Whispering Pines Tea Company

I’d say the name of this tea is quite appropriate. It’s floral, with notes of honey and overripe fruit. A bit of sweet potato and pumpernickel bread in the aftertaste.

Thank you Whiteantlers!

Backlog that will be super short.

Most of the notes describing the tea have already been posted. This one is much better in the second steep, and is very mushroomy and creamy. I usually like creamy whites, but the more herbacaeous and mushroom profile are a little off putting. It was like drinking a cold floral miso in the first steep, and then a mushroomy and more intensely floral second steep.

This is not something you’d normally hear from me, but I like the black version of this tea significantly more. I know it’s ‘cause of my basic preference for more fruity notes in teas, but…I don’t know. I just don’t like this one.

A sample I got from an order some months back. Just getting around to giving it a try.

This is pretty good. Mild and smooth. No bitter, no astringency. Not sure how to describe the flavor. It pleasant, though not on the top of my list for gotta have.

This is the first Sun Moon Lake/ Tea 18 that I have tried so I am not sure if my reaction specific to this tea or just to discovering the broader tea type it belongs to. In any case, in my admittedly limited experience it came out as a unique and complex tea.

This tea has a medicinal and licorice dry leaf smell. When steeped it presents an interesting mix of dry fruit sweetness, licorice, mint, cloves and leather flavors. It also has a number of additional, more subtle notes that can be teased out for those who are inclined to do it. The aforementioned flavors mix well and a pleasant lasting aftertaste is present.

It is a very distinct tea that I am going to keep in my cupboard on the permanent basis as a nice change-of-pacer – along with Moroccan mint, purple tea, smoked Lapsang, Tieguanyin and such. It may not become a frequent choice of mine (I am certainly ambivalent about the licorice and cloves combination) but it is good to have once in a while.

I am also intrigued enough to explore other Sun Moon Lake teas so if anyone has recommendations they will be appreciated.

Man, this is a warming, smooth and refined Assam. No rough edges, all flavors ( malt, baked bread, caramel, honey, dried fruit) blend perfectly, a lasting mellow aftertaste.

This is a great example of what a good Assam should be.

Supposedly, this tea is a Keemun. If so, it is decidedly a weird one. Dawn is very smooth and not at all overpowering as many Keemuns tend to be.

On the positive side, it has an absolutely lovely, intoxicating dry leaf smell of honey , meadow and flowers. The tea itself is smooth and rather subtle, with the key notes of malt, honey, metallic sourness and sea. It did not reveal much variation while going through gongfu steeps. though. Unexpectedly, it was better warm then hot: the high temperature overwhelms its subtle nuances.

Another positive – a looong, pleasantly puckering aftertaste.

Overall, Dawn has some really strong sides and some pretty underwhelming. I feel that I need to recalibrate my palate a bit to appreciate as I am accustomed to more assertive Keemuns.

One of my older favorites from Whispering Pines, and I could have sworn it was the base for the Harvest Chai…also a not so popular favorite of mine.

Whiteantlers, thank you so much for indulging me on this one. I am writing another note on it since I can’t find my original ones. It’s roasty, toasty, nutty and fruity. Butternut squash is what I’d personally label the overall profile, and the roast takes on some fire qualities with very minimum char. If it were sold on another website, I could see someone using “incense” in one of the notes. There’s something about it that reminds me of Frankensense or Nag Champa…which is weird and a stretch of two very different incenses for freakin’ tea, but it’s there for me.

It’s my quintessential fall oolong for sure. I think I originally rated in the 90s, but I haven’t been coming back to it extremely often. It’s got some power to it’s sweetness that’s a little bit heavy for me. 75% of my oolongs have honey in their description, and most of them are too sweet…I need a break every once in a while from the honey-geddon.

Samurai TTB #26

This is quite possibly my favorite straight green tea I’ve ever tried! Smooth and sweet and mellow with a delightfully fresh, fruity flavor. I re-steeped it twice following Brendan’s parameters and found all three infusions to be almost equally delicious. So glad I got the chance to try this in the teabox and will definitely consider purchasing some if it’s available!

Samurai TTB #21

The green of this is lovely (I really enjoy Mao Feng tea!) but the orchid flavor was too overpowering for me, making me feel like I was drinking some kind of expensive perfume. A great quality blend, but not for me!

