Whispering Pines Tea Company
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I read yesterday on a post that this was an excellent calming tea.
Now I doubt that this will put my hyper self to sleep, but it can’t hurt to drink it at night, right?
First, can I mention how much I adore Brenden’s description of his teas? If you’re an outdoorsy person like I am, you really understand what he’s talking about…if you’re not flirting much with the outdoors, it will make you wish you were.
I love the spearmint in this, it brings a fresh sweetness to this woodsy blend.It tastes so smooth, it is a very soothing infusion, think spa and aromatherapy…
I get hints of spice and citrus, with earthy undertones, it feels very organic. (That’s because it is!)
I’m really glad I ordered this, it will calm me down when I feel like going out for a jog at 11 at night!
I didn’t want this to get lost, in case people were curious.
I saved the leaves from yesterday and did two more steeps of it this morning.
I really liked the sixth infusion. It tasted faintly orange, faintly honey, a bit something else I haven’t been able to identify. This was really nice. Really nice.
The seventh isn’t as good. It’s really the last infusion I think one could get out of these leaves. The flavor is really faint, almost gone, still there but barely. Of all the infusions of this tea, this one actually seems the most creamy, but it’s really not at the same time. Nine minutes was a heck of a long time, but not a hint of bitterness or anything.
Take your time with this tea, enjoy all the infusions. Don’t make the mistake I did and start drinking it in a 15oz mug, though.
I wish I’d read the directions and recommendations a little better before I started to realize I would be drinking this tea all day. I probably would have done this at home where I have a smaller mug.
But I’m still loving every minute.
Each infusion has been different and delicious. I agree with the description. I think the fourth so far has been my favorite, although I really liked the third as well, and the fifth that I’m enjoying right now is also very nice. (Not to say that one and two weren’t good as well because they were.)
I wish I’d thought to keep notes as I was drinking this. I was surprised at how almost (but not quite) orange it was to start, and the floral notes I found, and the kind of honey it had, before it finished tangy metallic-ish.
I’m really enjoying it.
I wish I’d taken notes.
I’m at work and doing so many things today that this tea has kept me company all day, through so many different things, as each huge mug has enveloped and comforted me.
Looking at the dry leaves before I started, I wasn’t expecting this to be as light as it is, but it’s pretty light.
I’ve been following the brewing directions as I found them on the website for each different infusion. I’m on 5 right now, and I think I’m going to save the leaves to have a couple more tomorrow.
Brenden, I’m sorry I didn’t do this tea justice with my tasting note. It’s really spectacular.
Preparation
It absolutely is a morpher. Absolutely loving it through each different infusion, enjoying hour it changes with each.
It took me a really long time to figure out how to brew dancong oolongs. I spent about a year working on the best technique for worry-free brewing. I really didn’t enjoy them until I figured that out :)
Oh I’m glad I read this comment, a year is a long time, I’ll be a good girl then and follow your parameters :-)
The dry leaves scent remind me of my favorite black from Adagio, Yunnan Jig. The steeped cup is vaguely similar to that tea, but this one has a nice subtle chocolate note. Definitely a wonderful full bodied tea. I prefer Golden Orchid over this one, but this is still a nice everyday black, whereas I feel like I need to make time to savor Golden Orchid when I drink it.
“Lights flicker from the opposite loft
In this room the heat pipes just cough
The country music station plays soft
But there’s nothing, really nothing to turn off” Visions of Johanna, Bob Dylan
I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm for this tea. For me the joy of this tea is in its understatement. It is not a bombardment on the taste buds, but so well balanced; a tea that has been built, not blended. Each of the pieces critical, there, but not there. A handful of rain, if you will, tempting you to defy it.
Last night, after my four hour hike in the wilderness, I indulged into an Offley 10 years Port wine and some good quality dark chocolate, the one that snaps when you brake it.
But since a girl can’t stuff herself with that kind of goodies everyday day, I chose WP Mint Chocolate Chip to satisfy my chocolate craving today.
I’ve said it before, I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but dark chocolate is my weakness.
I could not pass the opportunity to buy this cause I’m also a mint lover. The combination of both mint and chocolate is to die for.
