Whispering Pines Tea Company

We had this yesterday at a clean-out-my-freezer tea party. I had prepared tea treats all through October for 45 people for an Alice in Wonderland Halloween tea I was doing for this charity I am involved in. I was socking them away in the deep freeze so I didn’t have to do a lot all at the end. Then the party was cancelled due to the hometown team making it into the World Series. I scheduled a tea at work to use some of the leftovers that couldn’t freeze and that turned out to be the day of the celebration parade. Not that I wish we hadn’t made it, winning after 30 years certainly is nice, but I got really tired of sports messing with my tea!

Anyway, so I could free up some freezer space for the holiday season, we had a little tea yesterday with my mom’s friends. This was one of the teas I served.

One of the ladies was a friend of a friend and I had never met her before. She took a sip of this and said “Oh my goodness, this is amazing tea! I don’t even need sugar or milk!” Later I made a pot of Assam Signature Malt from Golden Tips and she didn’t add anything to it either. She was just stunned that she liked teas without additions or flavorings and she just kept raving about Jabberwocky. Makes me happy when that happens. :) Now, she did add cream to the Flowering Black Tea Cones from Yunnan Sourcing but to be fair, they had sat in their little glass pot for awhile before she tried them and I probably used a cone or two too many for the volume of water. But she said she still liked it a lot.

Then I got to whittle down my stash by giving the ladies a basket of assorted teas to shuffle through to take home. So that, along with excellent tea that was well enjoyed, tasty food and good company made for a good day. :)

But now I need to get more of this tea since I almost used it up!

I wasn’t wow-ed the first time with this, but this time I must have done something right. I get the malt and the eucalyptus. Reminds me quite a lot of TWMB though there is a little bit of dryness at the end of the sip and not quite enough breadiness. Really excellent. I think last time I used bottled water since it was the first time and this time I used tap water. I always liked TWMB with tap water, too. Need to remember this.

Snicker-snack! This one is worth keeping around for sure.

I love being the first to review!

This is the Autumn 2015 version. I want to start with saying I am highly picky of blends and flavored tea (whole traditionalist thinking). However, this brew definitely made the cut. I woke up especially early, and my house does not heat well. So, it was freezing in here. I had no where to be for some time, and I was in dire need of some warming up, so this came to mind. I wanted hot coco, but I wanted tea. I picked this out and tore open the package. I was smashed in the face with the scent of the best Recees Pieces in the world! I couldn’t help but think of Trick or Treating. I was pretty excited to try this out. I warmed up my gaiwan and placed a generous amount in. The warmed leaves made for a sharp and deep dark cacao scent. This scent was thick, syrupy, and slight malted. I washed the leaves (and nibs) once to prepare for brewing. The steeped leaves lightened to a warm milk chocolate and nougat. This was a smooth and creamy sensation. I could still take in a light malty note, and I also noted a cherry cordial in the background. The flavor is sensational! This is perfect for cold October mornings. The sip begins with a creamy chocolate and nut flavor, and then it moves more into the wooded and malt tones. There is a sweet almost huigan aftertaste. This brew tastes just like a more higher quality chocolate bar. The liquor even smells like butterfingers and hot coco. As the steeping continues, the brew becomes slightly bitter and a pleasant sour tone appears. Also, a fermented flavor comes to be in the late steep sessions. I noted some nice focused head qi in the last steepings. This feeling was nice, considering I don’t usually get much from Shou. The best part is that a nice chocolate tone follows you throughout the entire session. The brew becomes lighter and tapers off quickly. The color of the liquor seemed to just drop to a pale watered orange at about the sixth or seventh steep. I believe I can avoid this next time by adding more leaves. The nibs are heavier than the leaves, so it tips the scales a bit in brewing. This was a wonderful session, and I will be definitely be sharing this to my winter lovers.

https://instagram.com/p/88KicRTGUl/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

I was positive I had written a note on one of my most beloved of shous but I don’t see one here…..

Simply EVERYTHING about this cake is beautiful – no surprise since it’s from Whispering Pines. It is presented in a gorgeous wrapper snuggled inside a handy storage envelope. As lovely as they are – the real beauty comes when you open the wrapper and see the abundance of golden leaves threaded throughout the cake.

After a very quick rinse, the first steep is a little light and carries notes of warm cocoa. This is one of the most accessible shous ever – there is zero funk and no barn or leather (not that barn and leather are bad things in shou – just not present here). This is probably the best shou to ease a new pu drinker into the dark side. It is the shou you give your best friend when you are trying to turn them into your pu drinking partner. It is sweet creamy deliciousness that wouldn’t be challenging for someone who might be a little hesitant – in other words – it’s a perfect “gateway drug” and it WILL get you hooked.

