Whispering Pines Tea Company

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Recent Tasting Notes

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I am back! I was back last night actually and had half a cup of tea at like 1 in the morning but I don’t feel like logging it haha im still trying to catch up on sleep.. Vegas was pretty sweet! Had some heat stroke one day from being dehydrated from no tea probably haha but other than that it was awesome. Definitely going back!

Anyways, onto tea!! When I was away my whispering Pines and verdant orders arrived! Woot! So I am having a lovely cup of this as my first official cup back. It is refreshing and energizing and the eucalyptus gives an interesting flavor! I will do a more in depth review later haha im just enjoying this cup and relaxing today. Happy to be back with my teas and on steepster :)

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 0 sec
CHAroma

Welcome back!

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Welcome back, hope you had a lovely trip! I look forward to hearing more thoughts on this one – its not got many reviews yet :)

Whispering Pines Tea Company

I’m moreso excited to hear what you have to say about The Sleeping Bear Blend! :) When you make that one, PLEASE remember to do a second infusion, leaving at least 20 minutes between infusions. It’s truly amazing on the second infusion!

mrs.stenhouse12

Hello :) thanks, it was a good trip, just lacking in tea haha! I definitely will write more about this one in the future! And I can’t wait to try the sleeping bear blend, i will definitely do 2 infusions, i usually do at least 2 steeps for my teas :)

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I’m really surprised this hasn’t been reviewed yet.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this tea yet. I need some time to sit with another mug of it.
It definetly remind me of camping (ok so 90% of Whispering Pines teas remind me of camping & I can’t tell you how much I LOVE that!), both in smell & taste. It’s earthy, almost hay like & a bit berry-ie.
The colour it steeps up is so strange. I had it in a white mug & the tea touching the edges of the mug was a yellow-ish/green & the centre was an almost grey/green colour.

I feel like I should be drinking this in a sauna or by a fire.

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec
Whispering Pines Tea Company

Eat the leaves when you’re done! :) These are delicious hehe

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Alright so once this steeped up I was really worried about it because it smelt so much like coffee.

I dove in sitting at work, slacking. Errr my fear is realized it tastes so much like coffee. I’m sure there is some chocolate linering at the end of the sip, but I can’t get past the coffee taste.

I’m sure this is a great tea, if you like coffee. I just can’t get behind this one.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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Another sample from the Traveling Tea Box, this is a four seasons oolong. Normally I’m not a big fan of them. I love floral oolongs, and four seasons definitely are but they just fall flat for me.

Brenden suggested a 1/2 tsp, 5 min steep with boiling water to emulate the first and second steeps and get a sweeter tea. Sounded good to me so I did so.

It was sweet, and it was far better than the other times I’ve tried a similar oolong. I just haven’t given four seasons a try in a gaiwan or my yixing pot and that might be something I do with this one. Orchid is definitely very strong here, with just a little honey and cream depending on the sip.

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Tea from last night…also during hockey…so far when I drink tea and watch hockey my team wins..hm.

I was tired of green tea so I decided black tea would be good, and when my friend went to make tea, there was a goal…so I thought I’d try. Didn’t work. Haha.

This is really good for a ceylon, I don’t tend to like them just because the briskness isn’t my favorite. But when you have a decent quality one like this you really don’t have to worry about it going bitter so quickly the way some flavored teas w/a ceylon base do. It’s sweet and brisk, but smooth.

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I am such a smoke weakling I can’t even handle this tea.

Sad times.

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So, my first taste of Pu-erh reminded me of mucking out the stables.
This Pu-erh gives me a horse-y memory too, but thankfully a more pleasant one.
Hubby gets fish from Pu-erh, and I get horses, so odd how one tea can appear so very different to each person.
I use one of these little cups for a 2 1/2 cup pot instead of for a 8 oz serving (as suggested) I also start with very short steeps.
I am finding with Pu-erh if I can let it sneak up on my taste buds, I enjoy the whole experience a lot more.
The smell of these tea reminds me of horseback riding with my big red Tennessee Walker,named Star, up on the mountain behind the farm where I grew up.
There is a tiny stable smell, but the good kind (if any of you have been around horses you know what I mean) that good, healthy horse smell.
That smell is mixed with a few other memories, like riding over the soft damp earth under the trees, some patches of the earth covered in a thick dark green moss, the horses hooves would be so muffled on the moss that sometimes we would come upon a deer and her fawn grazing or napping in the filtered sunshine.
Then, maybe we would ride around the other side of the mountain next to the creek where there was a beaver slide and in a small hollow in the shade, there would be a patch of wild mushrooms growing.
Woody,damp earth, moss, mushrooms and horses.
With the taste I get small amount of horse, moss and a lot of mushrooms with a tinge of forest.
It’s very interesting, and although to the new comer to Pu-erh, all of this sounds completely nuts.
But, This tea has fetched a memory from back in the dusty corners of my mind.
I am grateful for that.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec
K S

