Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Backlog from yesterday
This is one of the Whispering Pines teas I drank yesterday while cleaning. I got a lot more dark plum and raisin and molasses and sweet potato, with a sprinkle of cocoa and it of bread. It’s sort of amazing how the same tea steeped the same way can taste so different depending on what flavors come out more. This time was very dark and fruity, last time was very chocolatey. Either way it’s delicious.
This is one of those teas that when I have, I want to smack old me on the head. For some reason I used to avoid unflavored black teas like the plague. I guess I assumed all black tea tasted like McDonalds sweet iced tea (which, as much as saying so might get me stoned by the cult following said tea has down here, I can’t stand).
Thankfully, and to my total surprise, straight black teas can actually be good! Especially this tea. I get a great amount of cocoa out of this tea. Cocoa and caramel are the two strongest notes I get. I’ve never had caramelized plum (sounds divine) I can imagine that the dark, tantalizing, fruity undertone that I’m getting here is just that.
Absolutely amazing, this tea is a symbol for everything I was missing when I was shunning black teas.
Preparation
I love this review Mandy…me and Aila have a very special relationship as you may or may not know :-)
If you like them, try eating fresh cherries with it….divine!!
Oh I can’t help but notice all of your favorite little tea babies. You’re definitely one of the reasons I have such a hard time not placing more orders for more tea!
I really need to get some cherries! Seeing you mention them all the time has got me craving some!
Heehee!!
Cherries are the best. EVER. :)
It is cherry season…..
I have the same relationship with straight blacks, although not because I thought of McD’s sweet tea…but I have avoided them, but I’m working slowly on changing that. Mostly because people write all these amazing tasting notes.
Oh my gosh, you need to introduce those McDs iced tea fans to actual tea!!
This sample is courtesy of MzPriss. Thank you!
I can’t believe you shared this one with me:) This is such a special tea. I will be honest, I was really scared to try it for fear of the price point and the hype. I finally caved today. This is all it is cracked up to be. This tea brings me back to all of my favorite back packing trips, staring at stars around the fire in places that make you feel so small. I can’t really explain the flavor. There is a lot going on here. Black base, sweet, vanilla, cold figure tips and chilled nose. Opps, I am letting my memories slip into my taste buds. This is really good and it has brought a smile to my face this evening! Thank you MzPriss for this special treat.
I love teas that evoke lovely memories! This one is definitely awesome.
You are so welcome! I’m really glad you like it so much!
This is gold…
This is one of those teas that I really want to try, but I think I’m not quite ready for. (Brenden even told me he thought I’d do better with another tea for now.) I love love love saffron, and for that reason alone, I’d love to try this tea. Maybe in a few months….
I have been excited to try this since my favorite Teacret Agents: TheTeaFairy and MzPriss, posted their reviews from the samples they received. So here we go…
Method: 1.5 tsp, 8 oz, 200 degrees, 3 minutes, brew-in-mug strainer & Dr. Who mug
Dry Leaf Aroma: I do not work for WP and I am telling you the honest to goodness truth – this smells EXACTLY like those gooey chocolate covered cherry candies, specifically the ones with the cherry surrounded by cherry goo and vanilla goo, then covered in chocolate. I brought the bag of tea into the living room, and I’m sitting on the couch, opening it and smelling the tea, then closing it to let the aromas accumulate again, then sniffing. It’s like a cherry-vanilla-chocolate heaven.
Brewing Aroma: Oddly, this just smells like tea, with a light creamy note. I don’t smell cherry. I start to get a little sad.
Flavor: I take a sip. Tastes like black tea, with a lovely sweetness, but WHERE’S THE CH…
Ooohhh. There you are, sneaky monkey. The cherry is hiding on the end of the sip, and it’s not on every single sip. However; when it’s there, it’s just lovely.
I have a feeling that this one may even get better with a little age. I have about 8000 lbs of pu’erh to keep me busy for awhile, so I’d like to try not to drink this, let it sit just a couple weeks, then see what’s what.
Even though I know this isn’t scented or flavored with cherry, my mind doesn’t seem willing to believe it. What tea magic is this??? :)
Preparation
All of the vanilla teas with real vanilla beans get better with a little age They get smoother and even more lovely. I am enjoying a cup right along with you right now.
Yep, that’s what I was thinking, schmoopie. I know that my GO improves with a little time, so I hoped this would be the same. Not that it’s bad AT ALL. I just think it’s the sort to mellow nicely and get smooooooth, like buttah.