The following steeps are thick and syrupy with a mouth-coating sweetness and the cocoa note becomes stronger. As I steep through, brown sugar, caramel, dates, creamy vanilla and a little mineral background make welcome appearances.

In my distant past, I knew a very charming man I nicknamed Mr. Silk. That guy was smooooooth. I may nickname Huron Mr. Silk as well – it is super creamy-dreamy and almost slinky.

I got 8 or 9 delightful steeps and a nice laid back relaxation – a lovely ride.

This is a special shou and it needs a special song. I really like the Radiohead song “Reckoner”, but it is much better by Gnarls Barkley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUmmsMeHAaE

My session on Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/8yCfFTwx4T/

HIGHLY recommended!

BREWING STYLE: Western

I will do two reviews of this tea in both Western and Gongfu style. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything necessary for Gongfu-style steeping — gasp — but I do have the standard stuff needed for Western style.

First Infusion — 3 Minutes

What a lovely, woody scent. It reminds me of a wet forest, in a perfectly good way. I’m in love with the scent, and my expectations for the taste were pretty high too. And boy did it live up to those expectations.

The flavors are simply amazing. I must say that this is, so far in my novice tea-tasting, the best I have ever had. It’s creamy and, like the scent, woody. I also taste a bit of a chocolate-y flavor. I am very impressed as a first-time customer of Whispering Pines. There is just this overwhelmingly good flavor I can’t describe. It’s slightly flowery, woody, mossy, chocolate-y. Very creamy, silky feel. This tea is not bitter or astringent at all.

Overall: Silky, creamy feeling with an intense and complex flavor, which I may or may not think for being a novice. Chocolate hints and sweet notes, but also very woody and flowery. Very impressed.

Second Infusion — Five Minutes

The scent is similar to the first infusion, though it somehow leaves a cooling sensation in my throat. I was intensely curious about how the flavor would change, but I was feeling slightly full from the first 8oz of water.

The tea takes on a more subtle flavor, reminding me more of malt this time around. Slightly milky too, and just as creamy. It’s not as pleasurable as the first infusion, but it is definitely tasty and palatable, very good. More of a tea flavor this time too.

Overall: Still silky, creamy, with a more subdued flavor that is slightly malty and milky but not quite as pleasurable, for me anyway, as the first infusion.

I was too full to do a third infusion, though! I’d love to have tried it again, but my stomach wasn’t cooperating nearing the end of the second cup. However, I’d have to say that this was an awesome experience and a very good first buy from Whispering Pines. I will definitely be a returning customer.

I am so happy to be able to try a pre-release tea! This was awesome! I wasn’t able to have as much as I wanted, but I made it work and still had a lovely gongfu session. The maocha consists of a scatted assortment of varied leaf sizes. I can also spot a few golden needles in the bunch. They carry a light fermented scent. I warmed my gaiwan and placed what I had in the bowl. The scent was a sweet musk deepened with some leather. I washed the leaves and prepared for brewing. The liquor started an incredible ruby red. The steeped leaves gave off a savory and summer lake scent. This is not a gross lake smell, but rather a brisk and mossy lake scent. The flavor is amazing! This truly is Lord of The Lakes! The taste is slightly sour with a bit fermented tone. This is a potent drying brew, and it gives a smoothed out wood taste. The after-tones consist of slight fruit and deep peanut. I could possibly taste an almond tone with this maocha. I wasn’t able to pull to many steeping sessions out of this brew. I was able to get about five or so. However, the brew grows increasingly more clear and becomes sweet. The sweetness in my cup is alike sugarcane and maple. It’s a fermented and wooded sweet tone. I will be for sure acquiring a cake or two of this brew. This company is beginning to peak my interest towards Shou…

https://instagram.com/p/8YTri9TGfh/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

https://instagram.com/p/8YbDPYzGR5/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

First, let me start with that I am a sucker for aesthetic looks. I love a good tea presentation, and this cake achieved that. The wrapper is something beautiful, and it comes with an intersting cake bag. This is some good ’Shou’manship….hahah. Anyways, onward to the review.

