Whispering Pines Tea Company

Brewing this in a small gongfu teapot, the rinsed leaves have a sweet, musty smell with hints of wood and pastry dough.

The tea is a deep reddish brown, and tastes considerably less sweet than I imagined it would, but it is incredibly smooth. The taste is a little musty and earthy with hints of mineral and maybe a touch of dark chocolate. This isn’t meant to be a reference for flavor, but have you ever brewed fresh turmeric root to drink? It’s really got a smooth texture and flavor, and the quality of this shou reminds me of that smoothness (but not of the turmeric flavor).

The second infusion is the color of cola. The second infusion has more sweetness than the first, and this may sound crazy but cola comes to mind not only in the color but subtly in the flavor as well. Maybe there’s something a little dark-fruit like about it (plum, fig?) that reminds me of Dr. Pepper… Don’t hold me to this or you’ll probably be disappointed. Haha, it’s a stretch but it was an immediate impression. The flavors are a little more developed in this infusion though and raisin comes to mind, as well as a bit of chocolate. The texture is still really smooth. There’s no bitterness. There’s a nice cooling sensation in the mouth after a sip.

Third infusion I’m getting some cocoa and coffee notes. I had some fruit juice with my dinner then came back to this tea, so it may be tasting less sweet because of the juice I was just drinking. The fourth infusion tastes a bit more mellow and sweet again.

I think this is a really smooth tea. The flavor is nice. A good everyday shou!

This tea should please ginger lovers. The 2 strongest flavours coming through for me are ginger and elder berry. I think I taste an undertone of eucalyptus.

The brew tastes like fresh elderberry juice with spicy notes of ginger that linger on the tongue after a few sips. I love that Brenden uses whole ingredients rather than extracts; it makes the tea seem so much more wholesome, especially when you’re looking for a tea to make you feel better.

I think the greatest thing about this tea is that it tastes better when you’re sick. It’s like a warm hug on a cold day. The price is right. Give it a shot if you’re feeling under the weather.

I forgot to smell the dry leaves for my review but the wet aroma is really nice, up front you get notes of sawdust and dandelion with a background note of peach.

As with most Ya Bao the infusion is almost colorless even after a minute of steeping. I’m brewing this in a gaiwan with the gaiwan about 1/3 full of buds. The first infusion of this is subtle and a bit fruity, like apple or pear. It’s mildly sweet, with a lingering afteraste like cork or bamboo and a long lingering subtle sweetness.

The second infusion has a more rich flavor, not at all subtle now, very sweet and berry-like with a woody finish and a bit of lingering dryness on the tongue. The sweetness and flavor both really linger a long time with this tea. I’m only two infusions in and I can already say this is the best Ya Bao I’ve had.

The third infusion has a bit of a cedar taste to it, and is more woody and less sweet than the last two, though it is still considerably sweet. There are hints of pepper and juniper berry in the finish.

I really like this Ya Bao. It’s got the most complexity and well-rounded flavor of any I’ve had. I think I know where I’ll be refilling when I run out.

love it.

I’ve surprised myself by developing a craving for this one over the last couple of weeks. Pu’erh is a thing my brain is still afraid of, even though I’ve tried enough by now to know that I actually quite like it. My first experience with this one was good, as far as I can recall. My reacquaintance with it was, possibly, even better. It’s the sweetest pu’erh I’ve ever tried, with a really prominent sugar cane flavour and a decent dose of creaminess. It mellows with successive steeps, the initial heady sweetness fading as more earthy, mulchy flavours develop. It’s kinda perfect for this time of year, and I’m just a little bit addicted. I’m nearly done with my pouch, and this is one I’m (quite unexpectedly) going to miss.

This is what I decided on for today after everything happened this morning. I’ve heard really, really good things about this pu’erh, and it’s been long overlooked in my cupboard. I’m using 1 tsp of leaf for this session, which had an initial rinse of 1 minute in water just cooled from boiling.

First steep is for 1 minute in water just cooled from boiling. The rinse liquor was fairly strongly scented and fishy, so I was wary with my first steep. It turns out that I needn’t have been – the flavour here is pretty delicate and the fishiness has gone completely. The best way to describe this would be “earthy cream”. It’s smooth and sweet with an underlying creaminess, but the main flavour is light forest floor/wet leaf, hence “earthy”. There’s a mild camphor-like coolness after successive sips.

