Whispering Pines Tea Company

Steeped according to package directions.

Yummy is the word for this. I think this is the first milk oolong I’ve had – at least that I knew what it was. I had wondered why the “milk” and to be honest, the idea of milk already being in dry tea was kind of a turn off. I realize that isn’t what it means, but the associations weren’t good. :)

It’s creamy, smooth and buttery. Two infusions so far and so good.

Loose
Appearance: dark, loose leaf, large pieces of lemongrass, mint
Aroma when Dry: bright,earthy, woodsy mint
After water is first poured: sweet, chocolate notes, minty, smoky, no astringency
At end of first steep: smoky, earthy woody notes, hints of mint
Tea liquor:
At end of steep: light brown
Staple? Likely Seasonal
Preferred time of day: evening
Taste:
At first?: smokey, faint mint and lemongrass
As it cools?: notes get smooth, deep, very creamy lemongrass notes lengthen, no astringency, then gets thick and smoky
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? With a lemongrass smoke texture, no astringency

Second Steep (5 min)
Aroma: Light smoke
Taste: Light smokey woodsy notes

Third Steep (8 min)
faint smokey notes, as it cools mint notes surface slightly

Fourth Steep (6min)
Smokey water
Fifth Steep
Smokey water

I like black tea.
I like oolong tea.
So, when I saw this tea, I thought I couldn’t go wrong with it.
I am so happy when I am right:)
For some reason, I was afraid that the black tea would overwhelm the oolong, but it does not.
The Oolong is very much a part of this lovely cuppa.
Malty and Nutty.
Fruity and Savory.
The tea makes me think of chocolate (dessert) yet a like it would be tasty with a Dinner.
Very yummy.
Well Done, Brendan!
Another winner in my book.

Thank you to Azzrian for sending me some of this tea.

When I read a tasting note about this tea just yesterday, I had read that it was a smoky tasting tea, and that stuck with me when I brewed this, so, I did a quick rinse of the leaves before I brewed to maybe remove some of the heavy smoke flavor. I’m not a big fan of smoke, I prefer a gently smoky tea over a heavily smoked one … so I hoped that a quick rinse might keep it from tasting too overwhelmingly smoky.

And … it doesn’t. It is smoky, yes, but there is so much more going on here. The berry notes are outstanding. I taste notes of lemon as well, and the pine’s resinous notes. The mint is subtle but I love that crisp note it provides.

A really lovely tea. I’m so glad I was able to try it!

I find myself unsure about this tea. My first few sips … were a bit disappointing … so much so that I stopped drinking it and focused my attention on other things … and when I returned to the cup, the liquid was cold. This is infinitely better cold!

I like the peppery notes … it’s a little bit spicy which contrasts with the sweet notes of the white and Oolong teas. There’s a fruity background and I like the way the peppery notes meld with those as well. I’m not usually a huge fan of rose hips, but, I’m actually kind of enjoying how they contribute to this cup.

Overall, a very interesting tea … I don’t know that it is one that I’d want to drink often, but, I’m glad I got to try it, and it is one that I’d definitely consider having on hand when the warmer weather arrives and I want a refreshing iced tea.

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this to try!

Well, I must say I have been quite impressed with the selections from Whispering Pines Tea Company! Everything I’ve had so far has been quite enjoyable. This tea is no exception. It is delightfully minty (but luckily a non-toothpaste mint) with just a hint of jasmine. I’m not noticing the green tea base much but it adds a bit of heft that this blend wouldn’t have if it was an herbal. This is a great way to end my day and prepare for another work week.

This was one of the mystery selections from the recent Whispering Pines Tea promotion. I can’t locate it on their website, but hopefully it will show up soon. This is a really good oolong. There isn’t much of an aroma dry, but as soon as the water hits the oolong pellets there is a wonderful floral aroma. After brewing it up, the liquid is a medium green-gold. This is a very flavorful, floral (I want to say orchid or magnolia)oolong but at the same time it feels light. There is no cloying aftertaste like I’ve experienced with some floral teas. The tea has a very clean feel to it and is easily drinkable.

I decided that if any tea would give me enough motivation to get some deep cleaning done, it would be a breakfast blend. I pulled this one out of my recent order and brewed it up. It is really smooth but stands up nicely to milk and sugar. I tend to prefer breakfast teas that are a bit more robust and super malty. Not to say this isn’t good, because the flavor is great, I just think I would prefer it as an afternoon tea.

After a very long day, I needed something bracing and comforting. And luckily, since it is Friday night, I can have all the caffeine I want! This is another tea from my recent Whispering Pines Tea Company order and it is great. I love the smoothness of the blend. It is easily drinkable and not bitter without additions, but since I am going for comfort I added a tiny bit of sugar and milk. This tea is definitely bold enough to stand up to those!