Oh, this smells wonderful, and tastes even better. Just the right amount of peppermint freshness and natural sweetness from the excellent Fujian black base.
I love that there are only two ingredients in this: peppermint, black tea. No fake candies of any kind, my idea of the perfect flavoured tea :-)
Oh, and this is my 200th Steepster note!
Virginia, I,m actually in the Laurentians, so it’s not that close but I go to Montreal a few times during the year, we could arrange for a meet up at Camellia Sinensis someday :-)
J’ai beaucoup besoin a practiquer parler Francais, haha
I was never very good, especially at speaking it
Congrats on your 200th note! What are your favorite chocolate brands? Have you ever tried Raaka chocolate? They have one that is vanilla rooibos flavored :)
Thanks Kat_Maria!
To answer your question, no brand I’m afraid. There’s a nice chocolate bakery near by, they make the perfect super glossy 80% dark chocolate, that’s where I buy it all the time. Nothing compares to it IMHO. But I do have occasionally some Lindt sea salt dark chocolate, I love it too.
I don’t think we have Raaka chocolate around here. I don’t like Red Rooibos, but it’s interesting that they would make a tea chocolate :-)
I was reaching for Elder Grove but picked this up instead. It’s ok, I like this as well, and I can see if I hit the sack quickly again. Sometimes I think it would be easier if I renamed my teas things like Fred and Ginger so I can tell them apart.
Annoying grammar tip of the day: It’s “should have” not “should of”
/pedant off
The work month is wrapping up nicely! I think I will be able to not work all weekend. My last four shops to fill are restaurant dinner visits in Houma LA, Kingston ON, Rockland MA and Staunton VA if anyone is near there. :)
OMG! That’s ME! I’m the should of girl! I am going to re-read all my tasting notes now. I don’t ball my eyes out though. Most definitely am NOT that girl xD
‘balled my eyes out’ sounds horrid. I get mental images of melon ballers and… yeah. shudder
Also, on this site, if in doubt, go with ‘palate’. Every time I see someone write that whatever they were having wasn’t pleasing on their palette I have to stop myself from asking why they’re putting tea on that and what it’s doing for their palate.
I had this last night before bed. It was a really nice cup! I wasn’t transported like I was with Elder Grove, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It was woodsy and earthy, with the tiniest whisper of mint. I am also sort of mesmerized by looking at the Whispering Pines mixes, since they are so different than other herbal blends. So many interesting things in there. Lots of berries – I didn’t recognize them as elderberries since I haven’t had much exposure to those, but there were lots of them in there. Little woodsy pieces, it’s just really interesting to see.
It might have just been the calming properties of the tea, or a coincidence, but I crashed hard right after this. I was OUT.
I have a big problem with this tea. It just keeps resteeping and giving me more cups. Well actually I guess that’s not a problem. But I’m sort of ready to do something else!
In other news, textbooks are expensive. Crazy expensive.
In other other news, my husband figured out that I love another. I suppose it was obvious, the evidence is all over me. And I keep meeting him in the bedroom for some heavy petting. The way he gazes into my eyes makes me so happy, and I have only known him for two months. Hearing him snoring next to me is the happiest sound ever. All I have to do is make a little tongue clicking sound and he comes running, just like a dog. And if I stop paying attention to him, he headbutts me to remind me that he is there.
http://imgur.com/a/Og5b3#5
Awwhhh adorable! He’s so cute! ^^ I love how so many people on here have dogs and cats. Least I’ve seen from their Instagrams. It’s awesome! People who own pets make me really happy! (:
I was really, really resistant to getting another pet, but I can’t begin to tell you how great this cat is. He has all of his claws, but is super conscious about never using them on us. Even sometimes when he gets frisky and wants to play it’s like he is consciously gentle. Zero hairballs. Zero accidents. He doesn’t even get underfoot and trip us. He comes like a dog when you call him, and even leaves the room when you tell him to (like when we go to bed at night). My heart hurts to think what might have happened if he hadn’t been adopted.
He does this adorable thing with his paws when we pet him. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202338952499958&set=vb.1376432936&type=3&theater
Oh I’m looking all over. But the Chem ones don’t seem to be available anywhere but the bookstore, unfortunately.
