The Whistling Kettle

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Recent Tasting Notes

82

Sample sipdown, backlogging from last night.

Dry Leaf: Very strong lemon aspects, with a nice balanced ginger component. There is an incredible sweetness, here. And pineapple? Yes, that’s what that is. This smells absolutely delicious! It reminds me of those lemon ginger hard candies…if anyone knows what I’m talking about.

Brewed: Once again, ginger and lemon, with the ginger just a tad more pronounced now. I’m also still picking up the pineapple scent, though it’s subtle. There is also a bit of a floral smell to this now.

Taste: Nice, balanced ginger and lemon notes! Neither is overpowering, which is awesome. When I saw ginger, I was expecting it to be really spicy, as it has the tendency to do. Glad this was not the case. Just as with the smell, there is also a slight floral aspect peeking through. This too is balanced. This is a sweet, slightly spicy, relaxing brew.

Overall, I really liked this one. I think it would make a great “sick” tea, or just a nice “unwinding” agent. In fact, I found it made me so relaxed I said “screw you” to homework and fell asleep!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 45 sec

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78

Ok. So I think this tea has been discontinued, as I can’t find it or any information about it on the Whistling Kettle’s website. I’ve had this one for about 6 months…

Smell: The dry leaves smell like mandarin oranges and a grassy green tea. Once brewed the mandarin stays present, but the grassy smell fades. Instead, it is replaced by the fruity, unique smell of lychee! Yum! (That’s what prompted me to have this one. I was dog-sitting at my neighbors house tonight, and he and his girlfriend left all kinds of Chinese teas out for me to try. They had a lychee black that I made tonight, and it was amazing. Now I just have to find the company/name of the tea…I’ll have to rummage the cupboards tomorrow and see if they still have the bag. Anyway, side note over. Back to the actual tea I’m reviewing). Anyway, this tea smells sweet, fruity, and citrus-y. =)

Taste: What I’m getting in the taste is about 60% Lychee, 30% mandarin, and 10% green tea base. The lychee and the mandarin work very well together in this tea, and the green tea base adds a nice sweet/grassy note. The green tea base seems to like to hover at the end of the sip, while the other two flavors meld together throughout. There is no bitterness, as well. Big plus! As for the bamboo…I don’t really know what it tastes like, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you if it was present.

Overall, I like this one. If they ever get it back (maybe it was a summer/seasonal blend?) I’d probably consider it again. Not an all time favorite, but not something I wouldn’t buy again either. Somewhere in between.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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58

Sample sipdown!

This one, brewed, smells slightly buttery with strong notes of marigold and vanilla. I’m also picking up some lemon notes. I’m not thrilled on the marigold being so pronounced… but we’ll see.

Taste: I’m definately getting a lot of the floral marigold and vanilla aspects in the taste. There is a slight citrus thing going on as well. There’s a buttery taste in the very beginning of the sip that disappears into floral/vanilla very quickly. This is a VERY smooth cuppa, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s for me. It isn’t undrinkable, I just don’t think the flavors are working for me. The vanilla, in my opinion, is a little artificial tasting, even though the ingredients are supposedly natural. Maybe it’s the vanilla and the citrus together that is making me get this taste. Also, the marigold/floral taste is more pronounced than I was expecting. Finally, the creamy taste I was hoping for is limited to the beginning of the sip. While very smooth on the tongue, the flavor just isn’t showing up for me. =(

Overall, it’s not a favorite. I wouldn’t say it’s undrinkable. It just isn’t my cuppa. Vanilla can be hit or miss with me sometimes, so I wouldn’t blame the tea. Maybe if the person really liked vanilla/floral teas and was looking for something smooth they would enjoy this one more than I.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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64

Sample sipdown! Got this one in my last sample package from The Whistling Kettle.

Dry, the tea smells like Mango and Pear, with a bit of earthiness from the Pu-erh.

Once brewed, the tea smells more like strawberry pu-erh with a slight pear undertone. The mango has disappeared, it seems.

Taste: I’m getting mostly strawberry/pu-erh here too. I think the white tea has slightly mellowed out the pu-erh, but it’s not detectable. It’s a tad tart, mildly sweet, and mostly earthy/woodsy. There is a little of the pear taste on the finish of the sip, but I wish it had been more detectable throughout. I find it odd that there is no mango taste here.
As the tea cools down, the fruity taste emerges more and the earthiness tones down. The flavors work alright here, but I don’t see anything really WOW about them. I think there is some room for improvement for this blend.

