Whispering Pines Tea Company

Well, here I am finally reviewing this. I had put myself on the “To be notified” list for this one because it just sounded so yummy. I was infinitely intrigued by the concept of a chocolate cherry dessert tea. So, naturally, when the tea was reblended recently, I got myself a bag.

Smell in the bag is heavenly. You really get the cherry cordial tones from the bag alone! I had to wonder, would that translate to taste.

So I brewed this according to their instructions, for the most part – I used my Keurig for water which I think is supposed to be about 200F, and steeped 1.5 tsp for 3 min in 16 oz water.

Taste is… hmmm. It isn’t nearly as sweet tasting plain as the bag smells. I am getting some definite cocoa notes, along with cherry notes, but it is closer to cacao and bing cherry than milk chocolate cordial cherry. I drank the first cup plain. It isn’t really bad, so to speak, just not what I was expecting. The resteep, I added a single splenda to it. Ahhh, there is the cordial cherry! With the addition of a bit of sweetness, I am now getting a strong milk chocolate and sweet cherry flavor. I don’t know why I always need that extra sweetness to be satisfied. Maybe it’s my diabeetus craving sugar. But I must say, I enjoy this tea much more with a touch of sweetener. I did try a third steep for 7 mins but it didn’t work out the best. Guess this really is a two steep tea. Overall, a delicious tea with sweetener that really isn’t that bad plain either. I think I will hold onto this one for a bit, as I have other dessert teas I can alternate this with. But if I’m ever in the need for a chocolate covered cherry pick me up, I know where to turn!

This tea seems more oxidized than most Ruby 18 whites. As such, it is slightly sweeter, but the largest difference appears to be visual. There is also very little astringency even when brewed aggressively. It is not a cheap tea, but it resteeps very well, it is possible to get 300ml/g from it.

Dry leaf aroma is a mix of hay and nectarine, while the characteristic menthol is more present in wet leaves. The scent is pungent and very enjoyable, but I can’t think of many faithful comparisons. On the other hand, the tea doesn’t have a strong aroma in the empty cup, which also shows up in a weaker aftertaste.

The taste has a nice quinine bitterness, floral sweetness, and a fruity tartness. There are flavours like apple, grass, peach, and star anise, among others. The texture is very good too, velvety and lubricating.

I’m bumping up the rating. Got some jasmine in the notes today, and this is one that I want to keep coming back to, but at the same time, savor. It’s one of my personal favorites at the moment because it’s the right balance of flower bomb and subtlety. There are A LOT of teas I should catch up on…hopefully I can remember them all as I write. Anyway, this one is back in stock, and I still recommend it.

I know I promised more description, but I only have energy for a rating and a comment. Like I said before, I think that this tea should garner more attention. It’s certainly on the greener side, but there’s enough oxidation to make it savory and to give it a sweetened edge. Gardenia and lilac are still apt with green apple, honeysuckle, butter, nutty hints, grass, melon, sweet pea, and others. I’ve gotten mineral on occasion, but more like the minerals of sugarcane sugar overall because it is green. It’s actually a very friendly brew with light leaves and long steeps, and it serves me well grandpa or gong fu. I actually prefer this one to some of the other oolongs on Whispering Pines’s selection because it’s refreshing and well balanced. It also compares considerably well to other’s I’ve had. There are some Bao Zhongs that are much greener than this one, and I actually think it’s a decent balance overall. I keep coming back to it and remain satisfied.

Very balanced and refreshing. It’s definitely close to a Mao Feng green in its minerality and morning dew quality, but it stands out as a Bao Zhong with the usual lilac note that you can fall in love with. Daffodil and gardenia are also prominent. It’s also super friendly Gong Fu, and very thick. This note is more footnote than essay right now, but just know that I think this tea should have more appeal than it does currently. That is all for now.

*Edit: I actually like this tea a bit more as it cools down. Could make a good black iced tea. Slight rating boost. from mid 60’s to 70.

Received this from Brenden as a sample. It is a rainy spring day here in Michigan. I had boiled some water in my electric kettle in order to make a jello brain (using a mold) for my book club tonight. We read The Hunger by Alma Katsu which is a supernatural retelling of the Donner Party so I’m making the jello brain and also providing beef jerky (heh). I’m excited to see what others bring. Anyway, I had some water on the boil at the ready so I thought, “Why not pour the rest over some tea?”

After steeping, the leaves had a smokey/char type of scent. It reminded me of a campground in the early morning. Now, that is not to say this tea tastes smokey. It doesn’t. The taste for me is… lacking a little bit. It is a perfectly acceptable tea but lacks something special. It has kind of a basic… I’m leaning towards malt but I don’t really want to say that because I associate malt with a sweeter note (right or wrong as that may be) and this doesn’t really give off sweet as a first impression for me. I also don’t want to say cardboard because while the flavor lacks and might be a bit flat it’s also not completely bland. It is somewhere between those two notes.

