Whispering Pines Tea Company

Awesome Tea! I had a great time outside watching for the moon i didn’t see her but I still had fun :)
Really good version this time around, very smooth and tasty and minty, it really was perfect tea for tonight.
My heart is pounding still from running, i’m soo out of shape and really need to quit smoking(maybe tonight) gonna lay back in my chair for a bit in the cool house now and open the curtains and watch out the window for Momma Moon.
Good Night you all, I had a great time!! you guys are Awesome!!!!

My first time for this tea. It’s a rocketship! The mint finish just blows me away and I thought I wasn’t gonna like it. And having it watching the moonrise with tea heads is every bit of the awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_jgIezosVA&feature=kp

The moon is amazing tonight, huge & full. W have a nice clear sky here in St. Louis, with fireflies. There is no lake…no mist to hover over it, but this tea has a misty quality, & it evokes such things. To be honest, I didn’t think I would like this tea. I’m not really a big fan of spearmint, but as it turns out, it’s an interesting cup. Lightly smokey from the Keemun, I think I’d like more elderberry, & my mouth is minty fresh. I’m on the 2nd steep, & although the first steep was better, this one is still pretty interesting.

BTW, I used the entire 1 Tb sample.

Having this tea while watching the supermoon rise tonight, in the company of a bunch of nuts just like me…makes me really happy ;-)

This tea is delicious . I have to admit I’m partial to Yunnan blacks. Very rich and satisfying. Malty, creamy, some chestnuts. As cooled I’ve got some slight spice which was welcoming. It’s fun tea and I’m glad I picked it with my recent order. Made it western according to WP parameters. I have to try it gongfu , my usual style of brewing Yunnan blacks.

This was the chai I chose when making my Whispering Pines order. Looking back, I’m not sure why I chose this one, I must have been in a chocolatey mood! And I do enjoy the tea used as its base – their Fujian Black. Anyway! Dry, it has the small, dark Fujian leaves mixed with chunks of spices. I see whole cloves and cinnamon bark among other things. I have to say, the smell shocked me. It is so gingery! And for some reason I get menthol (I don’t think I selected to have the mint added, but I may be wrong!). It’s like inhaling Vicks Vaporub, and it definitely clears your sinuses! I am not the hugest ginger fan, so this got me worried…

The brewed aroma is less intense, but still smells strongly of ginger. I can pick up on the other spices now, particularly the clove and cinnamon. The taste is also extreme ginger. I had to add sugar and vanilla soy milk to be able to drink it, really. But once it has additions, it’s pleasant enough. I can taste the chocolate (definitely a milk chocolate with the milk added) and the ginger is quite strong but the sharpness is reduced. I would definitely drink this one latte-style from now on, so I can add more milk without watering it down.

Overall, I’m not going to rate this one because whether or not someone likes ginger is definitely a personal preference. It’s weird, I didn’t see anyone mention super strong ginger in their notes. I guess I could try stirring up the tea some more, but considering the super strong ginger and menthol aroma, I doubt that would change it. I’m definitely not in love with this one. :(

Sipdown! (111)

It’s been a long time since I’ve had this one. I pulled it out of the cupboard so I could send a sample to Dinosara, and I ended up only having one serving’s worth left over, so I figured I might as well sip it down!

Yummy rich sweet potato and wheat bread, om nom nom. Gotta love those full-bud Yunnans! :D

Yum yum, more Whispering Pines! I really love these light, golden Yunnans so far, from every company. This one has beautiful, puffy golden leaves that are covered in fuzz. Their scent is lovely – light malt and creamy honey with a surprisingly strong stonefruit note.

The first time, I followed the package instructions and steeped for 3 minutes. The aroma was honey-glazed toast with some golden raisin fruitiness. The taste: lightly malty with honey and dried fruits (apricot?). Maybe a little bit of cocoa. There was also this weird bitterness that I didn’t expect.

So I did a 2 minute steep (new leaves) to see if the bitterness would go away. Mm, love the flavor of this one. It reminded me of a buttery croissant with a touch of honey. There’s also a light toasty note that makes me imagine toasted almonds atop the aforementioned croissant. Maybe a little stonefruit in the aftertaste? This steep wasn’t bitter, but it was almost bitter. It had the potential to be bitter. But it was still delicious.