The cake is beautiful! This shining golden disk is nicely compressed of black and gold maocha. This “Golden Needle” is fluffy and dusty with bronze colored powder, so it slightly stains the wrapper around it. The cake emits a smooth scent of earth and almost meaty. I broke a decent sized chunk off and prepared for brewing. I placed this inside my warmed gaiwan and gave it a shake. The tea began to awaken, and I could smell the amazing aromas. This brew carries a very sweet and smooth scent. This was a very nice blend. As a side note, I find it interesting the material that was used in making this cake. The fact that it was practically all golden needle just makes this tea seem luxurious. I digress, I washed the leaves and prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves give off a creamy and meaty aroma. The brew was almost pitch black and full of scents. The brew is incredible! The flavor is heavy and full bodied. The description reads “It doesn’t even feel like tea”, and that would be correct. The liquor is fully encapsulating and fills the mouth powerfully. The flavor is silky and slightly floral. There is a slight wildflower aftertaste that gives a drying effect. The brew remains consistently dark and brews at least 9 times. I was able to take in a mushroom flavor mixed well with Irish cream, brandy, and clay. This brew carries a lot of heavy tones. The qi was only slight, but it was still quite prominent. I was given a uplifted feeling that followed me through out my session. I am most grateful to have plenty of this cake to drink and share. I am usually not a great fan of Shu, but this may change my standpoint…

https://instagram.com/p/8QV6kNTGc5/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

https://instagram.com/p/8UMbaxTGYk/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

This is a part of a Shou collection that I have been waiting to try for quite some time. I’ve finally been giving the chance to partake in this treat. The compressed maocha is loosely compacted. You can see the press marks clearly on the leaves. I placed a generous chunk in my warmed gaiwan. I gave this brew a shake and let it sit for a little bit. I opened the lid and took in this enticing aroma. I could note a damp wooded and earth aroma. These leaves give off a forest floor aroma. My gaiwan emitted a tender sweetness in the background amidst this earth and moss tones. I washed the leaves and then prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves scent dried to a wet clay and limestone tone. This was going to be smooth and dry blend. The liquor began slightly crimson with bronze, but then it deepened to a blood maroon. The flavor was exquisite and wonderful! I took in flavors of light soil and earth. This brew gave a savory sensation and was full bodied. The flavor became deeper and thicker. The soup was very thirst quenching. The best part of this brew was the qi. I usually feel a strange and artificial qi from Shou, but this brew was different. It was powerful and steady! The brew kept a consistent steeping and went for over an hour. This long steeping gave me a repetitive dose of qi. In short, I was up for hours, haha. I’m very happy to have to try this tea, and I may just need to pick up a few of these beautiful cakes.

https://instagram.com/p/8MwkIDTGWz/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

My Cherie Amour! Chocolate covered cherries. Yes please, I’ll have some more! No wait! The caramel apple calls to me more.

From what I remember from visiting Mackinac as a child (I think this is the same island Brenden is referring to), this delightful tea does indeed recall that experience. The island is cozy, quaint and saturated with opportunities to sample caramel apples, fudge and many other dazzling treats. Our grandparents were with us, so our sweet tooths (teeth?) were indulged to the fullest.

Could this be the Golden Fleece of Greek mythology? It is certainly worthy of a quest! Perhaps Pelias sent Jason out, knowing that if he succeeded in bringing home the fleece, athough forced to surrender his throne, he could console himself with this tea.

I brewed this both western and gongfu style and enjoyed it both ways. For a more intense flavor experience, I recommend western. But for an aroma voyage that will rock your world, prepare your favorite gaiwan & tasting cups and spend some time with this one. The bouquet made me weak in the knees! I would wear it as a fragrance. If my husband were wearing it right now, I doubt I would be posting on Steepster . . .

Oh yes, it’s that good . . .

Drinking my last session of this currently. It’s always a delight. Creamy vanilla with a malty base. Just perfection

The smell of the dry leaf is so malted cocoa to me. Amazing. I have had this tea many times and it’s always fantastic. Today I tried it with some cream and raw Hawaiian sugar. Holy crap. It was latte-like. Normally I prefer no cream or sugar but I had to pair that scent with some creamy sweetness. Glad I did.

Mmmmmmm. Mellow, mushroomy sip of umami. And comforting, like my mommy : ) Earthy and yet clear, not muddy or musty. I love it and hope to always have this tea in my cupboard. I’m hoping Brenden will re-blend this one again soon.

I love being the first to review!!!