Second steep also for one minute, in boiling water. The flavour this time is a little less distinctively earthy, with amped up cream notes and a touch of brown sugar/molasses in the mid-sip. Interestingly, the scent is still very earthy, but it’s not really coming out in the flavour. I’ve no problem with that, though – cream and brown sugar are just fine with me!

Lunch beckons, but I’ll be returning to this one later…

Third Steep for two minutes in boiling water. The liquor is much darker this time – a red-brown rather than an orange-brown. The flavour seems to have developed a little, too, and is now nuttier (I’m thinking walnut or hazelnut), with a caramel note lurking in the background. There’s still a touch of molasses, and the same distinctive creaminess. The earthiness is back very slightly, but is confined mostly to the aftertaste. I’m guessing the longer steep time encouraged this to re-emerge.

Fourth steep also for two minutes in boiling water. The earthiness has disappeared again, but the lightly sweet creaminess remains, with hints of brown sugar. Some of the intensity has worn off that flavour now, so I wouldn’t really call it molasses anymore. Brown sugar for sure, though. One thing I really like about this one is how it seems to get smoother with each successive steep. It was already pretty smooth to start with, but now it’s even more so. Silky, mildly sweet, sugar/cream amazingness.

Fifth steep for 3 minutes in boiling water, and it’s possibly the most amazing yet. It’s really sweet, with a distinctive creaminess and strong brown sugar notes, also a touch of vanilla. There’s no earthiness at all, and it’s the silkiest, smoothest thing that’s passed my lips in a long, long time. I know 3 minutes was recommended for this one, and I can definitely see why. I’m still over-cautious when it comes to pu’erh, though, especially the early steeps, thanks to a couple of fairly dodgy experiences. I’m going to have to think about what to do with my next cup, and whether to start with a longer steep straight off? Maybe it’s time to be brave again.

I had hoped to get six steeps of this one completed – two each at one, two and three minutes. I’m almost out of time unless I take the leaves home with me, though, and in all honesty I’m not going to faff around doing that. I’ve had a good time with this tea today, though – it’s kept me company without the need for milk, and has been utterly delicious all the way through. I’m really glad I picked up a pouch of this one, and only sad I didn’t get around to trying it sooner.

Sipdown! I drank my final cup of this one last night, and it was excellent. Just what I wanted in my pre-bedtime cup. It took me a while to nail the brewing on this one, but as usual I achieved perfection just as I started to run low. Beautiful chocolate cherry vanilla. I’m sad to see this one make its departure from my cupboard.

…and then I remembered that this one isn’t flavoured, other than the vanilla beans. Drinking this one today, that made it all the more amazing. Plain black tea that suggests rich, dark chocolate and black cherries? To the extent that the first time I drank it, I just assumed it had to be flavoured? It’s right here.

My appreciation of this one just zoomed up the scale. It’s an excellent dessert tea.

The next few days are clearly going to be Whispering Pines days, now they’ve emerged from their confinement in the deep, dark depths of “the box”. After my success with Imperial Gold Bud Dian Hong last night, I skipped straight to this one. I actually managed to recover all of the excitement and anticipation I originally felt when I first ordered this one, and it was nice to feel that way again. I used 1.5 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 4 minutes in boiling water, no additions.

This has got to be one of the best tasting flavoured dessert teas I’ve ever tried. The initial sip is thick, heavy black cherry syrup – sweet, fruity, kirsch-like. The mid-sip adds distinctive notes of dark chocolate; rich and cocoa-like, and a perfect pairing with the cherry. The end of the sip brings sweet, creamy vanilla and just a hint of cinnamon. It’s a perfect combination of flavours, each enchancing the other to create a truly decadent taste experience. I’ve missed Whispering Pines, it’s true. I can’t wait to have another cup of this one!

Sipdown! Finished off the last of this today, and although sad it’s one of the older teas in my cupboard so I’m also looking on it as an achievement. I enjoyed this one, although it was a little finicky at times in brewing terms. When I got it right, though, it was SO right. I know I’ll miss it in the days ahead.

I got REALLY EXCELLENT sweet potato notes from this one today – clearly I caught it at just the right time. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying attention to my parameters so I’ll probably never be able to recreate exactly the same circumstances. That’s what comes from pottering around absent mindedly when you’re half asleep.

