A forest is more than a grove of trees. A forest is the wind sweeping across the pines, the wood thrush calling, and the blankets of mist covering the mossy earth below your feet. A forest is the sweet vanilla scent of spring wildflowers and the babbling brook feeding the blackberry bushes. A forest is the morel mushroom hiding under the wintered oak leaves. A forest is everything that we should strive to be — strong, wise, and tranquil. Elder forests are filled with complex ecosystems. Every corner of the woods presents a new biological wonderland, and every inch of the void between organisms plays a vital role in the full picture.
At Whispering Pines, we appreciate complexity. There are, of course, great things to be said about intense singular notes and the boldness of strong lingering aftertastes. However, in the ancient forests crawling with the fingers of fog and ethereal thrush melodies, it is not the plentiful pine we seek. We enter the deepest realms of the forest in search of diversity and the beauty that lies behind the entrance to the trail. A book is not a book without the words within, and a venture into the unknown is not complete without every aspect present.
This is why we chose to seek the complexity of the highest grade Chinese black teas available as the base for Elderwood. This is why we sought the most complex and balanced Tahitian vanilla bean we could find. For the sake the the primeval forests and the immense biodiversity within, we could not choose to cut corners on complexity.
Inspired by the deepest and most ancient of forests, Elderwood carries base notes of warm pine, oak, and cocoa, with sweet vanilla, caramel, cherry, and morel perfectly balanced in the background. A sweet and earthy moss-like aftertaste with hints of vanilla and oak linger for hours past the last sip of this strikingly smooth brew. The aroma is pine, cocoa, and stone fruit, and the color of the tea is dark amber with a slight tinge of deep purple.
The overall experience of this tea is only comparable to what you can imagine drinking the finest hot cocoa infused gently with cherry, and aged in oak barrels beneath the forest floor would be like. The richness and depth of Elderwood can truly only be done justice by experiencing the masterpiece yourself. We highly recommend enjoying Elderwood outdoors. Allow the brew to warm you on a chilly day while walking along your favorite woodland trail.
In honor of all beauty that mother nature has provided us with, and in honor of those moments where you realize just how big the full picture is, I give you Elderwood.
Notes: Warm Pine, Oak, Melted Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate-Covered Cherries, Plum, Cream, Salted Caramel, Morel, Moss
Ingredients: Imperial Grade Dian Hong, Ailaoshan Black Tea, Hand-cut Tahitian Vanilla Beans
http://whisperingpinestea.com/elderwood.html
We should start a Kickstarter for that purpose.
I really like the name of that tea haha. It feels all ancient and mystical.
Haha! That would be an awesome Kickstarter Marzi, you always have the best ideas!!
TeaterTotter, funny you say that…it does feel ancient and mystical when you drink it also :-)
I love vanilla flavored teas with a fiery passion. I’ll have to try this one out eventually. Also, you can fund anything on kickstarter these days, just look up the potato salad guy.
Then you will not regret trying this TeaterTotter. But please note that this is blended, not flavoured. REAL hand cut vanilla beans :-)
I personally don’t like vanilla flavoured teas much… this is something completely superior and different!!
?? I thought you had Fairy Power? Stuff magically appears in my mailbox….
Some powers…. :-)
When are you trying this one Dex? Did I mention I overleaf it to get even more goodness?
You’ve inspired me to make this one tonight!!!!
I don’t have a tin available for it…. :((
Sars, aren’t you supposed to play “pupu destroyer” tonight?
(dex, me think we both need more black tins…)
I am not allowed to buy more tins….. :((
( I think I’m lifting the tin restriction rule. This tea is tin worthy. I’d be very surprised if you don’t repurchase it. But you must TRY it in order to know that!!!)
I played pupu destroyer this AM, pookie. There’s a note on your Taiwanese Wild Mtn Black review. :)
I need time to recover before the pick comes out again!!!!
Aaaah! I was on the go this morning, I missed some comments, will go read about it :-)
I’m not really a black tea lover but that sounds so good!
:)
Teatertotter, although this one has vanilla beans in it, the vanilla flavor is not as strong in this tea as it is in the Golden Orchid, which is very vanilla!
I picked out a pot to be my vanilla dreams teapot!!!! So exciting!!!!
Yay! Sars that’s great! I’m planning to try PORT in mine today…should be epic!
Oh, and Which one did you choose?
I’m seasoning my vanilla pot right now
Well MzP suggested the lotus gaiwan, but I really want to use that for one of my pu’erhs, and I was reading that banko clay gives teas a sweeter, smoother finish over time, and that sounds perfect for vanilla, so I picked this one:
http://www.tealux.ca/hakucho_banko_houhin_teapot
That is cute!
