Thanks 221tea for the sample! I think this is officially my first blend from Whispering Pines? I hope I made a good choice, heh…
The amount of cinnamon chips in this intimidates me a little bit to be perfectly honest: I like my cinnamon in moderation and this looks like it could potentially be fairly overwhelming. Steeped up though it seems harmless enough, inviting even.
Taste wise this is much more mellow and gentle than I was bracing myself for. I almost wish it packed a bit more of a punch because while the apple, cinnamon, and oolong components can all be checked off and marked as present they’re sorta those classroom “ruffians” who sit in the back row where the teacher can’t notice them as clearly. And, when that’s the way all the flavour notes in the tea are behaving it doesn’t really work too splendidly. Someone has to be in the front.
I guess if I’d have to name a more dominant flavour it would be the apple? It’s slightly more noticeable than everything else in the aftertaste as you swallow the liquor: but only fleetingly.
So to summarize: I’m finding this a touch weak and it’s not what I wanted or expected but it’s still pretty good – definitely drinkable. I have one more cup left and since it’s about the same leaf amount as this one increasingly the leaf to up the flavour isn’t as viable an option so I’m probably going to see if I can push the flavour out a bit more by slightly extending the steep time.
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Cinnamon really terrifies me in tea, sadly. I love cinnamon, it just doesn’t work in teas. Do you want ALL cinnamon in moderation, though, in (for example) baked goods as well?
You can get 5+ infusions from the one :) also, i not sire if you knew this, but the apple notes are natural notes coming from the oolong, which is why they aren’t more intense.
^To add. Try steeping for 5 minutes instead of the recommended 2
Wow, my not-out-of-bed-or-awake yet comments are totally not helpful. Haha :)
What I meant to say is that because the apple notes are natural notes in the oolong, increasing the steep time would be a great choice because these notes will be accentuated by the longer steep time :)
Cinnamon really terrifies me in tea, sadly. I love cinnamon, it just doesn’t work in teas. Do you want ALL cinnamon in moderation, though, in (for example) baked goods as well?
You can get 5+ infusions from the one :) also, i not sire if you knew this, but the apple notes are natural notes coming from the oolong, which is why they aren’t more intense.
^To add. Try steeping for 5 minutes instead of the recommended 2
Wow, my not-out-of-bed-or-awake yet comments are totally not helpful. Haha :)
What I meant to say is that because the apple notes are natural notes in the oolong, increasing the steep time would be a great choice because these notes will be accentuated by the longer steep time :)