Whispering Pines Tea Company

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Recent Tasting Notes

The tightly curled snails of black tea in this sample smell richly of honey with a touch of molasses and malt. There is a deep, rich baked fruit aroma as well.

The first steep was so rich and full bodied. Gorgeous color, and looked so pretty I decided to have it in my silver lined cup from Crimson Lotus.

I had just made zucchini bread with a mystery grain that was in the freezer. It looked a lot like hard white wheat but may have been spelt? I ground it into flour and also was combining two recipes I have made. The bread turned out great. Somehow it was almost like caramelized sugar on the outside even though the new recipe only had 1/4 cup more sugar than the old one, but the extra full cup of flour would have counteracted the sweetness, I would have thought. This bread needed a tea with body and flavor.

I preferred the first steep to the second, but the second was good. I gave most of it to Ashman when he got home from work to go with his slice of zucchini bread. I intend to keep using this flour, keep using this adapted recipe, and make sure I have a hearty tea like this one to go with it.

thereadersteacup

Mmmm zucchini bread… yum! I had a custom blend from Brutaliteas with Golden snail yunnan black tea in it called Scooby snacks that would be perfect with some zucchini bread.

ashmanra

It is a great time of year to make it and toss some in the freezer! Next up is a carrot cake loaf cake – no raisins!

thereadersteacup

Ooooh that’s a great idea!

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As much as I was looking forward to trying this little sample from beerandbeancurd, AJ seems to have an understanding of Earl Greys that necessitates getting to try this tea. That, and Whispering Pines is easily accessible for me in the States, so I gave this packet a good long sniff and taped it up with the ITCC Teas of Nepal box. Safe journeys, little golden Earl. May you enjoy, AJ :)

I’ve tried the ‘regular’ Earl Gold in the distant past and it was lovely. But this smelled divine. Just that whiff absolutely brightened my mood.

beerandbeancurd

Oh, you absolute gem of a meatsack. Godspeed, little snails.

ashmanra

What she said! ^

derk

beerandbeancurd, you vulgar poet <3

and ashmanra, in the words of Kiki when she wants to give me a hug: “C’mere, yeeewwww.” I re-read your note for this tea and against character, voluntarily put myself on a list. I hope the Notify function on WP’s site actually works!

gmathis

Y’all are a mess. (In my vernacular, that’s a compliment of the highest order, usually rendered to a group of 11-year-olds who have reduced me to tears laughing.)

ashmanra

It is back in stock! June 19, 2023.

beerandbeancurd

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

derk

Thank you!

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92

Got a little box full of delight from ashmanra (thank you!) just as Steepster borked itself, so this is a catch up. I was terribly excited to try this shou, as everything from Whispering Pines has positively astonished me thus far.

I think the most surprising thing about this tea is that it isn’t rich or even terribly complex. It’s just so clearly and simply and daintily mushroom. I’ve used “fungal” to describe some other shous, but woo — this just redefined the word for me. It’s a light mushroom, like white button or portobello. Clean, creamy, extremely drinkable. No compost flavor whatsoever — restraint in the piling? Feels respectful of the leaves. This might be a good introduction to ripes for a new drinker.

Flavors: Mushrooms

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From beerandbeancurd – many thanks!

I had this for breakfast thinking it would be heavier on the bergamot than Ashman goes for, but I think this is one he would have liked. Too bad, I drank it all.

Sam and I had hard-boiled egg, toast with jam, and bacon. I actually had rhubarb and raspberry from Fortnum out, sniffed the dry tea leaves, and put it away and took out Burlington Breakfast fine cut marmalade. That’s how special this tea smelled…it had to have just the right pairings.

I expected strong bergamot but instead I got a face-full of the richest, silkiest golden tip tea with strong sweet potato and honey aromas, like a cashmere scarf came out of the pouch a la Bugs Bunny and caressed my cheek. Thus the move to a marmalade that would complement it. The rhubarb and raspberry would have been far too sweet to pair well.

This is a very full bodied tea with what Graham Kerr referred to as “mouth-roundness.” I made two steeps Western. The bergamot was subtle, refined, and elegant.