(It’s subbliminal cherries!!!) Yay, glad you like this one….I like it so much, I ordered the poster to have it framed in my kitchen, lol. (And I would love to get me a few beans of that tahitian vanilla!)
I have some sort of vanilla beans… I wonder what kind. I will have to look!
I gotta try this with some fresh cherries. Or dried cherries. Or cherry pie. Or some of that coconut cream.
Yes! Some sort.
Oh I did cherry compote with the Terricreme
I know, I’m still gushing over that picture!
Pics, pls. And speaking of, I posted my pu haul for you on the Today’s Mail post, but here it is again.
https://www.flickr.com/x/t/0090009/photos/124304184@N02/14672325832/
Also, picture, in your mind, my new shelf on the wall above this table. It’s white. And it will have my cute little yixing gaiwans when they arrive from far away lands. Can’t wait!
(Sars that photo makes ME happy and it’s not even MY tea….)
Lord…I’m in awe. Best “starter kit” ever!!!! Actually, this will not only start you, it will last you for the next five years!!!
There’s a saying: Go Big or Go Home. LOL I went big!!!!
I really do need to stop now. For realz. I have a few things I want if the Butiki sale happens, and then I want some sleeping bear and jabber. But that’s it. Two orders. Then NO MORE TEA.
I know I am (sort of) a grown up, and I should show some self-restraint, that’s not really my thing. Moral support will be appreciated!!! Whatever it takes! Dex: please drive to PA and hip check me if I even LOOK at a new tea! :p
Got it – Butiki sale and TWO teas from WP… and then no looking – but for how long? What’s the goal?
I think there are a bunch of us who should be stopping, and we should be supporting each other – not that I would complain about a trip to PA for a little enforcing… ;))
Good questions… At least 2 months. Hopefully more. The goal, beyond not buying more than I can drink, is to be happy with what I have. That’s more of a personal Sarsy goal.
Also, I am going to stop enabling all of you! Instead, I think we should find new ways to enjoy our existing teas, either by mixing, icing or mixing and then icing.
Maybe we need to do a google+ Teahab Support Meeting once a month or something.
Oh, and I am cancelling my subscription services.
I know it’s going to be hard for all of you but you HAVE to stop reading about tea and looking at websites and seeing what everyone else is drinking. I didn’t have a problem as big as yours might be, but it was a problem. I was spending money I didn’t have on tea. I mean if I had the cash maybe I wouldn’t have worried. But I was borrowing money (credit card) to buy tea. So I kinda stopped looking around at all the tea I didn’t have. I read steepster notes but without focusing on the specifics. So “oh my god, that sounds so good, what tea is THAT?” turned into “that’s nice, she’s having a good time”.
I made a purpose of not looking up websites of tea companies. Cause once you’re there the pictures are pretty and they show juicy cherries or something equally colourful.
there’s always gonna be tea and no matter how much you try, you can’t drink all the tea because the tea makers just blend new stuff all the time. So just forget that. But hey, keeping up with the jones’ is an old, old habit. And if you do have the money, I don’t really see a problem with pleasuring oneself :)
I know, it’s unsolicited, but your chatter was inviting.
Good thoughts, Nxtdoor. I’m not going into tea-debt or anything, but I do (just as part of my personality) tend to go overboard on things in life, not just tea.
I have a good selection of teas now and I think it’s time to focus on enjoying them, which is what I plan to do. :)
Unless you get high on buying, not so much on drinking. Like someone I know, not naming names!
I get high both on buying and drinking :-o
Seriously, I totally understand what you are saying nxtdoor and thanks for bringing that out of genuine concern..,
I joke a lot about it all but things are not as out of control as they seem…oh, they are in the sense I could totally put that money somewhere else, but I don’t have kids and have pretty much only myself to take care of… But it is definitely an addiction, not gonna lie…
Totally agree, TTF. We have quite a few parallels.
I am guilty of retail therapy and I like shopping, but I genuinely love tea. I also joke around about my tea addiction, but I haven’t taken out a 2nd mortgage or anything. :)
Also, no kids, so no one is impacted by my little sprees!
I go back and forth with these attitudes:
-Life is short! Spend it all! Have fun!!!! Wheeeee!
And
- I am an adult. I will behave with decorum. Look at how grown up I can be.