This reminds me a bit of Queen Catherine from Harney (which I adore) but without the hint of smoke. I’m really glad I threw this in my cart – it is quickly helping to smooth out the wrinkles of my day.

On a side note, this company has GREAT customer service. My order was shipped quickly, packaged nicely, and even included a hand-written note thanking me for my order. Customer service like this goes a long way with me!

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea.

I’m enjoying this. At first, I was a little worried that the rooibos would completely overpower the delicate white tea, and while the rooibos IS stronger in the sip than the white tea, I do taste the white tea too. And the lemongrass offers a pleasing citrus note. Overall, the cup is buttery and smooth, with a sweet lemony taste … the lemon notes taste as though they’ve been sweetened with honey. Quite pleasant. My full length review will publish tomorrow on the SororiTea Sisters blog: http://sororiteasisters.com

Another morning of -10 temps, but with wind chill it brings the temperature down to -30.
My poor hubby is already out in it, but he told me to not come out till later, and then only if he really needed my help.
He told me to stay warm and drink tea.
Yes, Sir!
I grabbed this Assam because it’s a Assam kind of morning.
While it is brewing, I am inhaling it.
Yup, its Assam.
Malty and leathery.
Taste is, well, assam-y!
Ha! nicely malty and a little drying at the back of tongue.
Its not a bruiser of a Assam, but it is certainly a Assam.
Delicious!

This is one that I completely forgot that I had until just recently. I’m happy I found it, because I’m quite enjoying it. I only had one small sample size of this, but this is one I’m definitely considering getting a larger size of. I also want to try it iced, which I can’t believe I haven’t yet!

This tea has the perfect blend of jasmine and coconut. Neither one really overpowers the other and they work well together. And this is one of the most forgiving jasmine teas I have encountered. Many jasmine teas, at least for me, have been very sensitive to oversteeping and overleafing, but I have yet to make this one bitter. Maybe the coconut mellows it out somehow?

I haven’t posted here in so long! School has been crazy. I got a lot of new tea for Christmas, so maybe I will be able to post more.

My mom and I shared this one last night. The jasmine flavor was very nice, not too overpowering. I didn’t taste a very large amount of coconut unfortunately. It seems to be a much more subtle flavor. Overall a good tea

Thanks Azzrian
This is crisp, clean, juicy, a hint of elderberry, fresh, totally YUMMY!

Delish-Delight!

Smells like a gently smoked Rooibos!

This is satisfying and calming with gentle smoke flavor on the tongue and it’s sweet from the rooibos, too. There are hints of pine and nutty and coconutty type flavors as well. Pretty tasty!

I have certainly been hitting the comfort teas pretty hard lately.
So, when I got home today, after another busy morning, I grabbed this tea and brewed some up.
Brenden from Whispering Pines has blended this tea with his own Ashes of Autumn Lapsang Souchong tea.
Last time I tried this tea, it had not been blended with the Ashes of Autumn, just a normal Lapsang Souchong (and yes, there is Lapsang Souchong and then there is Ashes of Autumn Lapsang Souchong;)
But, yet, I was not expecting that much of a difference between this and the Campfire Blend I had a few months ago, but boy howdy, I can smell and taste that toasted pine from the Ashes of Autumn.
If you like a little spice but not to be overpowered by it, than you will like this.
Spice is present, but you can taste the other elements of the tea.
Its still cozy and comforting, just more campfire-y (yes, I did just make up a word, but it fits what I mean, so it stays)
Its smoky, warming and comforting, just like a campfire should be.

Brewing up one last cup of this before shipping the rest off to Sil
Yummy and warming on this very chilly day.
See previous notes for more info.

Merry Christmas, Steepster Friends!
Hubby and I enjoyed this tea today.
It just tastes so Christmas-y to me and was perfect for cozying up to the tree and opening gifts.
See previous tasting note for more on this tea.

I wanted something warming and comforting this Monday morning.
Sleet is hitting the window hard, mainly because of the 70 mph gusts of wind.
I reached for this tea.
Because as soon as I smell it, it smells like Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace.
A little smoke alongside a orangey clove aroma.
What hits the tongue first is a little clove than orange and a nice smoky black tea base.
This is one of those teas you curl your hands tight around the mug and just inhale.
It makes me happy clear down to my toes.
I know this is not a holiday blend, but it really speaks christmas-y things to me.
I have to wrap some presents and makes some holiday treats today, so this is a prefect tea to start out my day with.