I went to the website and hit that NOTIFY ME button so fast…

beerandbeancurd

Ah, I love this note! The bergamot has calmed down so much, just since I first opened it. I had a cup the other day and it was more like your experience. So lush.

ashmanra

Lush is a good descriptor for this tea!

Whispering Pines Tea Company

Glad to see this getting love :) it will return soon! <3

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60

TTB Review #55: Well, I was certainly very skeptical upon seeing “wet rocks” listed among the flavors. Smelling it…why, yes, it does remind me of wet rocks! Wet leaves is another apt description. Tree bark, mud, musky grass. The taste isn’t as harsh – woody, nutty, and with just a hint of wet rocks. Despite wondering if I’m drinking puddle water, I kind of like it!

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87

Sample from Brendan. This is a beautiful black, an easy winner for breakfast. I don’t know what the exact blend is, but the citrus notes almost hit like a Keemun, or… familiar and light like the orange pekoe tea bags of my youth, too, but that seems insulting as it’s far more. Strappy brown bread, malt, cocoa, marmalade, toast, whispers of minerality. There was a flit of floral perfume on the steaming leaves that I couldn’t pin down before it vanished. My split-second thought was rose, but I don’t think that’s it. Suffice it to say, this manages to be both familiar and interesting.

Flavors: Bread, Citrus, Cocoa, Floral, Malt, Mineral, Molasses, Toast

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87

Brought this tea with me to Utah while visiting family this past week or so. I was so gooped to see that I still had some of this squirreled away! I almost left this behind in my cupboard, but I am trying to break the habit of letting particularly precious teas hide away until the either go stale or I completely forget and move on. Like the saying, “If you love them let them go,” but more like, “If you love them, DRINK EM FRESH.”

This tea still had it’s intense sweet maple candy aroma and woodsy scent on the dry leaf, carrying over to the subsequent steeps. So intoxicating! I grampa’d and gongfu’d this whenever I got bored of WP’s Silver Snail. I was able to continually brew this tea for a whole day/6-7 steeps damn near every time. The scent of the candy cap mushrooms didn’t fade a bit over the years, and dominated the first 4 steeps each time. The cocoa and woodland notes of the black tea only made for an exciting combination. I’ll be sad when i finish this one, but so glad to have been able to enjoy it as much as I did.

Flavors: Candy, Cocoa, Maple, Mushrooms, Wet Wood

beerandbeancurd

Oof. Whispering Pines kinda blowing my mind. This sounds amazing.

MiepSteep

I know it’s a long shot, but I would be over the moon if this was ever remade. Brendan is a master at blending!

beerandbeancurd

If the “want it” list is any indication, he’d have a virtual line out the door.

derk

Grateful I got to try this one. So many blends of the past I missed out on.

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98

Morning birthday cuppa yesterday. I was so happy to open the cupboard and see this still unopened, it felt like a gift. The tiny dry leaves were so beautiful, brown and yellow and places in between… and dense! I stopped at 5g in my 5oz pot, where 7g is my go-to for most things. The very first steep poured a crisp chestnut color, noticeably reddish. Later steeps lost the red and were more brown.

This little love needed no warm-up before the magic happened — the first steep was a symphony. And it seemed every flavor was detectable on the nose and in the mouth… remarkable. Reminded me of golden snails with extra tucked-away gems to discover. Toast, roast, umami, saltines, nuts, brown bread, seaweed, cocoa, malt, molasses… ripe strawberry and caramel at the bottom of the cup. Incredibly smooth. Some tannins finally popped in the third or so, and they were as delightful as everything else.

Because they were closed yesterday, we are heading over to Callisto Tea House in Pasadena today, for a gong fu session (and probably some plant-based goodies, who am I kidding). I’m pretty excited to share some tea outside my home and see what I learn today.

Flavors: Bread, Caramel, Cocoa, Cracker, Malt, Molasses, Roasty, Salt, Seaweed, Strawberry, Tannin, Toast, Umami

Preparation
5 g 5 OZ / 147 ML
gmathis

Anything I have ever tried from Whispering Pines has been superb.

