Whispering Pines Tea Company

I’m at work, so this will be fast – this tea is AMAZING. SO GOOD. I am even having it from my travel mug and at first it tasted like a generic black tea…but then this beautiful honey/caramel flavor POPS OUT in your face! As it cools the keemun berry notes come out as well! Delicious and so so good on this Friday morning. Light too, not an overly bold blend, but filling and satisfying. Second Breakfast indeed! I hope everyone knows about Second Breakfast! (Also, LOTR references make my day. Favorite movies ever.)

So happy I got an oz of this, and could see more ounces in the future!

I took Whispering Pines at their word and steeped 1 tbsp in 8 oz for 1/1.5/2/3/4 minutes. They suggest going up to 7 steeps, so I’ll try that next time when I can spend several house enjoying it. And enjoy I did:
Dry leaves: nondescript, tightly twisted, but a pleasantly dusty and perhaps melon scent
1: nothing jumped out except a bit of honey
2: the leaves gave me fading roses and the darker liquor was smooth, rich, and slightly tannic
3: even more rose scent and the flavor a bit of melon
4: still going strong and smooth, the melon even stronger. I think this might be the sweet spot among the steeps.
5: no change in the notes, but it still has subtle flavors. Pretty impressive for just 1 tbsp of tea in twice the water my gaiwan holds

I’ll keep trying this one because I suspect there’s more to it than I am detecting. All around, a fine tea that I could sit with for a while. It would be particularly fun to do several steeps with someone else and compare notes.

I’ve fallen way behind on posting tasting notes, so I’ll dash off a few now, then I’m out of commission through the weekend while I ride the Pan-Mass Challenge (almost 200 miles in two days with all of the money raised going to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – count me in!).

I’d heard so much about this one from other Steepsters that I had to try it, and I’m not sorry I did. The first steep gave me a lovely toastiness and breadiness in the foreground with a kind of minty fresh sense when I inhaled after a sip. The dark caramel color was particularly attractive. The leaves were more unfurled at the second steep, which is what probably gave me the richer mouth feel and the still-toasty flavor. In my third and final steep (of this round), the flavors are starting to fade a bit, but it’s still roasty-toasty and fun. Jabberwocky is a keeper for sure.

Thank you Cameron B for the Wee Snaily Yums! The dry leaf smells malty, but also a bit like bread. And they really do remind me of wee little golden snailys.

Mmm this tastes like warm malty bread drizzled with honey and molasses and a sprinkle of raisins. The next 2 steeps were pretty similar, although they became a bit more bread and malty, and less honeyed molasses. Delicious, definitely on my list for my next order.

Thanks to Cameron B for the sample!

Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 205 degrees, 5 minutes, brew in mug strainer

Aroma: spicy chocolate

Flavor: I added some almond milk to this, along with a little maple syrup. I like the blend of spices here, and I can taste a light chocolate flavor. It’s quite good! Next time I make this, I will just heat the almond milk and steep the tea right in there.

Good stuff. Thanks, Cam Bot!

Oh this was yummy!

I got this sample a few days ago from Cameron B. and it is even labeled Wee Snaily Yums!

Delicious.

Creamy, chocolaty, but not overly so. Just the right amount of malty. And I might even call that bit kind of sweet potato. Maybe. I’m not sure. It definitely has a hint of sweetness to it.

What has happened to me? When did I start liking black teas?

I love to drink sheng. I’m a fa-sheng-ista!

But sheng is not my favourite tea to review cause I always get taken by it, in the moment. It’s hard for me to analyze and think about anything…Just want to let the tea take me to wherever it wants to…

I love Mao Cha, what cakes are made of…

I won’t comment on each steep cause that’s not the way I review my tea. But because some have requested I write details on the way I brewed it (cause apparently it can be a little finicky) here are my parameters. I actually counted the seconds this time :-)

7g, 5oz gaiwan, water temp. 175F

Steep 1) 20 sec.
Steep 2) 30 sec.
Steep 3) 40 sec.
Steep 4) 60 sec.
Steep 5) 90 sec.
Steep 6) 90 sec.
Steep 7) 120 sec.

This type of tea is light in weight and takes a lot of room. The leaves are so long, they barely fit in the gaiwan. First, the dry scent. Smells like some kind of smoked lemonade. Yes, smokey and citrusy. Interesting. When I say smoke, let’s be clear: it’s very subtle.

Oh, the first few steeps are very sweet and “melony” juicy with a fresh mouthfeel. I find some echo of yesterday’s campfire wood if that makes senses. You know, that scent you get in the air the next morning when you camp? It renders a light smoked dampness in the mouth.

It’s creamy and a little salty and nutty. In some ways, it does remind me of high mountain oolong.

I must talk about the fragrance exuding from the wet leaves. It triggers memories of late August summer nights after a hot afternoon…when the warmth of the day collides with the coolness of the night. Yes, this tea smells like August, and it leaves an imprint of late summer nights as I drink it. I do realize it must sound plain weird to you,but it means a lot to me…that’s how cha qi kicks in for me. Memories.

The later steeps are not as sweet, a nice light astringency is building up. I say nice, cause to me, the right dose of astringency in sheng is a good thing. It’s bright and awakening.

What I identified as being melon earlier is now morphing into grapefruit. I also get more saltiness, a “brothy” feel, umami.

Cedar and camphor are present at the end of the sip.

I’ll be stopping here, cause I just want to enjoy the rest peacefully and stop taking notes.

This is a special one. It made me feel something…that’s what I seek when I drink sheng.