What LTF said. I could do other things with the $ nand really I have too much tea – but it’s GREAT tea and I really am figuring out what I love and getting rid of the things I just HAD to try and now I have some and don’t LOVE it. And I got more mail just now. I got some HOT COWBOY and a pot. But SHOULD I slow down? Absolutely.
OMG! Which was the hot cowboy? The HOTOT right?
Yes ma’am
These days, and I mean by that in the last 2 months, I hardly bought any tea I dislike. That’s why I keep writing raving reviews, cause I pretty much only drink the teas I love. I’m also getting rid of all the stuff I don’t like and buying those allowed me to figure out what I definitely DON’T like.
And HOT COWBOY…and that pot…lol, thats all it took to get me going again.
(P
You know that’s me too – I’m just drinking stuff I don’t LOVE. I’m rooting around for last little bit of SB
I think I’ll make that in the AM, HoneyBelle. Last time I had it, I felt happy and serene. Seems like a great way to start my day!
I only have enough for one little cup because I only had a sample and I didn’t know how awesome it was and by the time I did, this month’s was already sold out.
I got a sample today. But I did talk to Brenden about it. He gave me the timeline, so I’ll be sure to get some of the August harvest. That’s one of my pre-approved purchases. :p
Good sleepytime tea
If you change your mind and still want me to send you some just say so:-)
I’ve been having it almost every night, that’s why I need a monthly subscription…
I’m going to try my sample tomorrow night. I love a good evening tea to wind down the day with.
The Jabber Wocks…it’s 5am, and I’ve got nothing else to say…except that this cup, twas brillig. That’s all. And that’s enough.
(See previous note for more insight)
The Jabber has become a necessitea
Crap…yep…another one…like I said the first time we drank it remember? Gonna fix myself another cup…and might have to get more cause I’m running low!!!
It’s a total necessitea! (that’s cute, MzPriss:) )
Also, good morning! New snaily pic: https://www.facebook.com/425528437562422/photos/pcb.628819440566653/628819313899999/?type=1&theater
Morning mj :-)
Awwww! Loooove!!!! Omg. For real.
Jabberwocky …
Any references to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass make me happy. Partly, the reason is I’ve learned some of my English in their company. Crazy, right? The riddles and the unintelligible language just had me fascinated. I had both the French and English versions and used to read both at the same time to understand. Well at least try to understand. This quote was tailor made for me:
“Speak in French when you can’t think of the English for a thing – turn your toes out when you walk – And remember who you are!”
How could I not fall in love with this magical world?
I find also that magic in the tea blends concocted by our Tea Whiz Of The Woods (aka Brenden of Whispering Pines) or better yet, tea hobbit Brendenol PinePeaker as MzPriss affectionately calls him.
I think his teas have put a spell on me, cause every time I am sent a new sample to evaluate, I keep thinking, how could it be better than the previous one? I mean, I can’t go higher than 100 on that rating scale anyways!
HoneyBelle (aka MzPriss) and I did our tastings simultaneously, like we always do.
First thing to notice is it has in its base two of my favourite black teas: Fujian Black and beloved Ailaoshan Black. At the first sip, I went, whoa!!! This is good.
But what’s that fresh menthol taste that feels like a light winter breeze?
I am told it comes from a high-mountain wild picked purple leaf tea. Same as in my “Gold” tea PORT!
The taste opens with subtle floral notes and quickly transforms into a honeyed creme caramel mouthfeel, I call that feeling “pudding mouth”. It’s thick and coats the entire mouth.
This tea is so smooth and sweet, it will take any steeping abuse. (I tested it!) There also a certain saltiness to be found, a bit like honey crackers if you’ve ever had one.
The smell is out of this world, fresh baked crusty bread.
But what really gets me to the core, is that complex morphing eucalyptus ending. It provides such a warming feeling…a great tea that opens your mind the way a good Sheng does.
Hard to explain how special this is…
If Alice was drinking this Jabberwocky, she’d say the same thing she said after reading the poem:
«Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas—only I don’t exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: that’s clear, at any rate.»
Well this tea fills my own head with beautiful things….Then who killed what you may ask?
This Jabberwocky… yes, this tea nearly killed me: that’s clear, at a hundred rate :-)
Perfect note for this! <3
You two are too much. I love reading your WP reviews even if they make me want to buy lots more tea to try!
Pudding mouth!!!
Happy to entertain Whatshesaid. Spending for this tea won’t hurt, I promise, I put a Fairy Seal of approval on it!
mzPriss don’t you think it’s totally pudding?