So my question is, what else should I change to prevent the bitterness? Is it overleafing maybe? I am usually a little bit generous with my leaf measurement, and since the recommendation is in volume and not weight, it’s hard to be precise with a larger leaf. Any suggestions (or measurements in grams) would be appreciated!

So, I was going to make this tea, and then saw Golden Orchard and decided to make that one next instead. And then I wasn’t really thinking, and poured milk and water into a pot like I had planned on doing with this tea, not GO, so I guessed that was a sign to make this first instead.

I don’t know if Brenden really is some kind of tea wizard or what, but this is all kinds of awesome. Looking on this tea’s page, I’m realizing that maybe this isn’t meant to be a chai tea, but I made it up chai latte style, and it’s one of the most unique and delicious chai teas I’ve ever had. Theres cinnamon, and what tastes like maybe clove, and something peppery. But then theres a fruitiness from the elderberry, which somehow goes with the spices perfectly. There is a lot of ingredients that I either have never had before, or don’t know what they taste like (elderberries, chicory, holy basil) so they could have easily been gross to me, but it turned out scrumptiously!

So who decided that tea could taste so good, huh?

Really, who??? Cause now, I’m drinking Cocoa Amore in my little VD pot, and I see where some of the goodness comes from cause it gets stuck in my strainer and I have to fight myself not to lick it, lick it good!!

http://instagram.com/p/rF5qlTQh8z/?modal=true

Do you see her? It’s Miss Vanilla Bean!!! Oh, she is such a temptress, so wicked.

She turns everything she touches into a severe addiction. Chocolate covered cherries. I’m already a chocolate and cherry addict.

What was I thinking?

And remember, this has no flavouring!!

Mz HoneyBelle Priss and I were sent this sample for review. She received hers a while ago, but waited that I get mine here in Canada so we could have our tasting together last night. Ain’t she the sweetest thing? Must have been a torture for her to wait that long…

This tea is so darn sexy… parlarmi amore!!

With Elderwood, I was expecting Golden Orchid on steroids, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.

Well, Cocoa Amore is definitely my Golden Orchid on steroids. If GO had a lover, it would be this bad boy.

I’d say our Tea Whiz Of The Woods Brenden is building a trademark for himself with his Vanilla Dreams collection. This new vanilla he uses is insane. And must I insist on vanilla beans here as opposed to vanilla flavouring? HUGE distinction.

Ok…so you know how much I love dark chocolate.

And you know how much I love cherries.

A lot. I mean these are possibly my two favourite things to eat ever.

Combined together with this sophisticated exotic vanilla, they create the perfect storm of nominess. Imagine that for a second. A STORM of nominess.

Just to be clear, the cherries and the chocolate are notes, not flavouring, and this blend is a lot more satisfying than any flavoured tea out there.

The sweet black cherry and rich dark chocolate notes are rounded by the creamy and decadent vanilla, rendering a silky and velvety mouthfeel.

Also, there’s just a glimmer of spice in the background.

It’s so smooth, it never gets bitter or astringent.

Now…When I’m having a mug brew, I generally don’t re-steep. I know, I know, some of you will say, what a waste. This however, with its high end list of ingredients deserves a second infusion…and a third…and dare I say it…a fourth. Yes, excellent re-steeping value. It’s barely diluted. And I’m cold brewing the leaves just in case there’s something left in there for me.

I really don’t need a new favourite tea. No I don’t. But, but…I love my Vanilla Dreams Tea Family. There’s Papa Port, (tommy says Port is masculine) Mamma GO, lovechild Elderwood and new kid on the block Cocoa Amore. Hell yeah, I need them all!!!

Thanks again HoneyBelle (aka MzPriss) for waiting for me so we could drink together from a distance, and thanks Brenden for allowing me to try this scrumptious new blend.

TheTeaFairy included a sample of this in the last box I received from her. Thank you so much.
Smokey cinnamon rooibos – sorry this didn’t really work for me. Will add more marshmallow root and less tea next time – maybe even lower water temp. This needs to be played with for my tastes…..

Thank you Brenden for including this sample in my last order. It sounded so good that I had to drink it immediately. Unfortunately, I finished both cups of this a few hours ago so I don’t remember much, but I feel like I tasted spices and sweet potato and warm baked bread. It was delicious and I enjoyed each steep.

I might grab an oz for my next order just to get a better feel for it!