I’ve recently braved a trip into sheng and when Brenden, that wily tea hobbit put this up for sale the same day as The Jabberwocky, I knew I had to get it.

I’m so glad I did.

Miso is right, and sweet. And cashews.

Wow.

I’m not getting lime, which disappoints me, but i seem to be missing out of some of these flavors that Brenden tells me are in the tea, when I get others so clearly.

But anyway, this tea is good.

I didn’t follow his instructions, but made up my own, lots of short infusions.

And I’m listening to Oneohtrix Point Never today, too, after apt told me I’d really missed out at the NIN/Soundgarden show. Yep. I’m loving it. It seems to go really well with this tea. I’m definitely in a hello of a mellow state. (Although I can tell I’m pretty caffeinated, too. But I find that very calming.)

And while crazy things are happening at work, I’m giving people the answers they need to get things moving again, and somehow I’m finding time to tell the Wellness Coordinator that she needs to get us all tea (thanks Andrew!), buy more tea on sale, and keep refilling the cup. And I’m not even angry that one of my co-workers made the same stupid mistake three different times. Normally, this would have me fuming.

So yeah, I guess it’s this cha qi that Brenden talks about. I’m tranquil. I’m focused. I’m relaxed. I’m on top of everything.

And it’s all good. The tea, the energy, the day. It’s all good.

Yum.

Needed something I could taste this morning. This was the tea I picked.

Oh so yummy.

Even sick, I can taste this one, rich, cocoa-y, vanilla-y.

And now I want to go up north. It’s a good weekend for it, too, from what I hear. The leaves should be spectacular. Nope. I’m curled up on the couch, still sick.

http://instagram.com/p/tvKN5LAyTE/

I just re-read my previous review of this tea.

Yes, it still reminds me of Up North. So much. This time, I can almost imagine the cherry, but I’m still not sure I’m getting it.

Chocolate, though, I’m getting by the boatload. Deep, dark, rich chocolate. And vanilla. And lusciousness.

YUM!

But I know when I will be Up North next this time. Later this week. And I think I will take some of this tea so I can drink it there. Now that sounds perfect.

Just so you know, when I close my eyes, the pine trees are whispering to me.

When Brenden released The Jabberwocky, I was so taken by the name that I wanted some of that. And since I feel silly placing a tea order for just one tea, and one that I wasn’t sure I was going to like, I wanted to add more teas.

And then Brenden showed up in the corner of the web page, ready and able to chat. So I asked him about some of his teas. I was really interested in Port, but some of the others, too. He convinced me that this was the tea I needed to try with this order. (Oh, that hobbitses is really sneaky, my precious.)

And he was right.

This tea is heavenly. Dreamy.

It’s soooo chocolaty and creamy and comforting, rich and smooth, and I’m in love with the malty finish. I’m not getting as much of the promised cherry as I would have liked, but this is GOOD. I liked North Winds a lot, but this one was even better. It’s the vanilla. It’s got to be the vanilla. But like North Winds, it reminds me of Up North. It makes me crave Up North. I don’t know when I will get there again next, but that’s okay, because I have Up North in my cup in front of me.

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This tea smelled so strongly of earth that I had to let it cool a bit before I was brave enough to try it. Now that it’s a nicer temperature I am enjoying the damp earthy notes I am getting from it. I think there’s a little bit of cocoa wavering in the background, as well as possibly vanilla? Interesting! I’m looking forward to steeping this again!

great tea to have

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Simply divine. Decadent and delicious.

I don’t know what there is left to say about it that hasn’t already been said.

It’s smooth and rich, desserty without being cloying. It’s a snuggly tea. It wraps you up in a big hug.

I consumed my whole sample pack in two sets of steepings with in 24 hours. Since it holds up well to multiple steeps that’s a lot of tea! I was continuously surprised that each additional steep brought out new dimensions and joy.

Now I know what all the hype is about!

Pure heaven in a cup! I love that this tea has teeny tiny cedar leaves peaking out from all the tea – its the prettiest tea Ive ever seen in the brewing basket, greens and purples mixed together in different shapes and textures. Once brewed it has some definite caramel and vanilla notes but its that soft woodsy cedar taste that compliments the tea flavors that really pushes this over the edge for me from a great tea to an amazingly awesome tea. Must not run out of Rivendell – must order more of this soon!!!

I’ve been hoarding this tea for a while, and today I decided it was time to make another cuppa. It smells so nice. A scent of cocoa and vanilla. There is nice vanilla/ chocolate flavour as well. Mainly, it reminds me of creamy milk chocolate truffles.

Glad I found this sample today.

Another sample from the nice Cameron B. It smells so much like malted chocolate. There is a bit of yam and maybe honey, but mostly cocoa. That comes out very in the flavour as well. Most delicious and smooth.

Thanks to Marzipan again for the sample!

WHOA smokey minty tea, eh? Interesting…not really getting any berry. That’s ok though. Not sure this is a tea I would ever crave (I’m picky and weird about mint teas) but I am enjoying it and appreciate its uniqueness :)

Next time I’ll try sweetening it and see if it changes much for me.

Thanks for the sample Marzipan!

Everyone is right, this is very good stuff! Rich, sweet malty and full of cocoa goodness. I feel a Whispering Pines order in the future…my husband is in love with Golden Orchid :)

Cameron B sent me so I could try some Whispering Pines teas. After I brewed it, I got a scent of sweet potatoes, and a some baked bread. The flavour made think of raisin bread, except a bit dark, and maybe molasses.

This is very nice blended with the Fujian black tea.