This is a beautiful tea. The long slender embers give off a raisin and stone fruit aroma. The dry leaf is so inviting. I brewed this heavy and placed the tendrils in my warmed gaiwan. I gave them a shake. The aroma wafted from my gaiwan and created an exquisite atmosphere. First, I could hint at sweet white grapes. Then, this tone deepens into a tang of smooth wet wood. Lastly, there was a background of a campfire that had been extinguished by the rain. I knew that this would be a soft roasted oolong, and that I must pay close attention to it. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The steeped leaves give off a sweet rocky scent. The liquor is a tarnished gold. This is a sweet DHP. If you are seeking a rough roasted heavy DHP, then you need look elsewhere. This brew focuses on soft, earth, and nature tones. The taste begins with forest tones. I can take in wet wood, slight earth, and reminiscence of wildflowers. Then, it becomes more rigid with shale, wet moss, and light char. The brew leaves a thick mouth coating that is sweet with minerals. This aftertaste lasts well after drinking. The flavor is packed with minerals. If a rocky waterfall had a flavor it would be this. I’ve done a lot of gorge climbing, and this reminds me of the taste from the mist off the rocks. It’s sweet, rough, and gritty. Also, this brew carries a relaxing and uplifting qi that sneaks up on you. The steeped leaves are a dark olive color that look oily in the gaiwan. I thoroughly enjoyed this session. I have been on the hunt for a perfect DHP. Although, this isn’t my fitting Big Red Robe, this is as close as I’ve ever come. I am so grateful for this brew.

https://instagram.com/p/75cWm2TGVM/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

This tea has it all. The dry leaf is fuzzy, soft, and velvet. A smooth milk chocolate aroma and spring scent filled my tea room upon opening the package. The long black and gold strands carry such an aesthetic appearance. I placed a generous amount in my warmed gaiwan and gave it a shake. The aroma burst from the vessel, and I didn’t even lift the lid. My session was filled with sweet and malt scents. This brew, I knew would be a treat. I love the aromas of a good tea. The sweet diverse scents enhance a tea session drastically. I took a minute to sniff the lid and devour these sensations. I was catching drifts of honey, cocoa, and a dark smooth milky malt. I washed the leaves once and prepared for brewing. The leaf instantly bronzed and softened. The aromas went into more rigid and malt. I was catching soft wood tones mixed with a barley aroma. The liquor was dark. This was a blood ruby dark drink. The liquid itself emitted a tantalizing scent. This session was focused on the tastes in the air. Although, I knew I had to delve into my cup. The flavor was incredible. The brew was thick, sweet, and incredibly smooth. I could taste a rich chocolate with a light floral tone. This had a creamy malt aftertaste. This brew fills the throat and gives a hearty depth of taste. The liquor became darker with each steeping. I brewed this heavy, and I am so glad that I did. The steeped leaves were beautiful. I could spot a continuous ocean of whole small tippy leaves inside my gaiwan. I was impressed. This is a prime Yunnan red tea. I loved this session. The brew lasted well into a great many steeping sessions. I could smell the sweet malt and light wildflowers long after brewing. This is a lovely brew. I am ever grateful for being able to try this.

https://instagram.com/p/78mZenTGdl/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

https://instagram.com/p/78txgDTGaZ/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

This is so fresh and floral. It just tastes pure like you are drinking in clean loveliness. It is a cup of flowers with a bright green taste and an underlying bit of lychee in the very back of the sip. The leaves are gorgeous, glowing green. This is the Autumn 2015 harvest and my very favorite so far. Love this.

Today I was given a reminder as to why I stopped taking care of fish. Anyone who ever says they are easy is full of it or not doing it right. Years ago I had a ton of tanks, I was rescuing Bettas from local pet stores and trying to rehabilitate them, but one month I was sick, like really really sick. I lost pretty much all my tanks except for my self-sufficient 20 gallon, it was devastating. After that I had a Betta here and there that I rescued and loved for a couple years, by no more massive tanks. Recently the bug bit me and I want to get back into tank management, hardcore, I have two small ones but when I move I expect my tea room to also be filled with aquariums, cleaning water is a really good workout after all. What all of this about is I woke up to a dead Ugin the Spirit Dragon this morning, no idea why, he seemed fine the night before happy and healthy, with fine water. I am filled with sadness at the loss of my fish, debating cleaning the tank, moving the Otoclinus in with the other betta and his ghost shrimp and retiring that tank, or just getting a new Betta. Time will tell.

