavily, but naturally, perfumed with an oolong like floral quality, sweet potato & apricot. And more.
That’s all I can say, I gotta get out of bed & cook breakfast!

This was a sample from ost. Thank you, sweet pea!

I don’t see this on the WP site anymore, so maybe it was a limited edition or was phased out. I think it’s a good breakfast tea. My boyfriend likes it, too! It has a nice black tea aroma and tastes fruity. No idea which fruit, but it’s pleasant. I added a little maple b/c I was at the end of one bottle and was ready to open another.

And now – Fried green tomatoes and biscuits with spicy roasted sweet potatoes for breakfast! Yay!

(Backlog review from last night)

Having Second Breakfast at midnight. That’s right, I live dangerously.

What…Is there a warning somewhere that stipulates this tea should be drank only in the morning?

There, didn’t think so.

Nice fruity and malty cup, mmmmm! So good!

Crusty bread, salty caramel and cocoa notes. Sweet and mellow, but not lacking in the taste department, au contraire.

I know I’m having it at night, but I will have it in the morning eventually and it will be very kind to me.

Some breakfast teas are like a slap in the face, waking you abruptly like a loud beeping alarm clock, screaming at you «Wake up, sleepyhead!!!»

This will take a more gentle route. It will just rub your shoulder softly and whisper in your ear «wake up sweetie, today will be a lovely day…»

It’s that kind of tea. It knows how to treat you right.

Took out the big mug tonight…just needed the right gear for it:

http://instagram.com/p/sEMmM2wh_k/

The first time I drank this I was a little underwhelmed, now don’t get me wrong, it was good, just not ‘Whispering Pines’ good, however the more I drink this, the more I’m drawn to it and the more I reach for it first thing in the morning, every morning. So, again, I should not judge on first impressions and honestly, maybe I’m just too used to teas that punch you in the face with their flavor. On second pass this is an impressively complex tea, it whispers it’s delicious flavors at you oh so subetly. Full of bready, caramelly, honey notes, I’m sad that this was a tea originally in my drink down list and it has now firmly (and rightfully so) asserted itself on my must buy more as soon as I run out list! Yum!

I really like this tea a lot.

I’ve had a migraine most of the afternoon. We were on the road for part of it. I pulled my hoodie over my eyes and just tried to stay calm. Then I slept.

I’m awake again and my head is feeling better. The rest of me feels like I was hit by a truck. Migraines always do that to me.

Tea is part of what I need to feel better, something light. That’s why I picked this.

I really like this tea.

Ooh. Now this, I like.

I like it a lot.

It’s beautiful in my mouth. Almost sweet, incredibly silky. I’m not quite sure what this tastes like, but it is really good.

Yes, I could drink a lot of this.

And it’s inexpensive, as far as that goes, too. I will be getting some more of this with my next WP order and try aging it.

A very lovely dancong! The dry leaves are dark and spindly, with a fragrance similar to other dancongs I had tried—citrus, honey, and incense, but with more of a floral perfume that was unique to this one. The brewed tea is intoxicatingly fragrant. In terms of flavor, in addition to the very clear honeyed citrus sweetness, there’s also a hint of roasted nuts, and a different sort of quality that I associate with other oolongs like shui xian—a kind of sweet, aromatic roastiness. It’s not a “heavy” tea, but somehow an intense one.

Also tasty.
Hopefully I’ll write a better review next time.

I drank this earlier this week, it was one of the teas I took with me to work on Wednesday. I drank it again this morning while I was making one of my awesome breakfasts: homemade sausage patties (no offense to the vegetarians, but it’s amazing what you can do with a lb of locally raised ground pork & some spices), asparagus & eggs. Tony was gloating over his package of english muffins, which always irritates me, so I made an almond flour coffee cup muffin in the microwave (one of the rare things I actually use that evil machine for), cut it in half & put it in the toaster, & it was tasty with apricot jelly.
I have nothing really to say about this tea except that it is good…very good. My lack of comments is not due to the tea, it’s just that I drank it a few hours ago.