Either way, I’m not huge on cream and sweeteners in my teas but this one might take to it fairly well. It is a straight forward, semi-bold tea that lacks any defining character. Safe and dependable might be the way to describe it. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I just received another order with several teas from Brenden at Whispering Pines—I am always happy with my purchases from Brenden! My order arrived very quickly too.
This is another delicious black tea with clear hints of cocoa, cherries, and light vanilla as the name suggests. I’ve wanted to try this one for a long time but it was so often found to be sold out.I would definitely buy this again…
I am giving Ancient Spirit a slight edge for now (so good).
Up next….Alice and Ambrosia =P

This morning I felt like having some nice black tea and the choice came down to Mountain Nectar – one of my favourites – that I’ve only had twice thus far. Despite that, the unique profile and unparalleled complexity stuck in my mind.

Dry leaves exude an aroma that’s a blend of cookies, fruits (apricot) and flowers (black locust). In a preheated teapot, this changes to fermented fruits, stewed fresh tomatoes and mango. Yet again, the smell of wet leaves is very different, but beautiful. It has notes of massage lotion, eucalyptus, carrot cake, and forest.

The taste profile is mildly sweet and fruity, with a nutty spiciness, some inexplicable herbaceous quality, and woody finish. Few of the flavours I detected are nutmeg, butter, brown sugar, orange, tomato vine, and marjoram. Second infusion also has notes of roasted hazelnuts and toffee. When brewed more aggressively, the tea displays more of a malty quality too. Aftertaste starts with a quinine-like bitterness, but evolves into an enduring sweetness soon. Further flavours that emerge in the aftertaste include likes of licorice root, burnt food, and spinach.

The texture of the liquor is extremely soft, velvety, and creamy, with a medium body. After swallowing, I get a drying sensation in the throat rather than the mouth and a sandpaper-like mouthfeel.

Luxuriously complex…rich & velvety. Just smelling this brewed tea makes me happy.
If you haven’t indulged in this lovely tea yet I highly recommend you do! Sip & savor.

I tend to compare every wild arbor black tea from Yunnan to W2T’s Arbor Red nowadays, it has become the staple tea of this category for me. As for Ancient Spirit, this one seems to have a really good reputation on here so I was excited to try it. All in all, it doesn’t reach the heights of Arbor Red in my opinion. It is less well balanced and is not as complex. On the other hand, the longetivity and texture is just as good if not better.

The dry leaf aroma is slightly metallic with notes of sawdust, tomato vine, leather, and cranberry. From the wet leaves I get scents of forest floor, smoke and later in the session also roast lamb. The taste is very smooth and elegant. There are flavours of straw, citrus zest, leather, wood, and brown sugar. They turn into a mineral, woody, and fragrant aftertaste. I quite like the mouthfeel, which is buttery, smooth, soft, and somewhat fleeting.

It’s quite hard to describe this tea overall, but it is very mineral, a bit smoky, somewhat savoury, and lightly sweet. Late steeps then turn out to be distinctively woody.

I’m a sucker for hints of cedar in my less oxidized teas, especially when vanilla is in the mix. It’s the reason I bite the bullet and buy blends like Bellocq’s overpriced White Wolf. It’s also why I decided to order from Whispering Pines again, one month later. I’ve been meaning to try this tea for years. Also, no one told me WP carries Taiwanese Assam and Wild Mountain. Hello again, long lost friends.

It’s been a while since I read or watched LotR, but isn’t Rivendell essentially a spa retreat hidden away in the middle of misty mountain wilderness (with elves)? That’s this tea to a “T” (although, possibly minus the pretty elves). This cup and hot springs are meant for each other.

Main flavour notes are vanilla, cedar, fruity pear, vegetal somethings, floral fruit blossoms, cedar, citrus, frankincense (sort of like eucalyptus/mint but sweeter/muskier and with more tree resin). Floral berry aftertaste like cherry and/or pear blossoms and chocolate.

I oversteeped the second steep just a tad and now it smells a little like banana runts. Still good though.

Steep Count: 3

Catching up on teas of the last few days…finished off a bag of this when I needed something to get going while waiting for breakfast.

Very straightforward, unsurprising green tea. Clean, green, and just a tiny bit nutty. I don’t drink a whole lot of green teas, but this is one I sometimes have on hand for when the mood strikes. Just a little astringent, which I think makes it a nice wake-up tea. I only made one cup this time, but on previous occasions have gotten quite a bit more out of it.

This sample was generously provided by Whispering Pines

I don’t drink alcohol that often because even small amounts make me feel like crap, but I miss my old staple stout Dark Matter (Hoyne’s Brewery, Victoria, BC). It’s such a local favourite that I’ve see a few food businesses incorporate it into their products- the most noteworthy (to me) being Cold Comfort’s ice cream. I miss Victoria sometimes. (thank you for taking me to that happy place, tea).

Steep Count: 2

Wow, this is almost too decadent for an at-work tea. I think it’d be better suited to a day of indulging in a good book somewhere comfortable where I could really enjoy.

First cup is a little malty and sweet with a whole lot of vanilla. Honestly reminds me of these chocolate scones at a local coffee shop – something warm and freshly-baked (there’s a hint of chocolate here, but it’s not the main point). Texturally, it’s kind of silky and easy to drink.