Enjoyed it, though. Dian Hong rules.

I feel like I’m finally getting back on track with things, tea being one of them. It’s been a rocky couple of months health and work-wise and I know I let a lot of things slip, but this last weekend felt like an improvement on how things have been. I feel more interested in stuff/life generally than I have since well before Christmas. I celebrated that on Sunday by having a tidy up/sort out, which has made me feel better still – fresher and more organised. Part of the sort out involved my tea box – I had a look through and pulled out some older teas, and some in papery packaging that’s been a concern at the back of my mind for a while now. Chief among those were Whispering Pines and Bluebird Teas, so they’re now out of the box and readily accessible for drinking. I’m going to try and start drinking my “proper” tea – by which I mean all my loose leaf special stuff – at home again and not just at work. I’ve been drinking bagged Twinings/Clipper at home in the evenings and at weekends since Christmas, so it’s definitely time for a change. I can cope with making a cup of loose leaf tea when I’m tired, I’m sure. What I’m less sure about is what the hell happened to me over the last 3 months. Now I’m coming out of the fug, I feel like I completely lost track of the things that matter to me, and that make me who I am. It’s odd to look back on a recent span of time and feel like that.

Enough of the soul searching. This is one of the teas I pulled out, and it’s definitely been neglected enough. I used 1.5tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3.5 minutes in boiling water. I added a tiny splash of milk, but only really because I was drinking it late on. Ordinarily I wouldn’t, I don’t think.

I appreciated this all the more given that my tastebuds are pretty accustomed to bagged at the moment. It has a beautifully strong, rich, malty flavour with gorgeous baked bread notes, sweet potato flesh and a distinctive background pepperiness. Drinking this reminded me why I like Yunnan blacks so much – this is a phenomenal tea, flavourful to drink with beautiful leaf to boot. There aren’t the words to describe how glad I am to have this one back in my rotation.

im writing this review later in the session- 6th steep i think. anyways, this cake has a lot going for it visually, it looks like a jackson pollock painting, with silver leaves, black, brown leaves and orangey flower speckled throughout. the cake is 100g but feels lighter to me. it is not pressed very tightly, you could break it in half with your hands if you tried.. this piece sheds leaves. it smells both floral and herbal with a spicy/pepper note at the front of the nose. i get both chamomile and a hint of fluoride as well.

i was surprised to see the liquor come out with the depth of orange it had on the first 5 sec steep. i wouldnt be caught tossing the first rinse/brew for this one. the color darkens and so on, becoming a little red.

im pretty sure there are buds in here..

sediment minimal.

a battle between herbal blends and floral perfume takes place, and some spice sneaks in. cant speak much on the notes here except for that its a little jarring, but i like it. i detect 0 bitterness and after you get past whats probably the chrysanthemum, its very smooth.

i would drink this late spring- summer, early- mid day. it would be nice to eat snacks with.

qi is mild and sort of a creeper.

inside the pot, what i see reminds me of a certain type of vomit. the size variation of leaf is amazing. the tea also reminds me of seaweed because it looks like it has a slick coat of something.. maybe all tea has that, maybe im crazy.

been listening to different renditions of oblivion by astor piazzolla while sipping, its a great pairing. with the music and the tea , my mind is more at ease.

- nycoma

Thanks mtchyg for the sample! I have done no reading on this tea, but was intrigued that it is made from golden needles apparently. Surprisingly, after a rinse in my small gongfu tea pot, I am surprised it smells quite like most other shou puerh teas I’ve had, a bit musty with quiet notes of petrichor. Maybe I expected a lighter or sweeter smell from the golden needles. I will say the color of the liquor is really lovely, a deep garnet red-brown.

Maybe I was expecting something sweeter from the golden needles, I’m not sure, but I was definitely expecting smooth, and in that regard this tea does not disappoint. It definitely has a smooth texture and flavor. The flavor is hard to pin down. Cacao, mineral, and wood are noticeable, with a bit of bitterness. The aftertaste really lingers and is mostly woody.

The liquor of the second infusion gives off a common scent for me in shou that I really enjoy, which smells like pastry dough. Again, the flavor is quite smooth, and it rolls off nicely into a subtle bitterness similar to that of dark chocolate. The flavor of this tea is really dark. I think there is a subtle hint of prune as well. In some ways, I’m reminded of coffee.

