Willow

Out of the package, this tea smells like straight up dark brown sugar. I do get a whiff of woodsy smells on the dry leaf, slight earth, cedar, and dampness.

The resulting brew is incredibly sweet. It tastes like maple candy. There is some lingering flavors of some cocoa and wet wood. The lingering scent of the candy cap mushrooms is definitely floating on top. The mushies mix well with the base black teas. They look beautiful in my white porcelain gaiwan. Today, this tea did not quit, I think I got a record number of steeps from a WP black today! I might have gone on longer, but I had to go to work :P
I am so glad that I got all of WP’s mushroom teas! Who would’ve thunk that Brendan would make already good tea great?

Hot this tea was nice but nothing too special, however as it started to cool it became pretty much amazing… although I must admit it isn’t something I could drink cup after cup of… As the tea cooled the delicate taste of the morel mushrooms slowly started to make themselves known and as as the tea continued to cool this flavor morphed into a sugary maple mushroom taste (sounds weird but its seriously delicious). Personally I think you would want to be a mushroom liker or better yet lover to really appreciate this tea which thankfully I am! I love Brendan’s description and plan on taking this with me to enjoy the next time we’re backcountry camping and hiking in the Sierra to really enjoy the full experience!

We already know he’s a tea prodigy and does things like no one else does.

He decided that dried mushrooms should be incorporated to tea…and that’s exactly what he did, as if it should have been done all along. Cause this is what you’ll think of when you taste this little marvel for the first time: where have you been all my life oh mushroom tea!!

Don’t think this resemble Mirkwood, his other mushie tea, cause it doesn’t…not even one bit.

Mirkwood is more brothy and savory. This is desserty!

Candy Cap Mushrooms, who knew??? They smell like maple candies! My whole kitchen smelled like candy after I opened the pouch, to the point that it got me worried, I sure don’t want my tea to taste that sweet.

But just like all the blends he creates, this tea offers the perfect balance. Dried fruits plus woodsy and cocoa notes. The star here though: natural maple goodness. And no worries, this ain’t Aunt Jamaima type of fake sweetness. This is gloriously tasty, with only two ingredients: Premium Chinese black tea and mushies.

Having said that, I don’t taste mushroom so please mushroom haters, don’t deprive yourself from this little gem. This variety brings sweetness, woodsy notes and layers of complexity. No damp or earthy funk.

Brenden sure is Michigan’s National “Teasure” , he likes to think outside the box and it pays off. Bravo!!

Pics:

http://instagram.com/p/yaozePQh6k/

http://instagram.com/p/yarxVTwh-1/

http://instagram.com/p/yasoxHQh_2/

I had to have all the mushroom teas the minute WP put them out. So unique! This one is completely different from Mirkwood. The minute you open the packet, you smell the super sweet aroma of the dry leaf. I love the look of the dry leaf with the little pieces of mushroom in it!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/97273956@N03/15742661414/

That sweetness translates into a sweet maple flavor, with notes of malt and wood. I gongfu-steeped this and the flavor transforms from this super sweet maple note into more of the notes of the base tea coming through. The tea tastes more fruity, with notes of cherry and plums.

This tea is ridiculously sweet…no need to sweeten, for sure! Absolutely delicious and unique!

Dry leaf smells like raisins and maple candy
Wet leaf smells a bit smoky, which I did not expect. There’s also an interesting apricoty scent if I stuff my nose in the gaiwan for a big huff.

I’ve been interested in this one for awhile, and it didn’t disappoint. It feels very soft when sipped. Kind of hard to describe. It’s definitely better on short steeps, IMO.

Next time, I will try it with some maple syrup in there because it seems like it would fit.

If you want to make your house smell amazing, as well as drink great tea, just leave the bag of dried leaves and shrooms open. My whole nook smells like candy. CANDY NOOK!

Small batch of Willow available now! http://whisperingpinestea.com/willow.html

Also a small amount of Mirkwood is also available now :-) http://whisperingpinestea.com/mirkwood.html

Sometimes I watch the fog floating on a hazy forest breeze. I admire the way it flows through the trees and over the mossy stones beneath my feet. The rain-kissed wind whispers in my ear. I can’t quite understand it, but I know it tells me stories of the willow groves from which it came. If I lie down and look towards the canopy, I can see the fog dancing with the leaves. It’s soft and slow, spending a little time with each leaf before floating onto the next, but always leaving a touch of itself behind — a memory that will drop to the floor, nourishing the ferns, wildflowers, and mushrooms. I believe my heart is a forest, and each experience is a limb of my infinite trees. I like the fog. I like the way it touches every one of my leaves and creates these nourishing raindrop memories — memories that I can’t help but replay in my dreams. Memories that I wish I could capture forever. Maybe with enough of them, the raindrops will grow a new willow grove. I can already feel them growing in my woodland heart. Perhaps the new willow trees need the fog. Maybe the fog needs the new trees to create new memories with. And maybe, if we’re all lucky, the fog will never get tired of dancing with the willows.

Willow combines all things that touch me deep in my soul. From morning walks with a cup of hot cocoa picking wild mushrooms to smelling the sweet aroma of maple syrup on my pancakes after that walk. The essence of the woodlands that formed who I am, Willow is one of my proudest creations. Willow is made with a base of North Winds and the addition of sweet candy cap mushrooms, which are known for their heady maple syrup aroma and sweet, woody flavor. Steeped, the aroma of Willow is complex, with maple syrup, chocolate, and mushrooms. The taste is smooth, sweet, and creamy, opening with identical notes as the aroma. The balance is absolutely perfect, with all notes showing up individually, but none overpowering each other. Immediately following the base notes come hints of stonefruit and oak. The addition of the strong maple note transforms the graininess of North Winds into definitive buckwheat pancakes with a touch of cherry preserves. Clean woody and maple notes linger past the finish, slowly fading into mushroom and oak. I highly suggest enjoying this innovative and unique blend in a big thermos while walking your favorite woodland trail. Breath life, sip inspiration.