:D I seriously love these reviews!
Yes I do!!!!
This is adorable. Love it!
You and MzPriss are clearly influencing each other in the right way … or it could be the tea drunk! ;) Either way, your two reviews of this tea are the bear-st I have read in ages.
Thank you Dr.Roughage, great compliment coming from you. And thanks for my daily bear pun fix ;-)
You’ll be bear-gging me to stop before long, bearcause I shall be dredging the bottom of the bearral! :) Now I really should get back to work instead of reading Steepster.
It’s cold outside today. Well cold for central Texas anyway. I wanted warm, sweet, snuggly tea. And this is it. And I’m glad I have a shitload.
Welcome back! Haven’t seen anything from you in a while. :D
Hi cuteness! I have been working insane amounts of hours. Yesterday was a 14 hour day. I’m sneaking in when I can. Today I have off cause of Veteran’s Day (though am working some from home). How are you?
Drowning in tea, as per usual. Couldn’t be happier about it, hah! ;)
I hope your work schedule quiets down soon.
I’ll get a little break around Thanksgiving and one around Christmas and then it’s balls to the wall until June 1. But after that – it will get a LOT better :D
Good to see your face! :)
Hi Terri!!!
I think a lot of us have been really busy lately :)
Yeah it’s been crazy. Are you still teaching? And did I see an alarming photo with a hand injury?
I don’t think Austin believes in Fall as a season. Straight from summer to winter in a week. So little perfect outdoor weather. :(
@Dustin – yeah we usually get a week and half to two weeks in the Fall and then again in the Spring and that’s about it for perfect outdoor weather. Bless our hearts.
Sweet honey bready with a wee cooling breeze. DANG I love this tea.
Mmmmm! The jabber wocks missy :-)
Yes ma’am it really does.
I had this the other day and wondered why I had been neglecting it so badly. It’s fantastic!!
This is one of the most remarkable teas I’ve ever had. I’m almost afraid to drink it too much for fear that I won’t get around to others. Well, not really, but this would have a prominent place in the rotation. Even my wife (hard-core coffee drinker that she is) wants to make this the “house tea.”
That’s so cute that you two have a “house tea”!
:-) I’m so glad everyone loves this one! :D hehe
I am cruising through my stash this morning. This one makes me sigh in happiness. Happy enough that I might go back to sleep after I finish it
Mmmmmm I’m excited to try this one, when it arrives.
I’m shenging this AM. Happppyyyy!!!!
Oh, what a great idea missy :-)
And I’m Ailaoshaning this morning….I’m in a good place.
Sarsy. My little fashengista ;-)
Good morning, my little croissant! Aila, yums!!! How is Canada looking this beautiful AM?
Canada is humid and grey…hmmmm. I don’t care, I have good company and good tea, weeeheee!!! And how is cha qi this morning, any sheng sweat yet?
No, but I did just put my review up, and I mentioned that I feel a burn and an elevated heart rate!
When a person has those symptoms, they’re either dying or shenging, I suppose :p
Oh, you are fooooney :-)
I do try to keep you entertained :p
It’s working!!
I’m back awake now and Sarsy is already shenging. I love y’all
Sarsy Fashengista. That’s a superstar name.
I love it! Shengtastic!!!!
Total Superstar
Somewhere out in the Wild Piney Woods dwells a Tea Hobbit, Brendenol PinePeaker. He spends his days in his wild piney woods collecting pine needles to roast, picking mushrooms and dreaming up dreamy teas.
One recent morning, he chortled to himself as he mixed:
“O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
I was chortling the same thing as I sipped this tea. The very first thing you notice as you sip is the sweetness. The honey-nectary sweetness rolls around with the warm bready bottom while a wee bit of minty freshness breezes through at the end. The sweet fruity-floral to me is very slightly reminiscent of that bug-bitten/Oriental Beauty sort of flavor. My beloved malt makes an appearance to keep everything reassuringly grounded.
The Lovely Tea Fairy (LTF) and I were given this tea to preview. As is usual for our first try, we followed the steeping instructions Brenden provided to the letter: ½ tablespoon of tea to 8 ounces of 205 degree water , steeped for 3 minutes – no more, no less. LTF and I are both what I call “heapers and steepers” in that we generally use more tea than called for and we frequently steep for a longer bit of time. We agreed Brenden’s parameters for this were perfect. On the first sip, the following conversation ensued:
LTF: “Oh crap, not another one.”