The third infusion is really mineral and reminds me of petrichor scent when the rain starts. The tea is rather cooling on the mouth and throat, though this is after I have let some cool down nearly to just a bit above room temperature. I find it really enjoyable this way though. The cooling sensation is very quenching and the flavor is smooth.

The fourth infusion is more mellow and sweet, with similar flavors, maybe a touch of tobacco.

Overall a good shou, though not as peculiar as I had hoped for the fact it is made of golden needles.

Thank you Mtchyg for this sample! I’m going to brew this Gongfu style. The scent of the dry leaves in a warm gaiwan is really lovely; it does have a very prominent note of dill, but it is the aroma of fresh dill. I imagine this is from the snow chrysanthemums. If you smell the fronds of a dill plant without cutting it, it has this faint and nice dill aroma that this tea reminds me of. The tea also smells mildly floral as well, in a way difficult to describe. It also kind of smells like candy Valentine’s Day hearts. The wet leaves after the first infusion have a much more lush and complex aroma. Still smelling dill and flowers, but also now golden raisins, a bit of anise, pine wood and dry prairie grass.

The first infusion is a very bold golden color that I have not seen before in a Moonlight White tea, and I’m guessing much of it comes from these bright golden-orange snow chrysanthemums that are pressed into the cake.

I should have expected as much, but the first infusion still surprised me with its strong dill flavor. It’s also mildly sweet and a touch floral. There are hints of cinnamon in the liquid aroma. As the tea cools I am tasting more of a subtle malty black tea flavor that I am used to tasting in a moonlight white, as well as a bit of woody, hay-like white tea flavor.

Oh wow, the second infusion, which I only infused for about 5 seconds, is a deep amber-orange color already. These flowers surely contribute a great deal of color to the tea. i am going to add a bit of water, as I think I may have used too much tea. This flavor is peculiar. More of the tea flavor is coming through now, and less of the dill-like flavor of the flowers. Again, the taste of the tea is like a malty, slightly bitter black tea cut with white tea.

Third infusion, I’m tasting equal parts of the tea and flowers. It’s a bit tart now, and the texture is slightly dry in the finish.

On the fourth infusion, the flavor has mellowed out a lot, and is more sweet and rounded, blending the flavors all together very well.

This is a unique tea, and while the Moonlight White base is detectable, I think it is secondary to the taste of the flowers mostly. I’m a bit of a Moonlight White fanatic, and I would say this tea is probably not a Moonlight White fanatic’s tea, since the tea flavor itself doesn’t really shine too much. It is somewhat muddled amidst the flavor of the flowers. This tea would be great for people who like to try something unique though, or anyone who loves the flavor of dill, and I can’t deny how beautiful that pressed cake is.

im on the 3rd infusion atm.. all is going well. the liquor is a nice reddish copper color. smells kind of like brown sugar being cooked slowly on top of a piece of wood. 4th infusion, this tea has a certain syrupy sweetness for me, toffee, a brisk woodsy feel. i dont get the same “rounded” taste/smell that i get from golden snail or yunnan gold tips. i pick up a strong molasses note, and i think black cherry or plum.. nice.

the dry leaf smells similar to to the brewed aroma but add fine dark soil and also “barnyard smell” (moist hay.) the look of the dry leaf does not have that cool blueish tinge that the WP photo shows.. they are light black to dark brown and some lighter brown on the bends.. looks a bit like a frizzy beard.

inside the pot: between 4th and 5th infusion leaves have almost doubled in size and are looking helter skelter, but before this the leaves sat more uniform with each other and kind of bended around the pot together.

as for caffeine level i cant tell really, i have a kind of tolerance. im drinking this at 7:43 yet i think i’ll be alright, so it couldn’t be too high.

my steeps have been improvised (no exact timing) though ive given generous amounts of time per steep.. lots of flavor to savor.

- nycoma

I just got this sample from Whispering Pines Tea Company yesterday! I am so excited to try the other teas I ordered (look for tasting notes on Port, North Winds, and 2013 Ontario Pu-erh coming soon). This tea is a smooth, sweet treat. I’d like to add a longer tasting note at some point but we are starting case rounds so ta-ta for now!