Finally I got my WP. I was so excited to try this particular blend. It’s new and sounded dreamy from the description. And it is . This chai is very smooth, spices are balanced and so fresh. It is strong. After few sips I decided to add some milk and touch of maple syrup. Delicious. Second resteep@ 4 min as good as first one. What makes this chai special is wonderful Bi Luo Chun base which never gets astringent or bitter.
I prefer it with some maple syrup, no milk needed.

Sweet chocolate cherry goodness is making me so happy this morning. Many other notes on this. Right now I’m just nomming it.

My tea of the morning for the first morning of my much needed vacation. This chocolate-cherry cup of delicious is the perfect way to start my day and is brought to be my well-seasoned Vanilla Dreams yixing pot. The extra vanilla bean seasoning day was a brilliant idea Tea Hobbit.

http://instagram.com/p/sARwTtwx0I/?modal=true

After a hectic 4 hour drive home (with my new tea cabinet loaded in my vehicle and stupid traffic, I am home, I am showered and I’m relaxing with my dogs and a cup of these chocolate covered cherries and contemplating the arrangement of my new cabinet. I’m about to crack open a book. Life is good.

I’m drinking the last of my preview sample which would be sad except I know Brenden mailed my new supply yesterday so it will be here soon and I can have all the chocolate covered cherry tea I want. I think this one will also do that thing Golden Orchid does: it starts out incredibly awesome and then it sits around with that vanilla bean and it gets better and better ad better. This will be a chocolate morning as I have (FINALLY!) Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha. Hopefully all this chocolate will compensate for not enough sleep. I’m really about to lick my cup on this one

Ever wonder what sweet chocolate love tastes like? Yes, I said SWEET. CHOCOLATE. LOVE. With a cherry on top? Wonder no more damas y caballeros – Cocoa Amore is here to show you exactly what it tastes like. Actually it tastes like Cherry Whoppers. If Cherry Whoppers actually existed and were made by Godiva out of truly excellent chocolate and with real cherries! Brought to you by Brenden & the Magic Vanilla Beans. I know you’re asking, “What’s that you say Mz HoneyBelle Priss? That’s a bunch of mixed up funky stuff.” It sounds that way, but in reality it’s a chocolate-vanilla Cherry Bomb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYf_NM_lCLI) y’all:

Hello Daddy, hello Mom
I’m your ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb
Hello world I’m your wild girl
I’m your ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb!

First I have to say, I’ve been SMELLING this for a week. OK so huffing it might be slightly more accurate. But it was here and I was waiting for the LovelyTeaFairy’s (LTF) sample to get to Canada. I kept sending her notes saying, “chocolate covered cherries!”

I started out very, very carefully following Brenden’s parameters of ½ tablespoon in 8 ounces of 200 degree water for 3 minutes and zero seconds. We always try to mind him on the first round.

As soon as that timer went off, I poured up a deep amber cup and inhaled a malty chocolate cherry nose-bomb. It’s medium-bodied, but it’s a body that won’t quit (more on that later….foreshadowing!)

Luscious liquid cocoacherrymaltvanilla bliss. All of those elements are very present, with the vanilla the most in the background on the first steep. But I’m not kidding – this is sublime. It is right up close to Golden Orchid for me and that is saying quite a lot. GO is a sweet dream of a tea and so is this. It’s got lots of bottom with the cocoa and the malt with a sprightly cherry bit and that silky smooth vanilla to make it mellow and it is so sweet with a deep caramel note – a real cuplicker.

On the second steep, I went for 4 minutes. There was less cherry, the coca was still definitely there as it mellows out to a less malty cocoa and it still has plenty of body. It is a deep cocoa powdery kind of cocoa and at this point a slight bit of cinnamon starts to peek in.

The third and fourth steeps (yes, it re-steeps awesomely), the malt diminishes but there is still some cocoa and vanilla with the cinnamon waving from a distance. For the last half of the 4th steep, I decided to go Terri-style and added ½ teaspoon of maple syrup to it and that brought the cocoa back. A delicious way to finish this.

Oh! There were still some leaves in the bottom of the teapot that sat there for quite a while – at least 15 minutes – no way was I just pouring that out. I was quite surprised to find there was no bitterness or astringency – just really strong, still delicious tea.