MzP: “yep.”
I don’t know how The Tea Whiz of the Woods keeps dreaming up these amazing teas that demand a permanent place in my cupboard. But he does. When he says he is a Tea Mixologist, he speaks the truth.
I know the base of Jabberwocky is Fujian Black and I know some of the high mountain wild picked purple leaf tea that is in Port is in there as well. This is not a big chocolate fudge bomb – there might be a very light waft of chocolate here and there, but you don’t immediately think chocolate. This is a medium bodied tea that will serve multiple purposes for me – a sweet comfort after a hard work day, a sprightly little wake up or a nice afternoon treat. This could easily be a daily drinker.
As I write this, I’m sipping on my last little bit, but I know I have more on the way (maybe even today or tomorrow) so I’m not sad, but I am savoring every mouthful, rolling it around my tongue and inhaling the malty-sweet updraft and enjoying that fresh little breeze at the end. It makes me hear this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFvXvfUF-Co&feature=kp
And because I think everyone should read The Jabberwocky as often as possible:
http://www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/jabber/jabberwocky.html
This tea? ‘Tis brillig.
Flavors: Bread, Caramel, Eucalyptus, Honey, Malt
Preparation
Haha!! Oh crap is right :-) you crack me up!!!!
Oh, and you have all my admiration for doing this on tiny wee iphone!!!
My darling LTF – it was a mofo! And I have to fix stuff when I get home :)
Another great WP review!
Such a lovely review :)
Wonderful, as always. You both get to keep your Teacret Agent titles :p
Thanks for a superb and entertaining review. You really make me want to try this.
Awwww thanks y’all so much. I love this tea
@Roughage – I’m glad to entertain and I think you will like it very much if you try it. It’s happy face tea for me and Pudding Mouth for the Fairy :)
Haha! Did I say you crack me up?
Happy face and Pudding Mouth? Most excellent. :)
No YOU crack ME up schmoopie!
Schmoopie is one of my fave pet names LOL. That and PookiePie
Oh! I love being called schmoopie :-)
This is from my WP sample pack. This got left off the purchase list this time around but only because I see myself drinking this more in the fall and winter instead of the summer. This is my last cup of this tea and it is putting me in tea heaven. A warm cup on this polar vortex summer day. It dipped down to high 50’s in July! Bring on the cold. RAGBRAI is next week and cycling and camping in cool summer days would be a dream!!! Amway, back to the tea. This is my 3rd time with this tea and I think I finally got it right. I steeped it a tad longer than suggested and added a bit more leaf. It is nutty, it is has that roasty, citrusy tang that I really like in some oolongs. It is slightly sweet and oh so yummy. Definitely needs to be on the next order.
Only september 3rd and we can already tell fall is in the air here. It was a little chilly today.
So I made a GIANT mug of almond milk chai latté of El Dorado.
This is my favourite chai.
It is classic and perfectly balanced, I can taste all the spices individually without having one that stands out too much and overshadows the others.
The snaily yums base paired with the magic WP vanilla makes it so naturally sweet… But I admit that by adding just a drop of maple in it, it brings me to heaven on a wednesday!!!
I can see myself drinking loads of this in the months to come…in my super large latté mug!
Here’s a pic (Note to self: that mug is way to heavy to hold in one hand)
Sounds yummy! Can’t wait to try this!
Lucky! It’s sauna in Brooklyn. I need some air….gasp…
Oh my god that mug is ginormous.
Also, when I stepped outside this morning, taking a breath was like sipping on hot bath water. I am waiting for that chilly air to get here…count me as super jealous…
Sarsy, you shall receive some
Boychik, at least you are back home!!! :-)
Amy, I dig that, the next few months will be my favourite of the year…and then, harsh cold and long winter!!
Rainy and soooo cold today!
Perfect chai day…which brings a question: Is there such a thing as a perfect chai?
If there is, I never found it. Always a little too this or a little too that…
Cause what makes a perfect chai I ask you? One question, but probably a thousand answers, I know. For me, it’s all in one word: balance. Yes, the perfect balance. But what does that mean?
I think it means that I don’t have to say “oh, it’s good, but there’s too much of this and not enough of that”. It also means I won’t have to add anything to it, unless I feel like it.
So far, I have tried El Dorado three different ways:
1) brewed according to WP’s instructions…it’s just perfect.
2) cold brewed…again, just perfect.