It’s hard to see in that pic, but the knob on top is a cute little flower. :)
It’s precious!
Oh, that is lovely. And I love Tealux, just wish they had tinier yixing pots.
Thanks! I never ordered from them before, but they seem to have some great stuff! Hopefully my little teapot gets here soon! Vanillaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Let me know when you order. I have tried almost every tea (unflavoured) they have, I can give you great recommendations. Their oolongs are fantastic.
Oh pookie pie! You know I have no self-control! I ordered that days ago. :)
I got a bunch of tins because I need some so badly! I didn’t get tea this time because I’m living in pu’erh city over here….
I need (* hides LTF’s eyes *) more tins
Tinzzzzzzz. Give us all the tinzzzzzzz!!!!!!
Hurry up Missy. I need more tins also. Y’all know what it means.
We do know. How did I use up that many already?? And someone got more than me and you need more???? Laughs. We need an intervention. And I need some organization. I got a decent grip on it, but alas – out of control again.
I went to Harney for tins this time since I wanted some soba and they will stack and they are $1.75 for a 4 oz BLACK tin. I may spend some of today figuring out where all this tea is going to live permanently
Oh that’s a great price, LHBQotTFRotCT. Now that I am getting my collection of pots curated and housed (my shelf is on the way), I need to figure out a plan for ALL THIS TEA. I have some preliminary ideas, but I’m still working out the details.
Not sure if I showed you guys the shelf I picked out. If not, here it is. I think it will be great for little gaiwans and houhins and teapots :)
http://www.amazon.com/Intersecting-Squares-Decorative-White-Shelf/dp/B00GOFZ7B2
Oh that shelf is way cute.
It seemed perfect because it has so many little “cubbies”. I can fit 8 different teawares, and I think I could even go up to 11 if needed. I just have to make sure it’s hung VERY securely.
A stud-finder is your friend
I don’t have studs :(
Don’t tell my BF I said that :p
I live in an older house, so it has lath and plaster walls. I like them because they aren’t “perfect” and they have some visual interest, but I also hate them because it is such a PITA to hang heavier things.
OMG how will you DO that with those walls?
There are special support thingies you can buy. That’s the technical name: “support thingies”
You drill small holes and insert them. They expand inside the wall and keep your nails or screws from just falling out. It’s going to be a project, but I think it’ll be worth it :)
And I guess I should say that I DO have studs, but they are spaced much further apart, which is why it’s so hard to do this stuff.
toggle bolts
Well fine, if you want to get all specific about it. You are correct :p
Sars, I love that teapot & the shelf! I am now fantasizing about buying the swan yixing…OMG, it’s adorable!!
I also live in an OLD house, with lathe & plaster walls. When I was painting one of the bedrooms on the 2nd floor I accidentally bumped the wall inside the closet, & pretty much watched all the plaster disintegrate before my eyes. What followed was a crash course in ‘this old house’ style fly by set of your pants wall repair.
Even worse was when we had to run new wiring for a ceiling light…we finally cut some holes in the ceiling, which I later went back & patched with my now amazing speckling skills. LOL
Thanks, Terri!
Hahaha. You know exactly what I am dealing with then. I love my old house, but on the other hand, certain things are a pain. I will find a way to make the shelf work, but it will probably involve cursing, alcohol, unintentional holes, and yelling. :p
Haha! This is amusing..also an old house owner here! We disagree at times, but I love most of its imperfections. Also, I like the way it cracks and makes funny noises sometimes, as if there were ghosts in here :-o
Maybe there are :)
There are :)
Hehe…I’d love me some ghosts friends :-)
I dont think I would mind a friendly ghost.
My house is old-ish but not the kind of old y’all are talking about – mine is from the 1940s and it has its own problems – like zero insulation :(
No ghosts though my house also makes creaky noises
Mz were the $1.75 tins online?
I have a ghost, but my house isn’t old (built 2004). I also had a ghost in my previous apartment, I think its the same one. takes all the cheese and candy foods, sometimes leaves pennies. . Im really not kidding that I think I have a ghost that follows me! at least it doesn’t take my tea. Because then I would be prompted to call in the professionals. (^o^)
Takes the cheese and candy? We would be fighting. It is obviously a very old ghost if it only compensates you with pennies.
@ Marizpan – yes. I had to google empty harney tins to find them – the website didn’t make it easy
https://www.harney.com/black-empty-tea-tin-4-oz.html
No ghost of mine will ever touch the cheese. Ever. There would be an epic battle…and I promise the fairy would win.
I would help you fight that battle. Cheese is serious business
I wonder if that’s why I don’t have a ghost… No cheese!!!!!! Maybe my house had a ghost but the poor thing ran away!!!