I brewed this based on Brenden’s recommendations!

Thanks LP for making this a gift to everyone :)

I thought this was a wonderful tea, I’m getting honey & woody floral perfume. Brews a lovely amber colour, and the taste is quite deep & nicely complex. Quite a range of flavours noted from the various reviews.

Ive never had these flowers in a tea before, and pretty bad at floral spotting in tea anyway, but I liked the added dimension. Seriously thick honey sweetness going on, for fans of bees for sure :)

Literally just dumped the lot it in the cup and on my second steep now. Super sweeeeeet!! theres a hint of something cinnamon or spicy in there, but not in the same way as some dongfang meiren, not as woody either. Nice, nice I like.

I pulled the chunk out first steep in case it was too strong, left it in this time. Really dark liquor. I also like how even with this much leaf in the cup, the aroma is so strong and dreamy, while the taste hasnt got any bad flavours. That is the mark of something I can drink a lot of. Also I drank this during a break from some 2007 repave. That was sending me to sleep, this one has given me a really soft jolt. Not harsh at all – probably that aroma!

Third steep now, still a deep dark amber colour. still a lovely taste. Good stuff! Just went to have to buy one for my ex’s daughter, its her birthday soon and she would love this – and the rub? $18 shipping when the cake is only $12 :’(

Still I bought some :)

2015 Sheng Olympics

This is my third time trying to leave a review for this tea. First time I got the filter turned on on my keyboard and couldn’t type anymore. 2nd time got interrupted and hit back losing my review. lol Lets hope the 3rd time works.

This tea is moonlight tea and chrysanthemum pressed together. First couple of brews the chrysanthemum is strong. Tea was very strong of chrysanthemum with a dill flavour. Not bad but since I love moonlight tea , I was disappointed that I couldn’t get much from the moonlight tea.

Infusions 3-6 more of the honey notes came through from the moonlight tea. I barely got any malt notes from the moonlight but supposedly this tea will age and the malt notes will come out when it ages. Chrysanthemum intensity came down a bit and blended well.

Overall, not a bad tea but I think I like moonlight tea on it’s own. Same with chrysanthemum.

2016 Sheng Olympics
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA4yZQFxYFa/
I was so glad that I had something like this to gift to everyone. This is a beautiful cake that is a type of tea that many have yet to try; moonlight. While it isn’t really considered a sheng, a gift is a gift!

Really looked forward to trying it after everyone said it was sweet tasting and notes of honey. I have tried this on two occasions now and the overall floral notes hit me as far too herbaceous for me to enjoy. The balance is wonderful though. Even though I don’t like the flavor, I am able to make remarks on other aspects. Visually this is one to own for sure. The scent is nice and does’t fade as much as you think it would over time. Break wise this is quite delicate and flakes easily.It is surely one to try if you are curious as I will say that the balance is nice, but if you don’t like the herb like floral taste it may not be for you.

My favourite of the 3 teas I ordered from Brenden, this tea is an experience.

Opening the bag you smell the spearmint and cedar leaves and you’re immediately transported to the forests of Northern Michigan. Steeping this tea smells like an evening campfire at the end of a long day of hiking. Removing the tea from the water I get a strong smell of spearmint.

Beginning of sip tastes of the organic Chai spice blend (organic ginger, organic allspice, organic cinnamon and organic cardamom). Midsip you get a hint of roasted cedar that is mellow and not overpowering. Finishes with a cooling taste of spearmint.

Fantastic tea made from wholesome ingredients. My first experience with tea from a small batch company. Wow, what a difference!

I don’t taste much of the oolong, but honestly, I didn’t want to with this blend.

The tea is currently available as of February 22, 2016.

Bonus tea from the Sheng Olympics. :) I drank this off and on for most of yesterday, and a couple of steeps this morning. I think the sample was about 6g, mostly all in one chunk, and I tried a variety of water temperatures and mostly short-ish steeping times (10-30sec for the first kettle full of water anyway). It’s an interesting tea – extremely beautiful dry leaf, wow, and quite a unique flavour. I’m finding it to be almost overwhelmingly herbaceous, with a strong dill flavour persisting throughout many steeps. So overall it’s hitting my palate as much more savoury than sweet. Interesting, but not really my “cup of tea” so to speak. :) Glad to have had the chance to try it though!