3) brewed in hot almond milk with a tad of maple syrup…Ghawwww. PERFECT!
The “Snaily Yums” base is brilliant, it’s sweet and mellow. Paired with “magic” vanilla bean, it prevents for any bitterness to develop from the spices.
I personally don’t like my chai too pungent, but I do want a little kick in the tushie. This classic spice blend makes the cut. It’s gingery, clovy, cinnaNOMMY, cardaNOMMY in the perfect amount…I like that it’s peppery without the addition of any actual pepper. That’s probably form the ginger.
This is everything I want a chai to be and so much more…If the perfect chai exists, i have found it in El Dorado!
So…our little Snaily has a new playground: spice!
Chai lovers of this world, this is something to try.
I like that this is pretty traditional and not too over the top. Chai blends are often too busy or not enough. This one is an excellent example a true balance.
But there are many other decent chai blends out there…
What makes this one special?
Vanilla beans and Golden Snail.The naturally creamy base tea paired with the vanilla bean soften greatly all those spices. They are usually bitter when you don’t add milk or sugar. But here, you end up with a dessert-like cup of spicy honeyed goodness, without having to add anything.
And the beauty of this blend is that I can taste all the spices…ginger, cinnamon, clove and cardamom. Add to that the buttery taste of the base tea, and you have something reminiscent of grandma’s apple pie.
Today, we had thundershowers all day. Grey sky, cool temperature. Thought it was the perfect day to try this for the first time.
But the next time I have it will be on a hot day, cold brewed in almond milk with a little maple syrup…mmmm.
Oh, this sounds NICE.
This sounds super good. I love almond milk chai. But I never tried it with maple syrup, so of course, I’ll be doing that next. :)
This is exactly the way I feel about it. The spices are really balanced – you can taste them all, not just the cinnamon and I love what the vanilla does.
That’s actually great news for me, HoneyBelle. I generally find that cinnamon overpowers everything, but I am a total sucker for cardamom and I like to be able to taste it!
But the important question… Is it ginger bonanza?!
Not too much ginger for sure – you don’t get a lot of cardamom either – I am a cardamom freak and I would add a LOT just for me – but there is balance here and it’s good. I like it Terri-style with a little maple
(MzPriss – have you tried Cardamon Black from NMTC… I think I’m the only one that LOVES it, but it’s JUST cardamon…)
I agree…the only thing bonanza about this cup is how creamy it is. The spices are there, but they don’t fight with one another.
Cardamom black???? OMG. Need. That.
Cameron, Ginger is strong here. I added some milk which I normally don’t do. I like it a lot with maple, without milk. It is strong
Lol, see I don’t get ginger, but not stronger than any other flavours…but I do love ginger, so I guess what is little for me might be a lot for someone sensitive to it.
love me some ginger!
I meant “I do get ginger” in comment above.
Yes terri, me too! And there is definitely some in here. But it’s not overpowering the rest for me.
this sounds really excellent
Dexter – I have not tried that but I would LOVE it – I LOVE cardamom!
I don;t find the ginger stronger than anything else – in fact when I make my on chai – I pump up the cardamom and the ginger because those are my two favorite chai spices
i don’t really like chai tea :(
I had Golden Orchid yesterday evening, and this morning I had the base tea for GO! North Winds is unmistakably the base blend but it lacks the smoothness and the creaminess of GO. (Those vanilla beans make a huge difference.) It has notes of cocoa, honey, fruits, chocolate, and grain. It’s chocolate but it’s not a DARK chocolate. The fruity notes are simultaneously like plums, cherries, and raisins, but then it’s not quite any of them. There’s a hay-like flavor as well. Some caramel sweetness peeks out in the aftertaste, but it’s subtle. I want to say there’s a somewhat mineral quality to it, too. Maybe I’m crazy!
Now that I’ve had the two, I think the main differences between GO and NW are texture and sweetness. While GO is like satin and velvet—soft fabrics—NW is like freshly sawn wood. It’s soft, but there’s a graininess to it. GO = glossy. NW = matte. I hope that makes some sense.
I hate to compare the two because they are not the same. They are teas for different occasions. (At least for me.) North Winds is for mornings; Golden Orchid is for evenings, a time where you can devote your attention to something luxurious. I now have a greater appreciation for the latter.
