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Oh look! Steepster is behaving :-)

Let’s post a review!!

This was one of very few teas I hadn’t tried yet from WP.

I was curious, cause although Keemun are sometimes not my favourite teas to drink when too heavy on the smoke, the taste profile of Pine Peak seemed very different.

Well I agree: definitely not your usual full bodied keemun.

It’s much lighter, and I had to steep longer (for my tastes) and add a bit more leaves to achieve a satisfying cup. Once I did that, it was super tasty.

No trace of smoke or strong earthy notes here.

This is the fruit and grain keemun type. I get raisins and barley mostly. It is sweet and a little malty.

There is some kind of light pine taste to it, a little woodsy especially as it cools down.

I see myself drinking this on a regular basis, as a very nice everyday cup.

It’s raining this afternoon, took out my happy ladybug teapot, girly tea time!

http://instagram.com/p/sdQTcIwh7e/

It’s 2 am and I just spent the last four hours going back and forth inside/outside the house. There were possibilities of auroras tonight, that’s why. I feel very lucky to have witnessed them more than once in my life…

I was telling friends earlier that auroras had been life changing for me… totally worth being patient for. I wish for everyone to witness them at least once in their lives.

Unfortunately, they didn’t happen tonight.

Oh well…another night hopefully.

Now I’m drinking this tea and shockers! It’s good.

This is a mouthful of fresh evergreens and creamy buttery oolong.

Dame Vanilla adds all kinds of velvety and fruity notes to the blend.

Just wow.

I don’t have a bunch to say, see previous review.

I will just nom it till it can give no more.

And that’s all.

Day 10 of Steepster’s disaster…

I know not many will read this. But I still have to give some love to my favourite teas.

This is one of them.

Drinking this makes all the wrongs right.

Ok…it won’t fix Steepster. But that’s about the only thing it won’t fix!

Mmmm….salty caramel. I don’t really like you for real, you’re too sweet and sticky. But in my cup of tea? Yes please!

Can’t believe how a straight tea can render such decadent notes.

Aila and I… Foreverrr!

(Backlog)

This tea embodies what I love about oolong.

First, the dry leaf is green, I mean, really green. Emerald City green.

Anticipation. A premiss of what is about to happen. Cause I just know it won’t disappoint.

The dry scent is floral and a little spicy.

I do a quick rinse to bring the leaves to life.

And boy to they come alive.

First steep and I already get tons of flavours. It’s as green as can be for oolong, vegetal and very floral.

Nice buttery and creamy mouthfeel going on, with a touch of spice. The finish is so fresh, like an evergreen breeze.

I did multiple infusions, and the later steeps lost that floral imprint in the mouth as more piney notes emerged.

And the leaves took so much room in my little gaiwan as they expanded, just beautiful!

Another amazing product from Eco Cha. All three oolongs I have purchased from them are fantastic.

Pics:

http://instagram.com/p/sGn3Yawh4x/

http://instagram.com/p/sG2djOQh_i/

(Backlog review from last night)

Having Second Breakfast at midnight. That’s right, I live dangerously.

What…Is there a warning somewhere that stipulates this tea should be drank only in the morning?

There, didn’t think so.

Nice fruity and malty cup, mmmmm! So good!

Crusty bread, salty caramel and cocoa notes. Sweet and mellow, but not lacking in the taste department, au contraire.

I know I’m having it at night, but I will have it in the morning eventually and it will be very kind to me.

Some breakfast teas are like a slap in the face, waking you abruptly like a loud beeping alarm clock, screaming at you «Wake up, sleepyhead!!!»

This will take a more gentle route. It will just rub your shoulder softly and whisper in your ear «wake up sweetie, today will be a lovely day…»

It’s that kind of tea. It knows how to treat you right.

Took out the big mug tonight…just needed the right gear for it:

http://instagram.com/p/sEMmM2wh_k/

Short note.

I love shou. and I think shou loves me.

It gave me a bunch of hugs and kisses this afternoon, yes it did!

I spent good quality time with it, all rolled up in a blanket. It’s been a rainy day here again. This shou was the perfect companion.

This is leathery, I love leather taste in shou.

It’s a little musty, spicy and woodsy.

It’s rich, thick and syrupy…smooth and mineral.

It’s a reliable dude, and I’m glad I purchased a cake.

Here’s some Phatty shou in a blanket for you:

http://instagram.com/p/sDoXFfQh9R/

Oh, nom, nom, nom….