Finally got to pick up some of this tea! Sarsonator sent me a sample a few months ago and I loved it, ever since I’ve been wanting to buy it! :D Got my order today and I’m so excited to try everything!
This, I oversteeped the first time (surprise, surprise), so it didn’t taste the best. But second time I steeped it, I did it just under two minutes. Definitely not as strong as the first steep, but I got notes of honey and bread. (:
When I first tried this I thought it was super bready. This time it is pretty bready, but the honey balances it out more. Which is still fine, even though I’d want more of a bready flavor, but still really like this one!
Maybe if I steep it right the first time it will come out more like I remember it-haha! I will have to try it out!
Either way I am SUPER happy to have this one back in my stash! :D Going to be enjoying the rest of it!

Mmmm this tea! Randomly started craving a bready tea this afternoon. And after like two hours of trying and failing to relax I gave in and decided to finally drink tea. Glad I did. I am beginning to feel a bit calmer….a bit. xD But hopefully I’ll get to relax at some point today. That would be nice…
Anyway, this is the last of the sample that Sarsonator sent me D: And I’ve officially decided that this will be in my next WP order! It’s one of the breadiest teas I’ve ever had. And I love it! :D

Got a sample of this tea from the awesome Sarsonator!
Been wanting to try it for a while but whenever I order it seems to be out of stock. :S
I love the look of this tea-it’s so different. It’s curly and soft. I never imagined I’d be so amused by how certain teas looked and felt. But different textures of teas are so unique and awesome-it just makes me smile. :P
I thought this tea was going to taste a lot like the Golden Snail, but it smells and tastes a lot more like bread than sweet potatoes.
It’s smooth with hints of honey and cocoa. But they aren’t too strong in this cup at least. Maybe in a few steeps those flavors will come out more.
Noticed that a lot of people taste malt in this tea, but I’m not really getting any malt for some reason.
So, my conclusion: A lot more bready than the Golden Snails, which I actually really like. Think I will have to get more of this myself! :O Another win by Whispering Pines! :D

I made it through the 2nd week of teaching classes, & although it was a very very busy action packed week, it went by quickly & was good :)
I’m rewarding myself with this cup of awesomeness. Thick & rich, I steeped 1 T x 3min/5min resteep.
A worthy reward!

Oh BTW, my favorite vendor on Ali Express, Make Friends by Tea, has all their yixings at 10% off…just thought some of you would like to know!
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/346539

First, yay, for this new official Whispering Pines Great Lakes Label Shu Pu-erh, what a creative idea!!! It fits so well with WP brand name, great job Brenden :-)

I received this generous sample in my last order, thank you Brenden.

Does pu’erh still scare some of you? Like, it’s been on your mind, but you are still hesitant about it?

The descriptors “fishy, barn, leather, pond water, seaweed” revolt you?

Then give this a try. This is as smooth as can be.

The pu’erh for the non believers.

Cause it is silky and creamy beyond belief.

The dry leaf is quite unusual, all golden, just stunning .

It produces a dark warm copper brew.

First sip and I think, wow…this is so what I need right now.

Silky and velvety, coats my entire mouth with mellow and sweet.

Everything is subtle but far from being boring. I get notes of cereals, like toasted bran.

It’s also a bit fruity, dried fruits, like raisins with a soft cocoa feel.

Yum, chocolate covered raisins. It’s a little earthy and woodsy, but nothing like most shou pu’erh.

The later steeps bring a nice minty finish, that fresh mouthfeel I like so much.

This tea brings me to a tranquil and beautiful place. It warms my heart and fills my head with happy.

And yes…I will need more of this.

Thanks again Brenden for this wonderful offering…And congratulations for the launch of the Great Lakes collection!

Pics of the session:

http://instagram.com/p/sA71jZwh3e/

http://instagram.com/p/sA8hdpwh4b/

GCTTB i wanted to revisit this one and i’m glad i did as i’m not finding it to be nearly the delicious treat i thought it was back a while ago. Still a decent cup but nothing i NEED to restock, which is better for my wallet because of the stupid dollar sigh

i really like this tea. Sad to see it go, but i suspect that it’ll be back in my cupboard at the next chance i get. I am a fan! :)

another WP tea from today. Not sure why i’ve been gravitating to them so often over the past few weeks but maybe because they’re new-er? I’ve discovered that it’s harder and harder to find what i want to drink the smaller my cupboard gets. lol more often than not these days i’m finding that i feel like i have no choices! I suspect that 80ish teas is a better fit for me than anything under that number….120 is probably where i want to sit though including samples and swaps haha.

This is a lovely tea that will be restocked when i finish this one up heh/