Ok that was a really depressing intro, I am sorry about that, so I am going to make it up to you all with some really pretty happy tea, yep, it is a fuzzy golden tea, this time with an epic twist! Whispering Pines Tea Co’s Earl Gold, a blend of Golden Snail (one of those Yunnan fuzzies I rave about quite often, and WPTC’s is something else) and cold pressed Bergamot oil, and then it was aged for 30 days. Before I get too into this review, you might have noticed I do not review a ton of Earl Grey Tea, turns out I am not really a huge fan of it, the real Erlkönig (think folklore not Goethe) is Ben, he is a connoisseur of the stuff. With that in mind, allow me to describe these fuzzy coils’ aroma, they smell really good, like really good. Blend cocoa and malt, chocolate and roasted peanuts, and underneath all of that is bergamot’s citrus zing that grows and grows until it is like having my nose pressed into a bergamot fruit. I like how it is not an immediate punch to the face with bergamot, since that is usually what I don’t like about earls.

Into the gaiwan the tea goes, yeah, this is going to be a gongfu earl session, that might be a first for me. The wet leaves are very sweet, notes of yams, cocoa, peanuts, and rich malt blend seamlessly with bergamot. The aroma reminds me of like the best ever chocolate orange, man I love those things so much. The liquid is a delicate blend of peanuts, yams, and cocoa, and hello bergamot at the finish, it just sits there and is friendly, not at all overbearing.

First steep, oh that is smooth, very smooth and very sweet. Not what I ever expected to encounter from an Earl, the expected bliss from the Golden Snails with a really crisp and tangy bergamot blend together really well. It starts with malt, cocoa, and peanuts, this builds to a really strong cocoa sweetness and honey, with a lingering honey finish. And then there is the bergamot, it starts mild and builds, underneath the other notes and never overpowering them. Again, it reminds me of the best chocolate orange.

Second steep, the leaves have more or less totally unfurled now, and the tea area smells really good. The aroma is a balance of cocoa and bergamot, like a perfect balance, it is rich and sweet and mouthwatering. I am salivating over an earl, what has the world come to? The taste is rich, very rich, hello malt and cocoa, and of course bergamot. This steep is not as sweet, and the bergamot has a touch of sourness that really wakes my mouth up, and it lingers for a while.

Third steep! Strong cocoa and bergamot reaches my nose from the cup, tea blenders, please, make more EG that is a citrus themed nose caress and not a punch! The punch is nice for some, but I really like being able to tell how good the base tea is. The taste is very rich and balanced, the sweetness returns and blends well with the cocoa and malt notes. The finish is citrus and lingers. Ben and I had many steeps of this and both became quite tea drunk. So what does the Tea Barbarian have to say for himself when it comes to this tea?

“Like all the best Earls Grey, I could smell the Bergamot from across the room as soon as Amanda unsealed the package. That’s a promising start, even if it didn’t make her cough when she sniffed it as some past favorites have. Actually drinking it was an unusual experience – Earls are, of course, usually made with ‘Western Standard’ teas from South India, which tend to be strong nearly to the point of overpowering. As a tea barbarian, that’s the sort of thing I’m used to. The fuzzy gold used here is much more mild – enough so that I’m not sure I would call it an Earl Grey, exactly. However, to my pleasant surprise (and unlike several other “Early Grey but with fancier leaves” experiments I’ve tried before), it actually works really well. Whether Gongfu-style or Western, the milder leaves compliment the Bergamot, rather than being overwhelmed by it – the result is a smooth, earthy Earl variant less suited to kicking you into gear before exploring ancient ruins than to soothing contemplation atop a throne of skulls. An Ambassador Grey, if you will.
All the powers in the world couldn’t convince me to review an ANYTHING Grey going strictly by Gongfu – an insistence upon English-style* steeping is part of why I called myself a Tea Barbarian in the first place – but there’s one further surprise there. Don’t tell Amanda, but this tea actually remains much more flavorful when taken Gongfu. It’s a very unique Grey variant, all-round."

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/09/whispering-pines-tea-co-earl-gold-tea.html

My very first cake. Got this on a recommendation and sat down to try it. Put on some sounds of the Orient to get y mind right and broke a good chunk off of this cake. Put it in my Gaiwan after preheating it and let it sit for a while and soak up some of the steam in there. When I opened the lid and smelled it, I for some vegetal along with some vanilla and some dark chocolate. Did a rinse and steeped it according to the instructions on the Whispering Pines website.I was blown away. Brown sugar and honey was present as was a camphor that hung around on my lips. This thing never quit, either. Did maybe 12 steeping before it finally lost some of ts flavor and became a little watered down. This will be one that I will keep stocked in my cupboard!