Second cup is way more intensely chocolate, with a little more dimension to the sweetness – it’s described as cherry, which I guess works as long as you’re thinking sweet cherries and not tart ones (so…not what I was expecting, oops).

Back to work I go, will make more tea later throughout the day, but so far this one is really lovely.

This is the first true tea I am trying from the new set of samples I got from derk, thanks a lot my friend! :)

As for the tea, it’s magnificent. Bitter-sweet. Very mouth-watering, soft and biting mouthfeel. Perfect balance of the jasmine florals and dian hong maltiness. Long lasting and evolving aftertaste. One of a kind.

I initially thought two things when I first tried this tea: 1) Holy Bergamot, and 2) Sil would not like this at all.

The Bergamot is strong but not enough to curdle milk. I wouldn’t normally add milk to a Dian Hong but this scented tea takes it well- Like a freshly baked citrus loaf, with sweet potato and butterscotch notes. Someone else mentioned taro root and that is spot on. I also get a marmalade finish, which sours into a red wine aftertaste (and man, is that noticeable after cooking with our old syrah tonight).

This tea needs no explanation from me. Sorry if that’s what you’re looking for. Exceptional for the price.

Thank you for the sample, Brenden.

Ambrosia has delightful notes of cocoa, malt, dark cherry, vanilla, and marshmallow. It’s smooth and creamy, nice mouth feeling… A thickness feeling and has a long-lasting finish. It is a complex tea with lots of underlying notes especially of fruity layers such as stone fruits, apricots, apples, mainly baked cherries, however, the vanilla and chocolate notes are on the forefront. Other notes throughout are baked bread, malt, berries. It is energizing and calming at the same time.

Gaiwan, 200℉, 5g, 110ml, 7steeps: rinse, 5s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s,120s

I have also tried it as directed, western brew. Excellent that way too.

I adore the name of this one, and it’s beautiful when dry with all the buds – they do look like fox tails! Beyond that, it’s a cozy and comfortable tea. No bitterness, nothing deep and dark. A little earthy, sometimes just a hint of a little peppery/herbal in the background. The sweetness is pretty mellow too, it doesn’t taste like fruit or desserts or anything like that. I didn’t think of sweet potato while drinking it, but seeing other people describe it that way makes sense. It’s not my longest lasting tea, but I got several good cups out of it.

I finished off my bag of the Spring 2018 harvest several days ago and it took a while to background process my opinion.

While this tea is complex and layered flavor-wise because of the mix of Chinese red teas, I feel like the Jabberwocky’s bark is bigger than its bite. It’s an easy tea to slay, one I could drink all day but I was always left longing for something a little deeper, a tea I could sink my teeth into, a beast that would put up more of a fight. I may have preferred this tea gongfu actually, because each type of leaf in the blend waxed and waned. There was however, always a bit of flatness to the body regardless of brewing method. The description is mostly apt, but I was missing out on that camphor and eucalyptus.

I think this tea would be very appealing to those who like slightly sweet and softly poetic Chinese reds.

A word to cold-brew fans.

I typically leaf my cold-brewed greens lightly. Last night, I used 3 grams to 500mL and tasted the tea this morning. It’s really light, even for me. I won’t at the time recommend doubling your leaf amount since I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll be doing so tonight. The wet leaf smells so lovely sweet and creamy. I’m hoping a heavier hand will bring out some of that in taste.

Hello and good day. I’m excited about having my first green tea of 2019. Spring is here in this region of the states. I welcomed its arrival by prepping the garden which had fallen victim to snails, Bermuda grass, Himalayan blackberry, English ivy and baby palm trees. Mowed the grass, weed whacked and set to work digging up all the bristly ox tongue before it bolts and flowers. I also spent Friday cutting down 8 trees on a friend’s property for a nice sum of cash which bought me a new mattress and the leftovers of which will feed my recent puerh buying habit. I haven’t been drinking much tea this past week because I’ve been so damn busy.

I tried this a few days ago using Brenden’s parameters Western style, with 1T, 8oz, 180F and 3 steeps at 2/3/5 min. The tea was ok. It didn’t really awaken the crisp, spring green desire within me, being rather vegetal and muddled in flavor. I tend to like my green teas light and gentle, so I will have to play around with amounts and temperatures Western style.

This morning, though, I opted to brew the leaves gongfu and am much happier with the result. 6g, 150mL, 175F, 8 or 9 short steeps. The dry leaf smells soft, sweet, floral and young grass. Rinsed, I picked up on white chocolate, steamed veg and spinach and soft florals. The liquor is a crystal clear very light green-yellow without much aroma. The taste is crisp and light with fresh grass, minerals (salty), and florals with a light stonefruit-osmanthus aftertaste. In the mouth, the tea is thick and glassy early on moving quickly to a light body with soft astringency. The flavor ends more vegetal, perhaps green bean with a hint of oat creaminess. I thought maybe the tea got a little fruitier in the late steeps, but it was just the aftertaste that lingered.

Overall, brewed gongfu, it’s a very mineral yet delicate, light and crisp green tea that embodies what I’m looking for in the first days of spring. I imagine I’ll finish this bag today since the weather will be warm and sunny. A few more cloudy and rainy days are on the horizon.