What a beautiful descriptive review. I felt like I was riding along and experiencing this tea myself. Sounds awesome.

Serenity

Yeah, same as K S! I had such a memory of resting my face on a sun-warmed pony’s back after grooming him.

gmathis

ooh, ooh, take me with you1

Hesper June

Thanks, KS and Serenity!
Gmathis, I would love too, but my two horses went to the big green pasture in the sky a couple of years ago already, I miss them lots.

gmathis

Friend, I haven’t been on a horse since the mid-80’s. The only thing I’d be good for is comic relief!

Hesper June

:) LOL, well, we all need comic relief.

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Oh, Boy.
This is a long one, folks. So grab a big cuppa:)
Okay, I got this tea from Brenden at Whispering Pines Tea clear before Christmas with the rest of my order.
I had never tried Puerh tea and decided that with my next hundred tea notes I was educated enough in tea to start on something anew.
I was still secretly quite intimated, so I waited until a day when I knew I would be around most of the day to play with it.
So one day a bit before Christmas, I decided that I wanted to try it.
Set the kettle to boil, got out my little bodum infuser cup (8 oz), got the kettle up to a boil, performed a 15 second rinse and then infused the tea for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, per instruction on little tea packet.
The smell after this infusion was so strong.
I have cleaned a lot of barns in my day and this smelled exactly like that.
A deep manure and hay smell.
I tried not to let it deter me from tasting this, I had read enough of Puerh teas to know that it is common for these to scents to emerge, I just had no idea it was going to be so strong.
Then I grew brave enough to take a sip.
GAG! Oh my land! It seriously tasted like strong bitter manure (don’t ask…but yes, I do actually know how that tastes, growing up on a farm and then being a Vet Assistant for years,sometimes your mouth is just open at the very very wrong time)
I felt tears of disappointment prick my eyes.
NO! I must like this tea. I am supposed to be improving my taste in tea!
I gagged down the rest of the cup, determined not to waste.
I felt sick to my stomach, but still plowed forward and messed with the tea the rest of the day, shorter steepings and such, but every time I tasted it from that point on it just tasted so bitter and nasty, it was like that first tasting never left my tongue.
It did not help me when I read the previous tasting note on the tea is was from Bonnie my tea and life idol, giving this tea high ratings.
That was it. It certainly was not the tea, it was me.
By the time my Hubby came home, I was so irritated and angry and I hadn’t gotten half of what I had wanted to do that day done and he kept asking me why I was so upset.
So…I told him. He listened and gave sympathetic nods, then broke in and said “You don’t have to like this type of tea just because everyone else does” to which I responded like a 13 year old girl throwing a fit “Yes! Yes I do!” but I was seeing I was starting to lose him.
He spotted his new Diesel Power magazine he got in the mail and was browsing through it.
I started to walk away mumbling to myself when I heard the words “Make me some” I turned around “what?” and he said “yeah, make me some of this Poo-poo tea that ruined your day, I wanna taste it”
Okay… I was slightly shocked.
Starting with a new piece, I took a new look on preparing the tea.
I took a deep breath.
I was going to start with tiny, tiny steepings.
So, I did. I started with just a 15 second steeping. no rinse.
The water had barely even turned color.
It was so much better.
From there I would go up to like 25 seconds, then 30 and so forth.
This was so much more delightful of a experience.
And sharing it with someone too, we both held cups and talked about what we smelled and tasted.
It still has some barnyard notes to it, also deep woody notes.
But, I find it intriguing.not bitter at all.
I am not going to rate this tea yet, because I am still so new and still experimenting.
This was just a beginner at Puerh point of view.
For a expert review please read Bonnie’s review on this tea, it does it so much more justice.
But for me…
So, begins my journey with Puerh.