I’m still looking for a strong, good lapsang souchong to replace my favorite of this from Zen’s in Canada. Ashes of Autumn sounded promising. I’m sipping at night and it’s a good tea, brisk and smooth, malty and smoke. It is not the replacement I am looking for as my go-to lapsang, but it’s a worthy tea for the cabinet. I haven’t had a blend like this one that’s fresh, smokey, sweet all at once. I approve.

I said I’d write another review for western and bowl preparation but it seems I’ve lost my notes.

A temperamental lark; I never could get this tea to sing.

Happy New Year to all!

Because of the tiny, thin leaves and their clumpy nature, when I take some from the jar, it feels like I’m pinching some tobacco from a pouch to roll a cigarette. I like that aspect of this tea. The qualities of the leaf go beyond sight and smell and into a familiar past, a ritual of touch.

The dry leaf smells rich and fruity, like a mix between scotch, cocoa, leather and tobacco. A haylike quality is also present. The fruitiness comes as lighter, shifting notes of raisin, raspberry, apricot and plum. Some florality is presented as osmanthus. When had gongfu, the warm leaf smells strongly of sourdough starter and a bright red wine with a red currant note.

I’ve prepared this tea 3 different ways so far: western, bowl and gongfu. I’ll start off by saying gongfu preparation makes a tea difficult to please. I never could get the right touch to take this tea into the enjoyable territory of its western or bowl preparation. It was always overpowering, savory-sour, bitter-vegetal and drying. Early aroma was cocoa-fruity-leathery; later, somehow undeniably like ramps.

I was going to try to describe all three ways in one note but I can’t seem to gather my thoughts into anything cohesive. I’ll add another note or two for western prep and bowl tea.

I’ve heard a lot of good things on Steepster about this tea. Thanks, Derk and/or White Antlers, for the sample, which even if WP’s shipping to Canada were more reasonable, I probably never would have tried. I haven’t gongfued a jasmine tea before, but people have done it with this version, so here goes. I steeped 5 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 195F for 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus five or six more long, uncounted brews.

The dry aroma of these fuzzy little curls is of heady jasmine and a touch of malt and earth from the black tea. There’s something about jasmine that makes me think of banana, which I’m weirdly tasting here, and I don’t get much of the base tea. In the second steep, the black tea shows its malty, earthy presence, which is a bit of a relief as I thought my taste buds had been completely overwhelmed by the jasmine. By steep three, the jasmine smells and tastes less perfumey, which I appreciate, and it blends beautifully with the cocoa, earth, honey, and malt of the black tea. Like other reviewers before me, I also taste grape, though that could be another association with the fruity jasmine.

By steep five, the black tea asserts itself more strongly, with notes of autumn leaf pile, malt, sweet potato, honey, cream, a touch of astringency, and florals (though of course, the jasmine helps with that). During the middle of the session, the black tea and jasmine are perfectly balanced and the tea has a smooth, silky texture. I steeped this tea several more times than I initially intended to get all the jasmine, which still worked well as the black tea became more earthy, mineral, and tannic.

I now understand why people rave about this tea. While it’s not something I’d want to have every day, it’s surprisingly well balanced and tasty.

Woke up early enough to enjoy a few cups of tea outside as the sun rose. Seagulls socially distanced moving north, the black silhouettes of the twin redwoods towering into the brightening sky.

The dry leaf of North Winds smells rich, dark and dry with dark chocolate and wood and a medicinal, fruity-floral undertone of apricot-cherry-osmanthus. I’m greeted with a cocoa aroma with the same undertone of the dry leaf. The first thing I notice when sipping is the structure. It is full-bodied with balanced tannins and very mild dry bitterness. It condenses and closes in on the tongue. Following that is the taste, which embodies malt-wood-chocolate and a fruity midtone of apricot-cherry-plum. This tea is an excellent blend of Fujian and Yunnan black teas, a nice one to brace my senses for the coming day.

Thank you, Brenden!

This is becoming a new favorite. I’ve done this western and Gong Fu. I have a slight preference gong fu so that I can enjoy it slower flavor by flavor, but it smoothens out well with longer steeps. I was surprised how small the leaves are, though it’s like looking at hairs from black sheeps golden fleece. In essence, pretty.