Kelmishka

Happy belated birthday! May the celebrations continue today. :)

Kaylee

Happy belated birthday!

beerandbeancurd

Thanks, y’all! And, gmathis, yes — I’m considering embarking on a hunt for the dud in Brendan’s offerings, hahaha! IT MUST EXIST.

Daylon R Thomas

Happy belated birthday! Well, the duds are subjective and depends on your preferences. I like all of them, and Imperial North Winds is honestly my top one.

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79

Visited my family this past week, and my parents still have this tea in a ceramic canister in the back of their pantry. To my surprise, this tea has aged really well since I first left it there years ago. It’s taken on more of a floral front on the dry leaf, which carries itself to the brew. Almost thought that it was jasmine tea for a minute! I grampa’d and gongfu’d this tea all throughout the day during my visit, super content with each steep. There was a bit of astringency with the earlier steeps each time I brewed, but by the third of fourth time around most of the bitter sting was flushed out. Maybe it’s good that I slept on this tea, it’s only gotten better with age.

Flavors: Astringent, Floral, Jasmine, Oats

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92

Had the last of my ~5 months old sample this morning, and the bergamot was… missing. Hmm. It remained a solid and tasty black snail, but that glorious bouquet had up and spirited away.

It makes me a bit nervous about the four(!) ounces I just received. I had moved the earlier batch to a sealed glass container; I’ll leave this next one in its mylar, drink studiously, and hope for the best.

By best I mean gloriously nekkid barrel-aged angels bergamoting all over the place. Fingers crossed.

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92

Bergamot has settled quite a bit since I first opened this bag. Super lush and velvety. J’adore.

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92

Jeezo.

I sniffed the open bag and started laughing, as I haven’t been this overwhelmed by bergamot oil since I was a kid and every sip of Earl Grey tasted like an exotic perfume.

This feels like travel — waking up and teetering down creaky steps to breakfast in the UK. The proprietor’s homemade marmalade and fresh brown bread, hoofed back from the bakery before sunrise; a barely-sweet mug of cocoa on the generations-old oak table; that cozy buzz before heading out into an overcast day of wood beams and lichen-stone and drizzle and history.

Flavors: Bread, Brown Toast, Cocoa, Oak, Orange Zest

ashmanra

I love this note!

gmathis

Top ten reasons to <3 Steepster: you people can write!

beerandbeancurd

Aw, y’all sweet. This tea, though!

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85

Sipdown 47

This definitely got more delicious as it got older and closer to the bottom of the bag. Really lovely combination of woody cedar and smooth, creamy vanilla.

derk

I wish Whispering Pines would recreate some of the blends of past!

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85

The first time I tried this I didn’t care for it, so I stashed it in a drawer and forgot about it. That was about 2 years ago, and I just dug it back out again. With some aging, the vanilla has become so strong, with just a touch of cedar. The oolong is bright green and fresh, with a pop of lilac. Really interesting base combined with the vanilla and cedar.

beerandbeancurd

Oof, these are my flavor friends. Sounds amazing.

Dustin

I love it when a tea ages well and develops into something I really enjoy!

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88

A truly delightful tea!

Warm smell was baked bread with a subtle chocolate note.

Brew was dark mahogany and deceptively rich. Texture was layered and smooth and full.

Taste was different than the smell in the first steep: very sweet. Baked fruit of some kind. Hard to pin down what it truly compares to. I love that in a ripe.

Second steep was more of the same but with a slightly silkier texture and more of a milk chocolate vibe. Very sweet with a savory rich undertone.

Third steep: More of the same with slightly less texture. Same persistent sweet note that goes in and out of being milk chocolatey or some kind of baked fruit kind of quality.

Fourth steep: more of the same even still, which was great, though even less texture. However, the taste was still on point.

Fifth steep: Soft and Minerally. Leaves are done (for my preferences).

