The Jabberwocky

the berries are the main character but chocolate and fruits are there as well

I’m sipping this down this morning, after much hoarding :( but it’s the perfect morning for it! It’s sunny out, the flowers are beginning to bloom, and it’s Saturday after a long week! What better way to celebrate than with this delicious tea! I slightly overleafed as I would not have had enough left for a final cup, so today started out a bit stronger in the malt department, but still oh so good. Less honey notes today too and a bit more fruit, so when I order more of this, I will remember to keep the 3 min steeping time but use a bit less leaf :) I am sad this is out, but I see WP was having a sale……..not that I should order more right now, but I am considering it :) see previous notes on this tea!

What delicious wizardry is this?!

I’m getting honey and fruits with a bit of chocolate and a touch of baked bread. It’s good but on the same note, it’s not as amazing as the hype had me believe. That’s not to say it’s bad, i just think my expectations going in were too high. Nonetheless, I am incredibly grateful to Christina for the chance to try this tea! 275.

200th tasting note, and a lovely tea for a rainy day!

I’m very happy to try this sample from beelicious. Having enjoyed several WP offerings in the past, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with one of their black tea blends. This one has dark spindly leaves and a rich, cocoa-and-malt aroma. Brewed up, it’s harmonious and smooth, with that “fuzzy”, almost textured malty undertone that I’ve come to know and love. I can’t quite decide what it reminds me of yet—this is a complex tea that will take much exploration. There’s a lighter, fruity accompaniment to it as well. It’s a blend that is both invigorating and soothing, and while I might love Second Breakfast and North Winds just a little bit more, I enjoyed this one highly as well.

Okay, what tea is this? I ask because I need ALL OF IT.

The dry leaf smell on this is pleasant enough, that earthy malt typical of a good black tea. But once it is steeped, it just turns AMAZING. Honey and baked bread, turning into an agave/raisin as it cools. There is so much going on. I gave the boyfriend this tea to take a sip and watched as he took a drink, paused, and pulled the cup back toward himself. “Wait…” he said.

Chameleon teas are the best. I really do need to know what specific varietal this is (maybe the Tan Yang that Angrboda loves so dearly?) because I’ve decided it’s my favorite black tea.

Yeah, unapologetic 100 here. This absolutely deserves it.

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – April Tea #2 :A tea paired to a book

additional notes: What a fitting prompt to finish this one with.  Speaking of Jabberwocky, I am a fan of most of Terry Gilliam’s movies!  Though I admit I might have been half asleep while I watched Jabberwocky.  Anyway, this was a solid tea until the end.  Still lucky I was able to grab it from a teabox.  It tastes like Keemun mixed with a Fujian black, maybe with a hint of Yunnan.  BUT the description says: Fujian Black Tea, Ailaoshan Black Tea, Wild Arbor Yunnan Black Tea, so I guess I’m a little right.  I could swear it is mostly Keemun though.  Otherwise, it’s smooth yet strong and never gets bitey… even though I steeped the third cup for seven minutes.  And that is with a LOT of leaf.  I think it also gave me a ton of Jabberwocky worthy energy.   I’m sad I won’t have this around in the tea museum but it was time to finish it.
2022 sipdowns: 47

I received a sample of this tea from The Cookie Lady. I haven’t yet tried anything from Whispering Pines Tea Company, but I’ve been wanting to, so I was excited about trying this tea as well as the Mountain Nectar tea that I received. I like the flavor of this tea, though I doubt I could easily describe it. It’s complex, and both fruity and toasty. I wouldn’t say it’s very bitter. I’ve tried a few teas described as tasting like plum, so based on similarity, I could say that it does taste like plum – or at least it has a comparable taste to other teas that are described as tasting like plum… All I know is that I like it, and find it more agreeable than some of my other black teas. I’m steeping the tea a second time, but I knew I liked the tea the first time I drank it. I need to buy Whispering Pines teas, so I think I’ll put this on my shopping list.

I’m beginning to think there’s something wrong with the water in my house, or with the kettle I’m using. I keep on getting this sort of savoury, alkaline taste with my black teas that I’m not too fond of – think of the flavour of the outside of a pretzel.

It showed up when I drank this tea, which was not what I was expecting. The tea smelled lovely upon first steep – I could definitely get the chocolate and menthol notes that people had mentioned. But the flavour was relatively underwhelming. Sad. :(

This was a swap I got from Ost – I’ll be sending the rest along to VariaTEA soon.

Oh wow. This tea just stopped me in my tracks, after just one sip, and made me sit, for the few minutes that it took me to finish the cup (yes, piping hot and I just couldn’t stop drinking it) and just give in to the joy that came with every sip. That has only happened to me with two other teas. Verdant’s Laoshan black, and Teaspring Tan Yang. And now Jabberworcky. Also, I normally drink unflavored black tea with a touch of milk. Not so this tea. It just feels like that would be doing this tea a disservice, as it deserves being center stage with my full attention.

This is from my first Whispering Pines order and I must say so far I’m really impressed.