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec
ashmanra

LOL! My hubby drinks puerh with me just because it is good for him. The last time I handed him a cup, he sniffed and said, “Yep! There’s the horsey!” There is almost no horsey in Mengku Palace, mostly a cedar oil flavor.

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Oh my goodness, did I really write 2m 30s on it?! :O I probably meant to write 30 seconds, like on the site. Sorry for the bad first impression but glad it came out okay! :D

K S

Love, love, love, this review!

ashmanra

Hesper June, did you get the box I sent?

Hesper June

Ashmanra: Ha! well, I guess it could be a worse smell, especially since I am a farm kid:) AND YES! I did get your AWESOME box. Thank you! I am so behind on tea reviews due to holidays. thanks again, look for reviews coming soon!
Brenden: Thats okay…it all worked out, I should do more research next time;)
KS: Thank you!

TheTeaFairy

Hahah! Hesper that was a priceless moment! Thanks for sharing your first true puerh experience with us! I’m sure there are better ones ahead of you :-) And tell your husband he rocks! « Hey poo-poo, so I’ve heard you’ve been givin’ my woman a hard time?? Come to papa and see how brave you are now!!»

Hesper June

Hehe! thats is exactly like my Hubby:)

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Yesssss 200 degrees makes Assam so good. Four minutes and 200 degree water, so sweet and tasty! Every other Assam I’ve had so far, I’ve had to only steep it for 3 minutes, add milk, or wait for it to cool way down. This is life changing.

So this is sweet, and malty, and actually helping me to wake up with its big burst of flavor. I am finishing it then for some reason going to Target, mostly because I got a stamping kit for my nails yesterday and really want to use it…but I only brought one bottle of nail polish with me. Oh well.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec
TeaEqualsBliss

It was 23 here but wind chill was wicked bitter cold. I HATE WINTER!

TeaLady441

I was gonna say, “Noooooo! Stay outta the malls!” until I remembered you’re in the US and safe from Boxing Day madness. :)

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Had some of this again earlier with added chocolate, by way of hot chocolate mix. Soooo good, I know I should try it on its own already but chocolate and mint and I are really getting along right now.

I now need to go make tea for right now, as I was given a $50 Sephora gift card for Christmas and I can’t figure out how to not go too far over the total….I have to buy online though because LOOK AT THIS. http://www.sephora.com/very-colourfoil-manicure-trade-P377711?skuId=1491273

Kittenna

LOL. I suck at doing my nails so luckily don’t get tempted by such things :D

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Yum! I added some chocolate mint coconut milk to this and it’s incredible. The Assam definitely comes through, and the real mint tastes even better than the flavoring of the milk on its own.

My original plan was tea hot chocolate, but I paid $3 for the quart of this milk, and it’s been extremely disappointing to drink on its own. I’m definitely finishing it up in this tea in the next couple of days because it’s so good this way.

I would also like to announce that I found my parakeet the perfect seasonal Songza station for him: http://songza.com/listen/acoustic-guitar-christmas-songza/ He is a very content feathery puffball now.

Teavangelical

I have an entire list on grooveshark just dedicated to songs that made the bird happy :)

Crowkettle

That’s cute! After 15 years with my lovebird I’m still not sure what music he likes except that he doesn’t like metal and Coldplay makes him sleepy. :/

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I really should have brewed this in the gaiwan but I was in need of tea ASAP after the peach fiasco.

My favorite part of keemun is how it has the most delicious honey notes, almost better than honey itself. Although, I just say that because keemun isn’t sticky and therefore is less messy to handle.

This one is really tasty, very sweet, and all around a good black tea in the morning to just drink straight.

I left a bit in my mug when I went to start prepping my spaghetti squash and it was even good cold, yay!

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Mmm, I’ve had three cups of this today. Gaiwan time methinks!

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WOW! This tea is the essence of a chilly autumn morning, waking up to mommas fresh apple cobbler and the dazzle of the sunrise over your oak-frame bed. Crisp, smooth, and refreshing, we’ve blended cinnamon pieces with a highly oxidized Indonesian o’olong with unbelievably strong all-natural notes of Washington red apples! This is a tea you just have to indulge in to believe!

I’ve been drinking this nonstop for like a week, and I can’t wrap my head around how perfect it is. :)

Infuses 5+ times!