Did you try ABE for textbooks? It was the only place I could find a couple of mine. Also Amazon rents some textbooks which is absolutely wonderful.
Super cute! Textbooks are definitely expensive. I was very happy when one of my physics profs ordered only the section of the book that applied yo the course vs the whole text and saved us about $65.00.
Wow, I guess I could see it happening if their is a Lab book, the text and maybe an additional workbook. But, I have a Bio degree and have taken Engineering courses and I think the most I have spent on books and materials is $200.00 on a single course. Hope you can find some of the other books used.
Science textbooks are the worst for prices – I remember it very very well. I truly believe they artificially inflate the price just to make the whole college experience even more impossible. And the reality is, no way she will get 500 bucks use out of them, but they are necessary enough that you can’t just do without.
I think this tea is next on my WP list. It sounds just dreamy.
Good luck on the book buying. Ugh.
and ooh me gorsh KITTEH!!! Such a cutie! I love how happy you are with him, and that he seems just as happy with you. I love the paw thingy. One of ours does that as well and it’s just sooooo cute!!! (Of course, if she’s so happy she’s doing the paw thing, she’s also droooooooooling all over the place.)
Who’s a good tea? That’s right, you are.
After the last tea debacle I had to find a tea that’s like a blankie to make it up to me.
Why this tea, now?
I’m tired. We spent the day at college orientation for my daughter. Not a bad day by any means, but hours of listening to the same stuff we hear every time, and it was hot today. So I am wrung out. And, we left so early that I didn’t get any tea until now all day! First world problems.
So why this tea? Because I know it’s a great tea, and I needed a great tea to help me find my zen again. Gambling on an iffy tea might make me cranky. Now I am in my comfy chair, with my tea and immersed in season 4 of The West Wing.
I have been very good about making myself pick something from the sip down pile lately, but this morning I felt like having the good stuff. This tea also has the benefit of being high caffeine, and I have a headache (weather induced) so that was appealing as well.
My daughter was down at my desk and I asked her to try it, she said, “Mmm, that’s smooth” and that’s pretty high praise from a teenager.
In other news, in two days we are making our trip to Chicago. My husband is a Danish citizen and due to the new biometric components of the Danish passports, we can only get his passport renewed in Sacramento, Chicago or NYC. Chicago is the closest (at 6 hours away) so we are making a weekend of it. We really love fine dining, so we are having dinner Saturday at Table 52 and Sunday at Spiaggia. We are planning to visit several tea stores (because my husband is a saint) and other than that, playing it by ear. Our hotel is downtown so we are near a lot of the fun stuff.
There’s not a lot to be said here that hasn’t been said before.
Yes, it’s that good.
I happen to like caffeine, so I am happy that this tastes so great and is high caf as well. I will be trying a resteep soon and hopefully it will hold up well to that.
New and improved S’mores!!!
So I can’t really handle smoke all that much. Not a Lapsang kinda gal.
But somehow, I enjoy this tea. I have to admit that I even liked the previous version…with its evil red rooibos and its much heavier smoke. (The smoke killed the rooibos though, yay!)
So what’s new? Rooibos: Gone!! Smoke: a lot less.
It’s still got a lot of character, but it’s smoother and more accessible than its precedent version. The light smoke marries really well with the chocolaty base and the cinnamon. This is not a s’mores “flavoured” tea, it’s a blend, so do not expect the taste of real s’mores. It’s more the idea of s’mores…cool summer nights, campfire, good times, good fun, great company.
For me, this represents the outdoors transformed into a comforting beverage. It’s not delicate and girly, but rather manly.
In conclusion, this tea is like a good handyman, something reliable that you can always count on, cause it does the job just right!
Hmm, I put off getting this one with my first order because the smoke intermediated me, but I think I need to give it a shot when I order next time.
It a rainy day…non stop showers. I know it’s not recommended, but I can’t help it, I went for a swim, it was so invigorating! But now I am freezing to death, water is still at a chilling 67F!!!
I thought S’mores would make me feel warm and cozy inside.