Flavors: Caramel, Chocolate, Cocoa, Grain, Hay, Honey, Malt, Plum, Raisins
Lovely review. I enjoyed your textural descriptions!
wow, thank you so much. this is perfect. your descriptions & comparisons of texture are so helpful. i recently had Verdant Tea’s Laoshan Black (which i love) & it sounds a lot like what you’re describing here, though i don’t doubt there could be a world of difference between them! i read so many rave reviews about Golden Orchid which naturally drew comparisons to North Winds. i was dying to know the real difference. your review answered so many questions, again thank you :) both go on my wish list!
Thanks you guys!
@pyarkaaloo I’m so glad I could help you out! There is bit of difference between LB and NW. NW is a little darker and heavier, as far as texture and flavors go. I prefer it for that reason. I do hope you enjoy it!
I love mint chocolate chip. I usually love anything that tastes like that. But this tea…I don’t know. It definitely tastes like mint chocolate chip, but the mint really got me in this tea. Maybe I’m beginning not to like mint in teas? I’m not really sure now. 0_0
They are pretty hit or miss for me.
Not gonna rate this yet. I’ll have to try this one again. :S
Despite being the last spoon at the bottom of the bag, the spice in this blend isn’t overwhelming. The notes of the base tea come through strongly: chocolate, caramel, sweet potato, stone fruit, and pudding. There is a resonant, malty aftertaste and the spice leaves a tingling sensation in my mouth.
Brenden has hinted that this chai will be returning soon, and I know I’m going to stock up whenever it’s back. Damn if he doesn’t make the best chai I’ve ever had.
Method:
1TB/10oz
First steep: 5min
Second steep: 7min
(For a more thorough description, see previous note.)
Chai was calling my name tonight. I shouldn’t drink tea so late, but it seems that I’ve been reverting to a nocturnal schedule over the past weeks. I’ll just embrace it. Also, why has only one other person reviewed this tea?! Get on it people. Brenden’s chai is the best.
I used almost 1.5 TB for 10oz of water which, after brewing, I realized was potentially crazy. It made a STRONG cup of tea. Fortunately it doesn’t overwhelm! It’s quite tasty. There’s a lot of warm, tingly spice that’s refreshing and invigorating. As teataku pointed out the cardamom is a little strong. Luckily I like cardamom. A lot! And the base tea, my god. It’s thick and malty with notes of cocoa, caramel, sweet potato, and the suggestion of dark red fruits. Plums and cherries and things of that nature. It’s creamy like pudding; luscious, visceral! It’s a sexy sexy tea. This is the first time I’ve used “sexy” to describe a tea, ahaha…I think it’s appropriate! “Intoxicating” is another good word for it. Plus, it’s good for resteeps. The spice and the cocoa pull back a little, the caramel and fruit come forward. Mhmmm. I’m all about it. I love Yunnan blacks and I love chai spice. This is just a marriage of awesome. Bravo Brenden!
Flavors: Caramel, Cardamom, Chocolate, Cocoa, Malt, Red Fruits, Spices, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Thick
This was my last tea of the day, & although I enjoyed it, I don’t really feel that I have much to say about it. I did enjoy the Cedar & the Elderberries. It is a gentle soothing cup, especially nice lightly sweetened.
Another sip down, as the rest of my sample is going to Sil.
This is actually pretty good.
Of course, I enjoy a good lapsang, & if I hadn’t already had a week’s ration of Maple syrup this morning with breakfast, I’d probably try some in the 2nd half of the cup. But there is no need to, as it is tasty plain. I love roasted chicory root, alone & in blends.
To my knowledge, I’ve never drank roasted cedar in a tea, & now I’d like to drink a cup of it alone, just to give it a real try.
Just for the record, I can still taste & feel the spearmint from this morning, & my sinuses are remarkably clear, all day!
Lazy people of the world: please join me because I am about to share the most amazing news about this tea.
There is no need to brew hot, then chill, because this makes an incredible cold brew. MIND = BLOWN
Being a lazy brewer myself, I knew I had to try this cold brewed. I placed all the ingredients in my large libre tea glass with room temp filtered water, then put the whole thing in the fridge overnight. And today: amazeballs chocolatey mapley sweet tea. I made my co-worker try it and she immediately proclaimed me to be a genius.
OK, that last part isn’t true, but she did like it and ask for more. So there you have it!!!
Edit: please note that I heaped the tsps when measuring the tea and berries, so the end result wouldn’t taste weak.
I’d assume its slightly weaker coldbrewed and with more elderberry notes, right?