The Perfect Cup
Infuse 1 tsp of tea leaves in 8 oz of boiling water for 2 minutes

Infusion #2: 2 minutes
Infusion #3: 3 minutes
Infusion #4: 4 minutes
Infusion #5: 5 minutes

Ingredients: O’olong tea, cinnamon

http://whisperingpinestea.com/applecinnamonoolong.html

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec
Babble

This sounds really delicious. All of the oolongs do, actually. And they are quite affordable, too :)

Whispering Pines Tea Company

They are all delicious! And yes, I try to keep to prices as low as possible. You should get them all! Bahaha :)

Tea and Trees

I think I’ll try this one next time I order tea!

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This is another one that came in my box from Azzrian. My husband and I certainly have different tastes in tea. We do like some of the same ones, but he never sweetens anything except the occasional iced tea. Oolongs are his favorite. I made this one up for him, double strength, since he likes his tea strong. He thought it was a winner, said it had a lot of flavor-he is not one to get into specifics though. I took a little sip and thought it had a light smokiness, but he didn’t pick up on that. Not sure if this is really to my taste, but I’ll try it again before I make a final verdict. It won’t go to waste because my husband will finish it off. You can get at least 3 steepings from it.

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I had this last night and had to have it again today because it is awesome. This is the redesigned version of the tea, which was redone last month (other notes are months old).

Both times I have steeped it at 3 minutes. For me this is like the nice sweet spot for breakfast teas. With this tea, it means not even needing a splash of milk at all.

It’s slightly malty and sweet, with some nuttiness to it too. It’s bold, but not too in your face. No astringency at all.

Now to just actually have it in the morning. I’m struggling to get through this day so a little boost of caffeine now is just right.

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Ok I can’t find this on the website so I guess it is no longer around.

It looks like it’s gunpowder with peppercorn, and it tastes like that too. I steeped it twice this morning and it was just really easy to drink. A little smoky, as you’d expect from its name I guess, but very mild.

It also had a bit of fruitiness to it, and I quite enjoyed it.

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Strange! I wonder where the product page went! Will have it up tomorrow, thanks for noticing that, it’s a favorite of a few of my customers. :)

Lynxiebrat

That is intriguing! What does Gunpowder tea taste like? I suspect I might like that combined with a sweet contrast. Was it as smoky tasting as Lapsang Souchong?

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I went a little crazy and used coconut milk creamer instead of regular milk. After the fact I realize it was silly but it was going to go to waste. I think it covered a lot of the flavor of the tea.

I made a big mug full. When I was straining, the smell of peppermint was nice and strong.

My method resulted in a pretty creamy cup so I can’t say too much, but I did drink it all anyway. Just a little spice, could still taste some black tea, but the peppermint was definitely there.

Next time…the stuff that is considered milk instead, haha.

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I really enjoyed this tea, I know I did. Trouble is, I opened this sample the other night when I was really really not feeling good.

Here’s what I do know: I strained one cup off for the bf but left the ‘bits’ floating in mine. This was Brenden’s suggestion and I liked it. Camomile flowers are awesome all waterlogged and juicy, they kinda burst like teensie sweet little teapods when you chomp them. But… I really didn’t feel good that night and by the time I finished my cup (and half of his) my stomach was calm and I was out cold. Can’t properly review or rate because brain was off and I was unconscious before my teapot cooled. I am quite certain however that it was an excellent choice for a self-pitying tummy-aching, whinging, whining, it’s late and I wanna go to bed but everything feels like poo kinda night.

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Made this for on the way to school, except my travel mug wouldn’t open :o after messing with it while waiting for the professor to show up, I finally got to my precious mate.

I had felt pretty groggy this morning thanks to the weather. I wasn’t as bad as Sebastian, who went right back to sleep after I uncovered his cage LOL… Well I had turned off my 8:30 alarm because I woke up at 8:20, and slept until the 9:00am one. Still had plenty of time to fully come up with an answer to the exam’s essay question, check out Steepster, and make this tea.

I was so certain I was going to take a nap when I got home, but finishing off the entire mug has made that out of the question now.

This is still really tasty, though today it seemed to be more spiced elderberry than minty. Though I think I could have steeped it longer if I had enough time. I actually almost left without the tea.

Next, I really want to try it iced.

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