So, you know when I have a new favourite teaware, that’s all I can talk about…sorry if I’m being annoying with…my new 24oz latte mug!!!
I don’t even drink milk, I know…but I like a big cup sometimes! I also love the new vegetal milks I have discovered lately and have been experimenting with them. My newfound love: quinoa milk. So creamy and nutty, without any of the dairy cow milk taste I dislike so much, especially in hot beverages.
So why not try S’mores as a latte and make it a little “chai-esque”?
It’s a hit. Oh, yum. That smoke against the nuttiness of the milk makes it really s’mores graham cookie like!
It’s already the end though, sad face, I’m all out now :-(
On to the repurchasing list it goes!
Oh, and I feel all warmed up now :-)
Haha! Cheri, don’t we like pictures? Look at my post this morning in the what did you get in the mail thread. In the last link, you’ll see my new teaware. “the mug” is in the middle of the pic, it’s very plain looking but I love the shape and size!! And the best part was the discounted price: $7,50!!!
It’s the new fairy jacuzzi mug! Lol. This tea is at the top of my list for my Whispering Pines order…
I actually really love swimming in the rain :-). When I was little, my mom used to have to chase me out of the pool once it started thundering. Obviously, I wasn’t too bright lol
Oh, a fairy jacuzzi, me like that :-)
Hope you will like this one cameron, it truly is a different take on s’mores…I thought I wouldn’t like it cause of the smoke but it turns out the smoke is the reason I like it!
I just tried their Campfire Blend, which was very smokey, and I liked it a lot. My first smokey tea. :P So I think I would really enjoy this one. :D
Oooh now I sorta wish I’d grabbed one too, but cupboard space is so limited. :| I ended up getting rid of two mugs to fit my new tentacle mug!
Lol, mj, I’m still lacking in the bright department apparently :-0
Seriously though, it wasn’t thundering, so I took a chance!
Cheri, I so love tiny cups but only for gungfu sessions…
Cameron, yes I remember reading your post, I didn’t have campfire blend yet, so I can’t compare, but I’m assuming Brenden is using the same Lapsang in both blends, so yes, you’d probably like it then :-)
Cavo, I too will have to get rid of some mugs, no room for the new teaware…but that’s ok, I like to gift people with them. The tentacle mug is awesome :-)
Ohhh man…one of my favorite things: Sitting outside in the fall when it’s just a tad too chilly to not have tea, sipping on a heavy mug of strong yunnan black tea or lapsang :)
I think early fall is my favourite part of the year…everything is perfect, no more mosquitos, fresh air but not too cold, colours changing…ok, but lets have a summer before we start talking about autumn :-)
Quinoa milk???? I want that.
My current fave is the almond/coconut blend. But I am determined to find some quinoa milk now!
Sarsonator, I found it last week at my local health food store. They even have sunflower seed milk, which is also very nutty.
But I too adore the almond/coconut milk, but with all these new choices, it’s nice to be able change things up a little :-)
The almond coconut is also my favorite :)
No health food stores anywhere near me…guess I just have to use the forest! :D
What about a Mushroom bark forest tea? It could be called: Autumn Fungus or Midnight Morel Madness. LOL
Did you really? Isn’t that the mushroom that grows on tree bark? It’s actually edible?
See, you did make your own bark forest milk ;-)
If the zombie apocalypse happens, it seems like Brendan would be an extremely useful guy to have around with his living-off-the-land-eating-tree-mushroom skills.
Maybe we should start a Zombie Apocalypse Tea survival group. I garden, forage for wild food, and make beer & wine. Brenden lives off the land and eats tree mushrooms. What else have we got? LOL
I’m in for the survival group. I’ll be bringing my friend and neighbor because she is super outdoorsy (like 2 week long camping trip outdoorsy) and has all the equipment. I’ve also already claimed her as one my zombie survival teammates. I bring to the table relatively few useful practical skills, except sailing a boat, swimming well, cooking decently, fishing, sewing, crocheting, and knitting. All my other skills are lab-related.