Putting some in the fridge NOW, genius :-)
Brenden: I used a little extra tea (heaped the tsps). I should have noted that. I will edit. It actually tasted more chocolatey to me, but the berries also seemed more pronounced. I wouldn’t have called the first attempt bitter, but cold brewed it seemed a little smoother. Not sure how to describe it. Oh wait, I do. YUM :p
TTF: let me know what you think. I’m pretty impressed with my mad skillz on this one. Just think – we can brew gallons and gallons with no need to heat all that water!!!!!
Lol.
Sarsonator, I cold brew pretty much anything too…I cold brewed some used leaves of Port the other day for 24 hours and it was fab!
I keep meaning to try that with Port, TTF. I wouldn’t have thought to add used leaves. Learned that from you. I tried it over the weekend with used Golden Fleece leaves. Took that hiking and it was deeeelish! I love cold brew!!!
I do that with oolongs a lot when I don’t have time to do many sessions. Also, Brenden taught me to keep all the leaves I use during the day and make a cold brew of everything mixed together. It’s fun cause it always tastes good, but never the same :-)
Will let you know how my NST turns out tomorrow!!
Wait, WHAT?!?!?!
Cold Brew Tea Leaf Hodge Podge???? That sounds so freakin’ good!!! I am going to try that tomorrow!!!
OK Mz Genius – I’m on it as well
Hahaha! Love that, tea hodge podge :-)
I hope you like this cold brewed! It’s just easier, IMO. I have these cool glass 1/2 gallon “milk” jugs that I use for cold brew teas. I’ll be making this in those jugs to take to barbecues, etc.
I’ll report back on my Tea Hodge Podge experiment. :)
I do that same thing – all the leaves in a jar – The Tea Hobbit has good ideas.
You like lotus stuff, TTF? Come to my yixing gaiwan discussion topic. MzP thinks you’ll like my newest tea ware!!!!!!
I’ve made HUNDREDS of “hodge podge’s” and not a single one was less than awesome :)
I keep forgetting about the hodge podge. I really need to do that.
Wooo! I’m making my first tea hodge podge later, so I can take it to work tomorrow. I am saving up my leaves from today. I wonder if it works well even if there’s stronger pu’erh leaves involved.
The cold brew was awesome sars :-) MOARRRRR!!!
LOL!!! So glad you liked it!!! I’m making up a big batch tomorrow night!!!!
(I wish my tin of GO was a bottomless pit though….)
I know, dearest. It did occur to me that if I am going to continue drinking NST at this rate, I’ll need to have the GO auto-shipped once a month of something like that LOL.
Haha! let"s ask brenden for GO auto-shipped!!
(And Port….and Aila…and Cocoa Amore….Snaily yums…oh, and Sleeping Bear…crap!)
My boyfriend just ran me up a mountain, in the woods, in the summer. I thought I might die. But somehow I survived, and I think it could be due to the fact that I knew this tea was getting nice and cold in the fridge for me.
MzPriss was kind enough to share some dried elderberries with me, so that I could try this out. Thanks so much, HoneyBelle!!!!
I ended up adding a little more maple syrup when I got back and tried this for the first time. But this is SO GOOD. It absolutely does taste like maple chocolates. No lie!!!! I’m glad I made a triple batch because this will be a go-to for summer. I can’t wait to make this for the next family gathering. I’m certain that everyone will love it as much as I do. :)
Preparation
OMG, isn’t it good??? So glad you like it as much as we do :-)
Did the boyf like it?
I am going to mess around with this as a cold brew in my libre. I often cold brew tea for work. It’s my lazy tea method since I don’t have to heat water. I think I can make it work….
Yes, he sure did like it. He’s a big sweet tea fan, in general. Except that he usually thinks of “sweet tea” as that stuff from Mickey D’s which is just sugar water with a smidgeon of tea flavoring.
I am happy to make him sweet teas that have actual tea with a little sugar, maple or agave. This one was a winner for both of us! I will be making this forevers!!!!
It’s always nice to get the significant other to like a tea as well. I keep handing the spouse my cup lately, and he’s liked most of them.
That’s awesome, Cheri! I am so happy my boyfriend likes tea. We actually like many of the same kinds. Some days he makes the AM tea, and other days I make it. He’s usually up for trying pretty much any tea.
I’m still enjoying some. I’m glad you love it :)
Oh, I absolutely do.
On another note, can you please join us over here, HoneyBelle? I need some assistance!