It does bear similarities to the original blend in all Brenden’s favorite profiles of cocoa, chocolate, cherry, un-added vanilla, CARAMEL, but this higher grade of leaves does make the blend more refined. The original had some rougher edges with occasional, but highly desirable astringency, bitterness and dryness. The Imperial blend has rye dryness, but not astringency or bitterness. Instead, it’s got malt done right-there where times where I had to remind myself that this was not Scotch. I personally got some present barley notes with butter, stonefruit and caramel. The fruitiness is very faint, but again, likes a scotch, serves as an accent.

I am glad I decided to get two oz since I am almost done with the first. It’s a perfect breakfast tea for when I don’t want to wake up. I like it as a soft lunch-rejolt, but it’s so great looking out at a cold, auburn and grey Michigan morning.

Sadly only one gong-fu session. So, it’s technically a SIPDOWN.

I got 3 grams from derk, who might have it from, yes, White Antlers. But maybe not. No “WA” mark there. Anyway thanks anyone who bought it.

Stale urine is indeed an aroma of dry tea. As well the dill, maybe cilantro or something of those greens. It was actually pretty bad. But I don’t want to throw away the tea based on initial contact.

I decided to use all 3 grams I get in my gaiwan. Oh well, the rinse was quick and then the aroma was… ehm… even worse. Something again like urine and dill. Quick colour changer.

I was doing 10-60 seconds steeps.
Somehow weird, foul, but tasty. I get forest floor, herbs strongly, hints of florals as well citrus (sweet ones like tangerines) zests, dandelion and dill.

Weird. But smooth. Not velvety feeling, but mouth-coating for sure. As well it had thick texture that I quite liked indeed.

That was amazing experience, but it’s tea for now and then. Not really for daily drinking. It changed my point of view on pressed whites. Would I like to try it again? You bet!

Sound pairing (only for writing the note): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tr0otuiQuU

I have used two grams I get from derk and brewed gongfu.
While it was a good method for expanding leaves, in taste it was pretty much boring. Yes, I get the sweetness, some woodyness, yeasty; raisins and dates from fruits, it was everything I managed to get. It wasn’t much keeping the pace; and after several steeps I was bored with this tea (as well with the lecture I was listening to).

Maybe I have underleafed it? 2 grams per 100 ml in gaiwan (using less water than full volume of new gaiwan). Were steeps too short? Expectations were higher. Steep time below is average of all steeps. I haven’t counted how many of them, though. But I let it on average one minute steep.

3 grams from derk used in single tea.

The expectations were as her wrote in her tasting note comments. Some petrichor, dungeon fell, cellar and ehhm, nothing from those.

Not a bad tea though! I have noticed mostly red fruits, red apple skins, I felt rather being in orchard than a castle. Certainly, there are notes saying it’s black tea, but overall so nice and mild. Enjoyable drink, smooth, no astringency nor bitterness. Nice change of pace after flavoured teas in recent days.

Preparing western maybe didn’t made the most complex flavour profile though.

Haha, tried this tea today as well as Leafhopper. What a coincidence.

Brewed western, all 4 grams I had available in 300 ml. Steeped for 3 minutes. Thank you White Antlers and derk

The aroma is fruity, berries, little bit floral and woody.
Taste is incredlibly smooth, bit tangy as blacks should be, thick. Flavours are hard to say, it is tannic, but very enjoyable, honeyish. Bit creamy maybe as well. Some raisins.

Really nice tea. I will make the second brew later today to try it again. Because it’s so tasty and it would be a waste of leaves if I throw them away after 3 minutes steep. I believe it will work in another steeps as well. Haven’t noticed apple notes though.

This is my first black Jin Xuan tea from Taiwan, although I had a pearl version from Thailand a while ago that I enjoyed. Thanks, Derk and White Antlers, for the generous sample from a company I’ve been eager to try. I couldn’t find any steeping instructions, so I brewed 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml porcelain pot at 195F for 25, 20, 25, 30, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.

The dry aroma is of raisins, berries, oats, cream, wood, and flowers. The first steep has notes of apple, orchid, oats, honey, blackberries and other berries, cream, and raisins, and has a sweet, lingering aftertaste. It reminds me a bit of the Golden Dragon Black Pearl Oolong from Taiwan Tea Crafts, though it’s a lot fruitier. The honey and florals become more prominent in the second steep, with the fruit revealing itself after the first few seconds of the sip. I get some not unpleasant tannins and hints of cinnamon.

