694 Tasting Notes
I received a sample of this from Charissa. Thank you!
The best way to describe this one for me is to say it is a very flavorful darjeeling esc tea. I liked it. It was muscital, fruity, but had a bit more body than I am use to in the darjeelings I have tried. I liked it! This will be an afternoon tea for me while it lasts. Thank you for sharing this one!
I received a sample of this from Charissa. Thank you for sharing some of your Gong Fu teas with me!
This was a really tasty cup. I had this one in the afternoon yesterday, but noted that this would be better in the morning. It is a bit of a kick in the pants kinda tea. It has hints of muskital/mushroom. It is brisk, but the briskness is a nice flavor adding taste. It is rich and well balanced flavor. I can see why tea from this region is often used in breakfast blends.
I got my Whispering Pines order in this weekend! Woot Woot! I wasn’t in the greatest of tea moods last night, BUT I was craving chocolate so I had a cup of this.
When I received the sample of this from MzPriss awhile back i didn’t realize at first that it was a flavored tea so I brewed it in a gongFu. Gongfu and this tea weren’t the best mix at least for me. This was much better brewed normally. This was my dessert last night. Chocolate, vanilla and creamy yum. 3 steeps out of this bad boy. Thanks for inventing such an wonderful tea!
Isn’t it awesome??? I’m finishing up a cup right noe
Oh, we’re all in a GO mood this morning? So good!!
It is good! This was my dessert tea last night. Enjoying a cup of golden monkey this morning, I would say equally as good:)
Not flavored, blended ;)
Thank you for the correction!
Hehe, no worries :) I was asked “How do you dry the artificial vanilla flavoring?” in an email a few days ago…so anything like that pops out at me now. Lol
Oh this tea. It is the perfect cup for a stressful afternoon. I am so glad I keep this tin at work. Slightly sweet and smooth. This tea has a different taste depending on my mood. Today it is bread and caramel like for me. Loving it.
Wow, is this what all Keenums taste like? This is really really good. I almost placed my order yesterday thinking that eh, the Keenum sample I got wouldn’t prove order worthy. Boy was I wrong. This was really good. Did I say that already? For me it was a bready sweet taste. There wasn’t a smoke taste like I was expecting. This had me wanting to drink the entire sample pack in one sitting. On the order it goes, and I thought I could weed it down… doh! For those more seasoned keenum drinkers who have had THIS tea, how does it compare? Have I been missing out on another really good type of tea?
Tiff – resistance to WP is futile. And dang! Why haven’t I tried this?
“Have I been missing out on another really good type of tea?”
I’m a very big Keemun fan! My most recent Keemun stash order was for 1 kg and it only lasted about 6 months!
looseTman – What is your description of the defining taste of a keenum?
1 kg, that is a lot of keenum!
MzPriss – order is in progress…..
I’m a huge Keemun fan as well. looseTman – what kind was it that you bought so much of?
Order placed.
“Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile.”
Tiff – I wish I had ordered some of this now. But I did a huge one and it’s on it’s way. I’m drinking some North Winds now.
TeaTiff & MzPriss: steepster.com/looseTman/posts/166936
@MzPriss: I ordered a sample of this with my order that should arrive on Saturday. I’d be happy to split the sample with you if you’d like to try it.
Oh mj that is so very sweet! I think I probably need a little sample order from WP anyway. But I appreciate the offer very very much.
@looseTman thanks I will check it out
TeaTiff, you should explore Keemuns. There are some lower grade ones that smell like someone just hit you in the face with a dirt clod, and then are are extraordinarily delicate keemuns that speak of old and sacred places in their complexity. I have reviewed quite a few if you peruse my tealog…. they are one of my favorite teas.
I just was saying that I think I need to try this one. I’m not a huge black tea fan, but everyone’s amazing reviews just make me want to taste it. I’ll probably get another sampler pack from WP at some point, and this one will be in it.
Keemun is my comfort tea :)
Lol, teaTiff, now that I’ve read this review, I’m thinking exactly what MzPriss said: Why have I overlooked this one? Not a big deal though, was just thinking about what was going to be my next big reason to place another order. Now I know :-)
MizPriss if you are not able to secure a sample I can send a long some since this did get included in the order.
looseTman – I actually own a bit of this tea. I had forgotten about it as at the time Keenum wasn’t on my radar. I am going to go back and revisit this one along side the WP.
donkeytiara – I started looking through your log and I had to stop:) They are all sounding so good!
Cheri – I would actually be interested in learning which black teas you have enjoyed? I have seen from your log that you are mostly oolong and white.
