97

Oh my god. This is too good.

At first I get the impression of red fruits, then a deep, chocolatey note that is soon joined by sweet caramel. It’s roasty and savory and wonderfully complex. There is a touch of astringency. It might be remedied by a lower brewing temperature—I prefer not to use boiling water on black tea anyway. (Or any tea…except for puerh.) The taste that lingers behind is SO WONDERFUL. Dark chocolate, some grapey-ness, some sweetness. No doubt, this tea is special. I’m enamored.

It’s soo hard to find words to describe this tea. Why is it so hard?! The fruit flavor is difficult for me to pin down. I’ve just brewed a second cup and it smells strongly of cocoa and baked bread. Too hot to sip but you’re damn right I have my nose stuck in the cup. (:

Now that it’s cool enough to drink (just kidding, I burned myself)…I’m getting more roasty, nutty notes, more chocolate, a little more caramel, and this gooey baked pastry flavor. It’s so smooth. No astringency at all in this cup (lower temp), and it coats your tongue HEAVILY with malt and sweetness. The dark fruity undertones pervade throughout, and the overall flavor sticks around forever. It sounds gross, but it has me licking my teeth. It’s too good. I can’t handle it. It…it might be perfect!

(The gooey, caramel, marshmallow-like sweetness intensifies as temperature cools. The last lukewarm mouthfuls at the bottom of the cup DEFINITELY tasted like marshmallow to me.)

Note to self: try a gong fu session with the rest of this sample. Thank you Veronica!

Flavors: Berries, Bread, Caramel, Chocolate, Cocoa, Grapes, Malt, Nuts, Raisins

Stephanie

oh wow. I gotta try this!

kimquat

Don’t say that! D: I can’t place another tea order until next paycheck. Nooooooo

kimquat

Now I have to ask: If I miss it this time around, how soon would it be available again? I’ll probably end up squirreling the rest of this sample away until then. That bums me out.

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Well, it’s officially gone :( I’m planning on getting another shipment as soon as possible after the move. I’d say that most likely it will be available by the end of June at the latest :)

kimquat

End of June? That’s not so bad. It gives me more time to save for a bigger order—yay! (:

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Stephanie

oh wow. I gotta try this!

kimquat

Don’t say that! D: I can’t place another tea order until next paycheck. Nooooooo

kimquat

Now I have to ask: If I miss it this time around, how soon would it be available again? I’ll probably end up squirreling the rest of this sample away until then. That bums me out.

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Well, it’s officially gone :( I’m planning on getting another shipment as soon as possible after the move. I’d say that most likely it will be available by the end of June at the latest :)

kimquat

End of June? That’s not so bad. It gives me more time to save for a bigger order—yay! (:

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Bio

I have met such lovely, kind individuals on Steepster and am so glad to have become a part of this community!

Pure black teas are my favorite. I drink black tea daily and I try to keep a variety on hand. I also enjoy white tea, matcha, puerh, and the occasional oolong. In general I try to stay away from flavored teas—especially those with artificial flavorings—but I will make rare exceptions, and I do enjoy a well crafted blend of straight teas. Things I (usually) don’t like: green oolongs, rooibos, straight green teas.

Rating System
90+ The very best! Teas that I always need in my cupboard!
85-89 Teas that I enjoy immensely and will try to keep around.
80-84 Makes a very pleasing cup. I will enjoy drinking them, but won’t necessarily try to keep around. (There are exceptions.)
70-79 Decent, but could be better.
60-69 Mediocre.
40-59 Gross. I might still try to finish the cup.
39 & under Undrinkable. I probably dumped this cup. Depending on the specific rating, I probably threw the rest of the tea out as well.

Some of my favorite tea companies are:
-Whispering Pines Tea Co.
-Verdant Tea
-Mandala Tea

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