So I will be waiting impatiently with the rest of y’all until I can have a supply of this. This one is very very very near to Golden Orchid awesomeness for me and that is an extremely high bar. And once more LTF – such a delight to get to share this with you!

Ok so I decided to review these two together because I thought that they would be similar but I was kinda wrong about that.
View my Blog Post here http://toadsteablog.blogspot.com/2014/07/house-tieguanyin-lots-1-and-2-by.html
They are slightly similar due to the roasty and caramel notes But the #2 seems darker roasted and kinda complex.
It has a lot going on without too much going on and everything that is going on in this one is wonderful!
I’m just going wing it here because I’m not really sure how to describe all the notes and hints and flavors that I am getting from this one.
I cant really compare it to #1 like I thought I was going to be able to.
I’d have to compare it to a maybe a Da Hong Pao and an Amber Oolong at the same time, maybe even to a dancong I’m really not sure but I know this is surely a roast that I love.
Since I’m not really sure how to describe it I’ll post all of the different
notes that I get from this one some of them may even seem to contradict each other.
The notes I get are Roasty, Caramel(comparable to the caramel in #1),mineral, fruit(grape and peach, citrus even), champagne or wine, earth, wood, grape leafe, Darjeeling, sweet, honey, slight vegetal, slight astringent, grape leafe, wheat/rye, and ? i dunno.
Sound not so good to you?? too much?? not really honestly all of these notes appear at different times in the tea or as it cool or as it steep longer.
Ya a little complex to me but in a really good way. I think anybody could love this Tea and I bet you get some of these same notes and more, probably some notes that I couldn’t pick upon or just didn’t know how to describe. Sorry I know this isn’t a very good review but it is the best I could do because i just got so much out of this one. It is good steeped light and it is better steeped long and strong, but it never gets too strong. some slight astringent but no bitter at all. Delicious tea :)
Also it is very smooth and sweet, even better for a rainy day like today.
Oh this one isn’t released just yet but it is Coming Soon!!! I was to get a taste before it is out because Brenden is cool like that ;)

I had originally brewed in a glass gaiwan but I’ve been brewing in a tall glass here lately with a lot of my teas, i find that some of them taste better that way, For some reason they can steep that way and never get bitter or over brewed or anything negative.
This one has a roasty and slightly sweet aroma to me much roastier than the flavor.
The flavor is slightly roasty with a slight vegetal almost woodsy note with flavors of caramel and honey and even a little floral.
the Caramel notes to me are like the caramel coloring used in whiskey some folks cant even taste the caramel in the coloring but I can. I did get a slight fried banana type fruity note that was hidden in the caramel and some mineral notes too. I like this one, it is quite nice.
Great for a Rainy day :)

Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 208 degrees, 3 minutes, brew in mug strainer

Dry Leaf Aroma: rice, malt, also something familiar, like a sweet candy

Brewing Aroma: Smells like malt

Flavor: Toasty with a hint of rice. This has a stronger, dark malt flavor. It’s also got a little bit of harshness on the end of the sip. I like the tea, but wasn’t not wowing me. I decided to try this Terri-style, since I’ve heard that term several times today. LOL. I added about a teaspoon of maple syrup and there’s the wow! The tea smooths out and has a lightly sweet finish.

It tastes like something I’ve had before. Maybe something like a sweet bread or bun. The maple is obviously there, but it brings out a bakery note in the tea. Very interesting! I can see why the maple syrup is so popular with tea!

Update 7/13: tried again this AM and used 200 degree water. There’s a little less bitterness, but I’m still not finding those chocolate notes. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be!

First note for the new blend! MM has been pushed to a whole new level of delicious. Each element is in harmonious balance. Sweet lemongrass and spearmint are at the front of each sip, refreshing and calming. The “greener” flavors are tempered by a subtle undercurrent of berry. (Berry, to me, is almost always a red-purple flavor.) The base tea of the new blend is more subdued than the old. It’s not as smoky; the smokiness is only a small element. The Keemun base is all honey, graham cracker and toasted marshmallow. There’s no astringency. It’s touched by woodsmoke, silky and smooth. It’s lovely! Drinking this tea takes me to a place far from here: standing by a smoldering campfire in the early morning light, breathing in the cool misty air with the sounds of the forest all around me. I raise my head to watch the brightening sky when drops of gentle rain begin to fall…

Review for the old version is here:
http://steepster.com/kmewrd/posts/245173