I should add that I’m not a complete nut job. I own The Walking Dead board game. My friends and I discuss silly hypotheticals while we play haha
Oh, i can negotiate with the wild life, I have Dr, Doolittle skills, no wild critter can resist me, so we can be safe from bears, wolves and coyotes. In fact, we can make them our friends and have them fight the zombies for us :-) Ducks seem to particularly like me, so we could have fresh duck eggs every morning and i could make us some mean omelet as breakefast. Also, I can make fire. Just sayin…
Lol, mj, your crocheting, sewing and knitting skills will be very helpful, you could create decent Pocahontas outfits, I always wanted to of wear one of those :-)
I could probably handle Pocahontas outfits lol. Also, I may or may not have been Tiger Lily from Peter Pan for Halloween for three consecutive years as a kid. So I’ve got a basic idea of the pattern…
Yep, Chaga is 100% edible. Well, with water or alcohol extraction. It’s considered “the mushroom of immortality” and is used extensively in Chinese medicine. It goes by the name Bai Hua Rong I believe in Chinese medicine, and is considered the king of all healing herbs. Basically if you drink chaga tea every day, you’ll stay at a VERY low risk or be totally immune to cancer cells, your immune system will be godly, and your overall health will increase dramatically. I’m a huge believer in the stuff. I drink it daily along with reishi and turkey tail mushrooms, too. Goes beautifully boiled with some elderberries and black tea.
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.
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!!
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 :-)
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 ;)
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 ;-)
At 9h30 tonight, there was a knock on the door. My neighbour was inviting me to join him at the first campfire of the year. I was told that beer was included, but I didn’t feel very “boozy” tonight, so I thought hey! Perfect occasion to bring a large thermos of WP s’mores!
He had built a huge fire with dead wood and we all sat around. His kids were beyond excited and we started telling them scary stories, cause that’s what the tradition calls for.
When I started drinking my tea, I thought, wow! This doesn’t really taste like s’mores, this is the entrapment of a moment. It captures the essence of what it smells like when I burn a marshmallow. It’s the the scent of the crackling fire, the damp wood and the rocks I sit on. It’s the fragrance of the tall and beautiful pine trees surrounding me.
It’s smoky yes, but not in a heavy Lapsang kind of way. The smoke is light but undeniable, like the smell of my hair and my clothes after I’ve sat for a couple of hours in front of the fire, just like tonight…that’s what I’m referring to.
It’s the outdoors transformed into a comforting beverage.I’m glad I started creating new memories around this tea tonight. I can already predict there will be a lot s’more! (haha! See what I did?)
I just realized I am so urban when I read “At 9h30 tonight, there was a knock on the door” and was like … oh she’s not going to open the door !!! :)
Love that you had this while sitting by a campfire! This is one of those teas that sticks in my brain because it is so unique. I’ll definitely have to order more before our camping season starts.
Haha! Ysaurella, it’s like that girl in every horror movie that goes out on the front porch at night at night cause she heard a noise…nooooo!!!
I would NEVER open the door at night, bad things happen here too…He had to sceam his name through the door for me to open, and don’t forget, I have my “mangeur d’hommes” doberman right next to me waiting for a sign :-)
Veronica, that’s the reason why I didn’t really know how to describe it, it’s more like a “feel” tea, as I call them sometimes…
Sil, keep wishing, and a fairy might just drop some at your door…these things happens for real you know…
Thank you 221tea! (199)
I really enjoyed this sample. I’ve had yabao before but was a little indifferent because it’s an expensive tea, and it doesn’t always ‘pop’ for me. Sometimes it just tastes like slightly sweetened waterl
Not this time. This is nice, and light but flavourful. I taste wind in the evergreens, cinnamon and something silky and smooth. It’s gentle and refreshing, and I’m off to resteep another cup!
Preparation
“Mom, if you’re making tea could you make me some Elder Grove please?”
Have to bring them up right.
I think if this tea is ever discontinued I will do the ugly cry. Think Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias.
Although I don’t care much for holy basil, I love everything else that’s in this tea & I should have had a cup of it tonight, because I could use a cup of that. I’m really looking forward to trying my sample :)
So happy that you are enjoying your WP order. :))
Yes I am!!!
Sounds like an interesting blend. Love fresh spearmint !