I did push this one pretty good each steep, so I didn’t get as many steeps as is maybe possible. I had 10-11g in a clay pot and started with an ~ 30s, 20s, 30s, 1 min approach. The fine grade of leaf had mostly given up the goods by this point, which I’m more than thankful for! The brews were full of delicious complexity and texture. Very tasty and delightful experience with some gentle cha qi.

Preparation
11 g 130 OZ / 3844 ML

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92

Extremely interesting and compelling brew!

I put like 10-12g in a clay pot and hit it hard. Warm smell was very unique, so I knew something excellent was incoming.

The brew is super smooth and rich, with a lot going on. Thick and textured. There’s definitely fruity and vanilla notes to the taste, but it’s not overly sweet per se. It’s more darkly rich with bright notes dancing around the core richness. Complex and delightful.

6 steeps of ripe perfection. Nothing to say other than that this tea is really fucking good. 10/10. It’s better than most offerings from larger tea vendors.

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Found this sample tucked away in a tin in the back of my cupboard. wasn’t entirely sure what blend it was until i saw the iconic patterned morel mushroom bits. It has been a long time since this tea was sampled out to me, but I was excited to dive into it.

After a quick rinse and a couple of flash steeps it’s clear that this tea is still kickin’. Silky smooth without being too muddy, the shou is a good base to match the morel’s umami. This tea is without a doubt, savory. There’s a hint of cinnamon, herb, and petrichor that marries the mushroom in a way that made me think of beef stroganoff. But in a tasty way. each infusion of the leaves made a thick soup (almost literally here lol) that I thoroughly enjoyed, despite it’s forgotten about storage.

Did I pick out the morel mushroom pieces and cook them with my quinoa that night? You bet your shou pu I did.

Flavors: Mushrooms

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80

I had a small cup left of this swap from Shae, and it brewed up sweet and light, like vanilla cotton candy. What an enjoyable cup, I wish it was available on the Whispering Pines web site. Thanks for sharing Shae!

Flavors: Sweet, Vanilla

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It’s always nice to get tea from Whispering Pines, since shipping costs from the U.S. to Canada are so high. Thanks to Daylon for the generous sample! I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of water at 195F for 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some uncounted steeps.

The dry aroma is hard to pin down, with elements that remind me of cranberry, grape, hay, malt, tobacco, tomato vine, and wood. It smells like a wild Yunnan tea, if that’s helpful. The first steep has notes of earth, forest floor, minerals, grapes, squash, honey, hay, malt, and wood. The next steep is sweeter, with molasses, tobacco, bread, red grapes, cranberries, pine, and maybe some spices. In the third and fourth steeps, I get bread, honey, sweet potato, raisins, hay, malt, cream, pine, earth, smoke, wood, and minerals, and the tea is a bit drying. The aftertaste is particularly sweet, though this is a savoury tea overall. I get berry and cherry notes in the next couple steeps, and the tea is a bit sweeter. As the session goes on, the tea becomes more like a standard Yunnan tea, with notes of bread, honey, pine, tannins, malt, and wood. The final steeps feature malt, wood, tannins, minerals, honey, and raisins, with some red grape sneaking in on the longer steeps.

This is a rustic, wild Yunnan tea that is nonetheless nuanced and complex. Its sweet, earthy flavours really do evoke a forest, particularly in the first few steeps, and I had fun trying to detect everything that was going on. I don’t usually gravitate toward these types of teas, but would highly recommend this one.

Flavors: Bread, Cherry, Cranberry, Cream, Earth, Forest Floor, Grapes, Hay, Honey, Malt, Mineral, Molasses, Pine, Raisins, Smoke, Spices, Squash, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Tannin, Tobacco, Tomato, Wood

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 6 g 4 OZ / 120 ML
Daylon R Thomas

I’m really glad you appreciate that one. I love having it on a rare occasion, but I have to really sit down to enjoy the tea fully. IF I rush it, it’s just an earthy black tea.

Leafhopper

Agreed! I’ve had two sessions with this tea, and on the first, less attentive one, it tasted like a Yunnan purple tea to me. I paid more attention during the review session and got more out of the leaf.

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