Stacy, you have ALL the best Taiwanese black teas, what’s up with that????

Oh, little leafhoppers, how I love you. You little bugs, you…. Thanks for making my tea taste so sweet and scrumptious!

This is all malt and honey.

It makes my tastebuds want to party. Some fruit, but not in a PTA kind of way.

It’s creamy and yeasty like sourdough bread.

It’s a little salty and mineral, but maybe that’s coming from my tetsubin pot. I’ve been using it a lot for lately, it’s devoted to black teas only but I’m thinking of using it only for my butiki’s Taiwanese black teas, they taste fabulous in it :-)

I’m so happy I got a decent quantity of this wonderful tea.

Cause I want MORE!!!

Pic of the session:

http://instagram.com/p/sBece-Qh9X/

First, yay, for this new official Whispering Pines Great Lakes Label Shu Pu-erh, what a creative idea!!! It fits so well with WP brand name, great job Brenden :-)

I received this generous sample in my last order, thank you Brenden.

Does pu’erh still scare some of you? Like, it’s been on your mind, but you are still hesitant about it?

The descriptors “fishy, barn, leather, pond water, seaweed” revolt you?

Then give this a try. This is as smooth as can be.

The pu’erh for the non believers.

Cause it is silky and creamy beyond belief.

The dry leaf is quite unusual, all golden, just stunning .

It produces a dark warm copper brew.

First sip and I think, wow…this is so what I need right now.

Silky and velvety, coats my entire mouth with mellow and sweet.

Everything is subtle but far from being boring. I get notes of cereals, like toasted bran.

It’s also a bit fruity, dried fruits, like raisins with a soft cocoa feel.

Yum, chocolate covered raisins. It’s a little earthy and woodsy, but nothing like most shou pu’erh.

The later steeps bring a nice minty finish, that fresh mouthfeel I like so much.

This tea brings me to a tranquil and beautiful place. It warms my heart and fills my head with happy.

And yes…I will need more of this.

Thanks again Brenden for this wonderful offering…And congratulations for the launch of the Great Lakes collection!

Pics of the session:

http://instagram.com/p/sA71jZwh3e/

http://instagram.com/p/sA8hdpwh4b/

I am so fond of Purple Zi Juan teas. I find them so intriguing and different.

Beautiful. I mean literally beautiful. I love how sleek this tea looks like. Long dark blueish grey strands with some brown shades in the mix.

The leaves are equally stunning once steeped.

Using 5g in little glass gongfu pot.

This tea has such an attractive taste, full of warmth.

First few steeps produces a rather light brew. It intensifies around steep three, where it reaches a nice medium body.

Hard to describe the taste.

It’s creamy and tart at the same time. Very lightly astringent.

A mellow white grape taste brings a nice fruitiness to it. It’s a bit woodsy, but not smokey at all.

It’s what I call a cleansing tea, you just get a sense of wellness out of it.

It’s late in the night, a nice cha qi feeling going on. All warm and peaceful inside.

This is another high quality tea from Tao Tea Leaf.

I’ve been so impressed by their standards so far.

Pics:

http://instagram.com/p/r_Bykzwh6w/

http://instagram.com/p/r_JYk1wh0H/

http://instagram.com/p/r_RcG7Qh9g/

This is a rock tea from the Wuyi Mountains. Expect greatness from a good quality Da Hong Pao.

And this one is nothing short of greatness.

It’s expensive but totally worth it. I was very lucky to have gotten it during Tao Tea Leaf 50% off sale. Bought 150g cause I knew an award winning Big Red Robe could only mean good news. Now I wish I had bought double!

Using 5g in small yixing clay pot.

The leaf is as dark as night.

The brew has this lovely orangey amber colour.

The scent is very fragrant. The taste is like burnt toasts with honey and molasses. Thick mouthfeel, full bodied. Very rich and tasty.

Someone very knowledgable with rock tea pointed out that I should find bitterness in a good Da Hong Pao.

I don’t get bitterness at all, but I realized that what he referred to as “bitter” is probably the burnt and charred taste I get, my own interpretation of it anyways.

You can actually taste the minerals, it’s even a little salty.

It’s a beautiful tea, worth devoting time to.

I like it so much, I will use it to season a very small 70ml yixing pot I just got.

Pic of the session:

http://instagram.com/p/r8qANlwh2g/