The third steep is similar, though the raisins seem more prominent and I get a hint of sour plum. The honey aftertaste is quite strong in this steep. The stonefruit shifts to apricots in the next couple steeps, and I get minerals and wood in steep six. The session ends with raisins, tannins, honey, minerals, and wood.

As Derk mentioned, this is a perfect tea for fall. Its honey and fruit flavours remind me of many other Taiwanese black teas, including Mi Xiang and TTC’s Golden Dragon, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’ll enjoy using the small amount I have left for Western steeping.

Tasting note 1100; SIPDOWN 100

Leafhopper preparation method
So, thank you a lot derk! Decided to gongfu the rest and it is very, very similar to brewing western and equally perfect. First steeps were very floral, jasmine and while jasmine was fading, the tea took more and more of its qualites and it was wonderfully bready, malty flavour profile. But the jasmine never ever faded completely and it complements so well the base. It’s incredlibly smooth. I mean, I probably never had so smooth black tea. The notes of jasmine never were overpowering.

Not a tea for daily drinking, but for special occasions. Dunno why I have decided to consider a special day a tasting note with another finished hundred, and hundred of sipdowns, but well… here it is. And last April tea so stats time again!

Song pairing (today 20 years old!):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vqgdSsfqPs

Snack pairing: Tile Candy: Black Sesame Crunch from Bokksu (courtesy to snackexchange on reddit). Japanese with Chinese? Works well!

Wrote 2 or 3 pages on thesis. 10-15 remaining. While I was writing tasting note last time, I wrote two. Okay… I guess I should be faster. But the telemetry system was way too slow today! Hopefully it will be better during the weekend. I want to have it done on Monday.

Stats:

Tea types (again, black teas won):
Black 34
Herbal 9
Green 7
Rooibos 5
Oolong 4
Puerh 4
White 3
Fruit 3
Many herbals I have drank! But that’s it. Stats don’t lie.

Loose leaf?
Y 42
N 27
Decrease, because my strainer broke and I almost ran out of fill-your-own bags . I bought new ones two days ago.

Steepster?
Y 30
N 39
Busy days recently and no mood to write that much, so this time more non-written teas about.

Number of teas in April — 69 (total 335 in 2021), not great at all. It’s getting warmer, so drinking less tea probably!

Average rating in April: 76.84

I have received almost three rounded teaspoons, so I have used only two today and steeped for 5 minutes. It is recommended to use 8 oz, but I went as usual for 300 ml which is roughly 10 oz.

Turned out delicious after 5 minutes steep. Yes, it was so uncommon, seeing copper colour and having jasmine tea. But oh my… it’s so YUMMY!

I can’t really describe it, not even the base tea. It’s soo unique. Together it makes so smooth and thick brew. Little bitterness and astringency (but 5 minutes steep, huh) but the jasmine taste was so great. Mild, round, mouth-coating. I started to dislike scented/flavoured blacks, as I am having lots of actual orthodox teas. Sometimes they tend to be bit over-powered with flavours. NOT THIS ONE! I remember smelling Jasmine Green tea from Impra. It was tea bag, and I thought I never would like jasmine in teas. How wrong have I been?

This deserves such a high rating. The ratio of base and jasmine is just great. There is no foul note. Mouthfeel is just amazing.
I need more! Thank you derk for sample. Such a small one, but now, I can tell, I had jasmine black. I want to share with my friend, but we can’t right now. Hopefully soon!

Managed to write two pages of my thesis to the time I am writing this tasting note, I am going to write at least one more! Yay, and damn you procrastination!

I got only 3 grams, so it is SIPDOWN while drinking it for first time. Thank you derk and White Antlers again…

Prepared western.
Quite enjoable aroma of malty, spicy and bit of cooling herbals.
While drinking I noticed mostly malty notes along with cherry (wood?), some dried fruits and wintergreen aftertaste. Of course as it’s past its prime, it could be much more present, but I am glad for chance trying WP teas!

The aftertaste isn’t actually bad. It’s long and highly enjoyable. The cooling effect is nice and not overpowering the actual tea notes. Bit sweet, but enjoyable.

Nice for breakfast!