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This tea was meant for Gong Fu. So much better at a 10 second rinse, followed by 15 second steep, then 30, then minute. Tobacco, leather, and caramel notes play together in a nice balanced way. Malty with a little bit of cocoa and some definite pollen like tastes. This tea is for cigar and hookah smokers. If you add vanilla or cherry, you get those flavored tobacco. Adding those ingredients would make an awesome tea.

Way better in less time. 5-6 ounces of water with a smaller portion of leaves. I eyeballed the leaves and there were eleven balls at most, maybe less at eight. The ten second rinse was really sweet: it had the cream brulee note that a lot of ginseng oolongs are described to have. I got it again in the first steep at about 15 seconds. I steeped it again for near 20, then 30, then 45, 1 minute, two minutes. Midway, I get some herbs and woodsiness, and later I’m getting more of a peach note typical of a greener oolong. I enjoy this one more now despite my rating being but one point higher than the previous note. I will drink this one more often then before, but I think it’s more of an afternoon or morning tea. Still a great pre-workout.

I know this is a weird turn of a rating considering I gave it a 95 before. For whatever reason, I haven’t been able to get the same taste as I did the first time. The cocoa, mushrooms, leaf piles, broth, and creaminess are all still there. But the maple sweetness is gone. This is due to how I’ve been making it, but even when I follow the directions, I’ve gotten a much blander tea. Maybe I’m not using enough leaves, or drowning it in too much water, or over-soaking by few seconds. Another reason could just be preferences because I’m leaning towards oolongs now more than any other tea. Then I must be very picky with aged teas.

I still recommend this tea for those looking for a creamy, good quality pu-erh blend, but it’s otherwise been mediocre for me. I also don’t recommend it for new drinkers, because it may taste like the dish water of plates covered by chocolate chip pancakes. Unfortunately, both the romantic description of maple, nuts, wood, cocoa and the unappealing broth of dish water are equally accurate.

This remains as a good quality tea. It just require really careful brewing which you’d expect out of any Whispering Pines Tea. I’ve also become more preferential. Not snobby, just preferential. You’d think that I’m more snobby or persnickety for not enjoying a tea out of being harder to please. But I’m really not that hard to please in terms of tea, and I actually think that there’s an element of refinement and snobbery in enjoying aged teas (though oolong drinkers can be REALLY hard to please because their preferred tea type is so particular and complex, while black tea drinkers can become classical snobs-and I’m totally both).

Rant end.

Thick, creamy, sweet, and intensely malty fudge is what this tastes like. I steeped it for three, then five, and finally eight minutes and I am fairly impressed with this tea. I should have done it Gong Fu to get what other sweet notes are hiding.

I am also very tempted to use my last vanilla bean on this because that would make it even more dessert like. The tea is great on it’s own anyway.

The malt in it is very similar to the Sun Moon Lake Assam, but it is not nearly as astringent followed more by a slightly citrus finishing taste. As for the fudge note, it’s more like a medium milk to dark milk chocolate fudge that is more fudgey and less chocolaty.

Highly recommend.

I have had the bagged version of this tea, and it is good with cream and sugar, but depends on cream and sugar. Otherwise way to strong, astringent, and dehydrating.

I love dark chocolate and this is what this taste likes. There’s even a berry note that sticks out ever once in a while. It’s actually pretty similar to Whispering Pines Ailoashan, only that one has more fruitiness. This one has a greater amount of dark chocolate. I am going to have to try this again Gong Fu to discover whatever notes I missed.

…8 days later, and it is definitely good either Gong Fu or Western. Started with 30 seconds and upped by smell and impulse. Could work at 15 if you used more leaves.

This tea has a wide appeal: black tea lovers, newer drinkers, experienced drinkers, and chocolate lovers.

Really interesting. Definitely roasted with a progressive cashew nuttiness, followed by an intense sweetness. Actually reminded me of a sweeter Dan Cong with notes of riper fruits like a very ripe banana or a plantain. Some might be off put by the ripe fruit sweetness. This tea is clearly from an older plant giving it a lot of complexity that some may or may not detect. More for connoisseurs and the adventurous, really.

As for me, I’m not sure if I’m in love with it. I’d love it if I’m in the mood for it.