Overall, this is decent. I don’t think I’d buy it and keep it around, but I was happy I got to try it.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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90

I broke out my cast iron tea pot for this afternoon tea blend…I mean I have all this GREAT tea ware that I never use. I figured it was time to stop waiting for a special reason to use this stuff! If you know me (or have read my reviews here on green teas) you know greens and I don’t typically get along AT ALL. I can never get them right. Usually I end up with a bitter brew which leaves me unhappy and the tea wasted. So I thought I’d try my hand at mixing two greens together!

I mixed the Pinhead Gunpowder with TWK’s Organic Sencha. I used a teaspoon of each tea and set my kettle for green tea temp. This will sound weird but the smell of the dry leaves just smelled green. When steeped there was more of that vegetal smell of spinach and kale, which I love. The taste? Well, it was awesome! I’m really loving these two teas together. Though I wish I’d added in some peppermint leaf to it. An added bonus is that the cast iron pot kept my tea warm without keeping it too warm and therefore BITTER. This mix is a win/win in my book.

Flavors: Green, Kale, Spinach

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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90

Of all the green teas I’ve tried there are a few I actually do enjoy. Gunpowder is one of them. I happened to take a quick inventory before we hit up the Whistling Kettle yesterday and noticed I didn’t have any (I sometimes make up my own Moroccan Mint tea). So I made a note to ask our server about their Gunpowder tea and they only had this one, but she assured me it was good.

Side note…the folks at WK won’t try to sell you something they won’t try themselves. I love that about them! So I picked up a bag of it. I steeped it for two maybe two and a half minutes and wow, very silky and very smooth! I’ve had a gunpowder or two that have been super bitter (even when times right), but this just might be green tea perfection (well next to my favorite green from Verdant – Jinshan). I suspect this will go fast and I will have to pick up more very soon. Oh darn!

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 15 sec

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94

Enjoying this one again this morning as the wind whips around outside. Perfect way to warm up and kick off the rest of my day. A nice blend of maple and taffy that now makes me wish I’d made waffles or pancakes this morning!

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94

Drank this at The Whistling Kettle this afternoon with lunch and fell in love. I tried it without cream and sugar to start. But this tea was WAY better with a little cream and rock sugar. The maple and taffy flavors just popped with the additions. I walked out of there with 4oz. :)

This was also my tea of the evening to enjoy while watching the season finale of Downton Abbey. I won’t say more about the episode. But I will say I enjoyed sipping this through the first hour.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 15 sec
Emilie

It was definitely an interesting season finale. I’m ready for season four already!

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90

I headed to The Whistling Kettle this afternoon for lunch with some friends and well I can never leave there without picking up a few new to me teas. This was one of them. I was looking for a nice light black tea for the afternoon and I think I found one. There are others, but this is really nice and light. In fact I may brew a pot for the Downton finale tonight!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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91

I am amazed at how much my taste in tea has changed in the last few months. I really enjoy green tea so much. I never thought I liked them. Sometimes quality of tea matters.

This was in a $2 sample pack I got from the Whistling Kettle. Of the six samples they sent, 4 were green. All have been great!

This is my first sencha as far as I know. It’s crisp and grassy. Yum.

Emily M

I got the same samples! Looking forward to trying this one.

Em

I hope you enjoy them, Emily M :) I look forward to your notes.

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86

Bought a sample size of this one, mostly for my sister who absolutely adores Pu-erh. I’m hit or miss when it comes to them, so I’m wondering how this one will go down. I do have one from Upton that I find particularly good, but it’s not flavored. When I think Pu-erh, I don’t think fruit, so I’m a little hesitant. It definately smells like Pu-erh (dirt, earth), but there is a sweet scent coming through as well. It’s not a bad scent, for sure.
Now for the taste. Interesting. So it’s definately got that typical Pu-erh taste, but I’m also picking up a few extra flavors. The raspberry is there, mixed in with the dirt/earth taste. It makes it a bit sweeter. I also taste the crispness/zest of the orange. The white tea also adds an interesting profile, adding a bit of lightness. It’s also got a bit of a creamy dimension, which is nice. It’s definately not a dense Pu-erh. I’d say it’s light to medium bodied brew. It’s pretty good. My sister is pretty into it, so all in all I’m counting this one as a win. Would (I imagine) be great for Pu-erh beginners or those who are wary of them.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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82

Yum. This one smells absolutely wonderful, like raspberry with a hint of champagne. Brewed, the champagne becomes a little more apparent. The taste is much the same; the champagne and raspberry are both present, with the champagne maybe a tad bit stronger. The after taste is also mostly champagne, but I actually really like that. The white tea base gives it a bit of an earthy tone. This tea is smooth and mellow, with a bit of sweetness from the raspberry and champagne. Overall, a very satisfying cuppa. I’m a fan.