Good Morning, Steepster Friends!
(Beware…I feel a wordy tasting note coming on)
Here I sit, on the morning of my 100th tasting note.
When I first started here (about 7 months ago) 100 tasting notes seemed so far away and I just figured that by then I would like know everything about tea.
Yeah…still far from it.
But, if you would have told me about 90 tasting notes ago that by 100 I would be having a small love affair with Lapsang Souchong, I would have laughed right in your face. (truthfully…I would not have, I just would have politely disagreed. Mother taught me that its rude to laugh at someone)
You see, long, long ago (about 10 years) I was deeply betrayed by a substance that called itself Lapsang Souchong.
It tasted like burning garbage.seriously.
So, I was hesitate about trying it again.
But, I have tried about 5 and while each and everyone is slightly different, none have tasted like burning garbage. Yeah!
So, that brings us to today and this tea.
I thought that a Lapsang Souchong would be a appropriate tea to drink on my 100th tasting note.
A couple weeks ago, I was messaged by Brendan from Whispering Pines Tea and he said to me “Hey, Girl, I see you like Lapsang Souchong, You should buy some of mine” okay…so it didn’t exactly go down like that, but this is my 100th tasting review and if I want to hear it in Ryan Gosling’s voice I can (you know, like these: http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2012/03/hey-girl/ )
So, I was just going to buy some of Whispering Pines LS, yeah right.
I ended up getting a little of this and a little of that.
I told myself its a treat for my 100th tasting note, and I also told myself that it was because I was not getting tea for Christmas from anyone, so I should buy myself some.
Anyway, upon opening the nicely sealed sachet of this tea, I said “Yup! that be some smoky tea!”
I measured out a single serving in my little bodum brewing cup, and when I poured the water over it, I took a big long whiff.
How interesting!
We hear a lot that LS smells like campfire and such, but I swear I could pick out a specific wood.
I was transfered to a top of a mountain in front of a campfire that had just been built.
You know, where some of the ash and still fresh pine needles fly in your face and mouth?
Then I poked about the bodum as the tea was brewing (because I am impatient and if you poke at the tea it totally brews faster, right?) I swear I spotted some pieces of pine needles…maybe!?
Taste is just lovely.
No bitterness or fake smokiness at all.
In fact the tea is quite smooth and the smoke turns more delicate upon tasting, instead of rough or burnt.
Very, very tasty. I am glad I got 4 oz of this, because I think this will be popular in this household.
Well done, Whispering Pines Tea!
This was a perfect tea to bring on the next 100 tasting notes:)

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this tea!

This is fabulous! I was not expecting it to taste as wonderful as it does. I don’t know, but the idea of jasmine and coconut just doesn’t seem to mesh well in my brain … but, these two components worked it out and they taste amazing together.

I think it has a bit to do with the fact that the tea is not an overly floral one, and no one component overwhelms the other … with the possible exception of the rooibos, as in, the Pouchong, coconut and jasmine nearly obliterate the flavor of the rooibos. And that’s fine with me. Being one who is not so fond of rooibos and more fond of Pouchong, I’m liking that I am tasting the Pouchong and not the rooibos here. I taste maybe the faintest note of an earthy tone from the rooibos … but, it is very faint.

I really like this a bunch! Completely YUM!

A big thanks goes out to my SororiTea Sister Azzrian for sending me some of this tea. It’s my first Whispering Pines tea, so I’m excited!

I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Elderberries, the truth is, as far as I know, I’ve only had them in tea. But, I have liked the teas I’ve had with Elderberries in them … and I like this one really well also.

The elderberry together with the rosehip creates a rather tart flavor, and the white tea is delicately sweet, but not enough to offset the tartness of this cup … I don’t feel the need to pucker after a sip, but, it is … just there. You know? Right on the verge. I like the way the flavors play together here… There is a dry astringency that lends itself well to the overall cup, giving it a very clean, crisp taste. It’s very enjoyable, very REFRESHING. Nice.

Another one from Rachel, thank you for sharing this with me!

I forgot what was in this tea, just by looking at it, I thought it was an herbal tea. I saw some pieces of green tea in there, but the needles far outweigh the green tea. As soon as I opened the bag I smelled a pine forest. Needles crushing underfoot, pine cones scattered across the ground, I could smell the pine sap dripping down the trees. It was beautifully crisp and quiet, like an early morning sunrise before the world wakes up.

What a lovely tea. The bancha gives a nice soft buttery taste. The pine needles aren’t strong in taste at all, they are light and crisp. I feel like there is a little hint of jasmine in here, more feeling than taste. Thank you Rachel for sharing this with me, it is lovely!