WP – I am very impressed by all the teas I have tried and look forward to the order arriving. This one was a very comforting tea, nothing too fancy that I felt like I had to devote a ton of time, just yummy and relaxing.
TTF – So which teas from WP have you not had yet?
I have a passionate love for good Keemun. But there is plenty of lesser Keemun out there and I’m having to wade through it to get to the good ones. I really like one from The Steeping Room. I have a bunch of samples I need to try.
TeaTiff – Yes, you’re right, mostly oolongs, whites and greens. Not a lot of blacks, and those I’ve had are flavored for the most part. I’d like to find blacks I like, but I haven’t yet found anything that really stands out.
TeaTiff, I look forward to your comparison especially since I’ve not yet had the pleasure of WP’s Pine Peak Keemun.
HHTTB #7/18
Nice Ceylon base with bit of spunk from the Cardamon. This is a nice afternoon cup. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside and think about fall days and campfires. A tad bit of honey might brighten this up a bit. This is an enjoyable cup. I don’t think I ever need to own this, a nice unexpected treat.
HHTTB #6/18
I was hoping for a fruity, citrusy tea. It smelled pretty nice, but in taste this tea didn’t deliver. I didn’t get any berry fruityness and I only got a hint of lemon. This was tar like for me. I read a few reviews after drinking a cup and it must be the keenum? That might be a bit of a harsh statement. This tea looks like it has been around the block a bit, so maybe it took on some weird taste from the TTB, but this one is not for me.
I got my wonderful Whispering Pines sample pack in the mail on Friday! Woot Woot. MzPriss, and Nicole allowed me to try Ailoashan Black Tea as well as Golden Orchard, but while I was waiting for Ailoashan to be restocked I ordered a few more samples. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this is the base for Golden Orchard. I remember commenting when drinking GO that whatever the base was would be amazing too. I was so right. This is quite the treat. it is rich, dark, and very cocoa. This is not honey sweet, but like having dark, dark chocolate. It would be really interesting to try a cup of this and GO side by side. This one will go on the wish list. I just checked the site, it looks like all the black teas that I am interested in are in stock…. oh man.
Steepster ate my comment :-(
Anyways, glad you are enjoying the tea :-)
I’m so glad you like it. I am down to my last tablespoon, but I believe the Tea Whiz of the Woods is sending me more today.
I just ordered a sample of this :-)
TTF – I think I saw something in my mail about chocolate. I think I need to keep this around for those days of pure chocolate cravings. Has anyone tried sugar. I feel so bad adding sugar to such a fine tea, but man as chocolaty as this taste I think it would be an interesting treat. MizPriss… Tea Whiz of the Woods. I like it! MJ- I hope you enjoy your sample. Do you get to also try Golden Orchird?
@Tiff – actually Tea Whiz of the Woods is a TeaFairy creation – I have adopted that from her :) (but he is)
I ordered 2 oz of GO with the samples!
You are going to love that GO so so so much and like I told you before – welcome to your new addiction :)
This sample comes to me from EvaGrimm Thank you!
I have been quite on here for a bit. I have been drinking tea, but it has been a bit more limited than normal. The heat has me running from the hot drink, and I haven’t found myself making too much ice tea, or finding the worlds to write about the ones I have been drinking.
Ever since falling in love with a few french teas, this has been on my wish list since it is something that can be purchased here in the U.S and seems to be fairly popular. The smell of this is wonderful, but the taste for me was way different than I was expecting. I was expecting a candy strawberry flavor, but instead I got a floral fake berry taste. It was okay, but not great. I think I will try this one again with sugar, and also maybe iced. I really want to love this one, but I think my first impression is not love at first sight.
Where did you buy it?
I received some of this in a swap from EvaGrimm. I have seen it at Dean and Deluca’s online though.
Um, yes, I do see that you got in a swap now. It was only right in front of my face! Sorry, totally on the struggle bus today. But you are right that they do sell it at Dean and Deluca’s. Interesting….
Haha! The struggle bus! I haven’t heard that one before. That comment cracked me up.
I received a bunch of these sachets from EvaGrimm in our recent swap. Thank you!
I have 2 left. Only 2. I have been drinking this not stop at work since it showed up in the mail. I haven’t really tried too many “breakfast” blends and I also hadn’t really used too many of H&S sachets. For a quick, kick in the butt/slap in the face cup of tea in the morning this has been perfect. No hassle at work with the loose leaf. It is a bold, brisk, strong cup and is vary predictable and stands up well to temperature and me forgetting I am steeping tea. I am not 100% sold on this blend. I think these few cups will launch me into an H&S black blend trying experiment. Thanks again EvaGrimm for sharing these cups.