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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89

Oh my goodness! I don’t think I’ve ever liked a green flavored tea so much before.
The dry leaf smells absolutely amazing. Like, if it was a freshner spray, I’d be first in line to buy it. Anyway, it smells just as you’d expect. The lemon and the honeydew scent blend together in a heavenly way, and the sweet, earthy scent of the green tea meshes nicely.
Ok, now down to business. Brewed this one for 2 minutes, give or take, and it smells great. Very citrusy. This tea, unlike many melon flavored teas I have tried before, doesn’t contain that overpowering funky melon taste. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some melon, but if that’s all I taste in a tea, it kinda throws me off. Anyway, in this tea, the melon is balanced out by a nice citrusy/lemon taste. The green tea base is perfect for this cup, as it’s smooth and sweet, with just a hint of earthiness to it. The grassiness of the tea doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Anyway, I find this a light, refreshing cuppa. Having it tonight after working a long, stressful shift, and it’s definately making me feel more relaxed. I wish this was still available, but unfortunately it seems I got the last sample of it. Hopefully it’s back next year.

Helpful hint for this tea (if it’s ever available again): Drink it when it cools down a bit for a better flavor profile.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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81

Fuller-bodied than many green teas. A 3-min infusion was smooth w/o bitterness. 4 minutes worked well for 2nd infusion. I enjoy multiple cups of this tea after waking up to Keemun Panda #1.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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80

An excellent black breakfast tea – full-bodied & smooth. I look forward to waking up! Accurately described by The Whistling Kettle. I ordered samples of 6 black teas from TWK: Kambaa, KP#1, Kenya Black Natural, Irish Breakfast, Mokalbari East Assam, & Scottish Breakfast. The KP#1 was clearly the most enjoyable tea of this group.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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92

Made some of this today, as I’m coming down with a bit of a cold. Figured since this oolong is smooth and has wonderful honey hints already in it, adding honey wouldn’t make it taste strange and I could try to sooth my sore throat. It’s doing wonders right now. And of course, as I’ve stated before, it tastes wonderful. I only added a little honey, as I don’t like my tea super sweet, but this oolong can handle it. Yum.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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92

This oolong is so yummy! I tried this the first time in store, and fell in love with the flavors instantly. Needless to say I bought a batch for myself that day. This tea is nutty, earthy, and has a slight note of honey in it. All these flavors meld together to create one tastey, smooth brew. Multiple steepings are just as good as the original. Worth the money, for sure.
I’ll write more later about this tea.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 45 sec

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92

No notes yet. Add one?

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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68

The aroma and creamy taste are wonderful. My wife truly enjoys it. However, I can’t get past the astringency. I don’t find it as smooth as the Rishi EG. It’s a Ceylon based EG.

Flavors: Cream

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 6 OZ / 177 ML

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100

So excited to have caught the flash special at Whistling Kettle on this last week. I only have about enough for 2 more cups. Need to refill :) My love of green tea has grown with this, hojicha and genmaicha. All 3 will always be in my tea cupboard!

Tomorrow, I’m going to my favorite little tea spot for a free class on making your own tea journal. So cool! http://www.facebook.com/events/334497076655599/

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100

I think I just found another staple for my tea cabinet!

Smokey, crisp and delightful :)

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100

I had forgotten how much I love this tea, all silky and creamy and vanilla-y goodness. This is one I might have to make my brother pick up for me when I run out because it is easily the best vanilla oolong I’ve ever had. I’m dying to get my hands on my incoming Strawberry Oolong from Teavivre and mix it with this tea, see how they play together.

I only did one steep, but the leaves have been used for coldbrewing tomorrow’s tea. Mmmm, I can’t wait.

sundaysipping

Just tried this one recently and it’s sooooo good!

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100

I’m on my third steep and the flavor is still going strong! I am mightily impressed with this tea, mightily impressed. Also, I adore my color-changing DavidsTea perfect mug, because I like my teas lukewarm, so by the time my pink trees have faded back to black, I know it’s cool enough to drink! Huzzah! It has been a lovely tea day. I started the first steep at 2 minutes and added a minute for each additional steep, but if I go for four, I might go for 6 minutes instead of 5.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Kittenna

Oh… now I really regret not picking up one of those mugs! That would be perfect for me (the colour changing @ lukewarm bit).

Tina S.

Dang but this one sounds delish!

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