Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Chinese Black Tea
Flavors
Dark Bittersweet, Dark Chocolate, Apple, Caramel, Honey, Smooth, Sweet, Berries, Candied Apple, Malt, Cacao, Leather, Raisins, Brown Sugar, Sweet Potatoes, Toasty, Yams, Bread, Butter, Cocoa, Fruity, Molasses, Nuts, Plum, Spices, Toasted, Citrus, Earth, Almond, Anise, Black Pepper, Camphor, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Ginger, Licorice, Mineral, Orange, Pine, Roasted Nuts, Smoke, Wood, Brown Toast, Candy, Dried Fruit, Chocolate, Pepper, Tobacco, Floral, Olive Oil, Creamy, Burnt Sugar, Cream, Cherry, Red Wine, Rose, Rosehips, Autumn Leaf Pile, Flowers, Grapes, Butternut Squash, Blackberry, Herbs, Jam, Dates
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
High
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Shanie O Maniac
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 15 sec 5 g 10 oz / 284 ml

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130 Tasting Notes View all

From Whispering Pines Tea Company

About the Tea
Ailaoshan Black Tea is one of the most breathtaking teas I have had the chance to indulge in. This tea is grown at over 2000 meters above sea level and shrouded in warm mist nearly year-round. It is harvested from tea bushes that have been cultivated on the edge of one of the most diverse subtropical ecosystems in the world — The Ailao Mountains (Ailaoshan) Nature Preserve. This nature preserve is home to at least 550 plant species and 460 animal species, including the black gibbon and bengal tiger.

Harvested in mid-spring of each year, Ailaoshan Black Tea is carefully processed and carries a warm aroma of toasted cocoa and caramelized plum. At first taste, a range of fruit notes can be identified amongst the delicious cocoa and caramel undertones. The most noticible fruit note is that of caramelized plum, followed shortly by a mix of black currant and longan fruit. A savory quality is experienced at mid-sip as well as in the aftertaste, and salted caramel with a hint of roasted fruit lingers on past the last sip. This is a truly memorable cup of tea and will please any connoisseur of rare and extraordinary black teas!

Notes
Toasted Cocoa
Caramelized Plum
Black Currant
Longan Fruit
Salted Caramel

How to brew the perfect cup:
Steep 1/2 tablespoon of leaves in 8 ounces of boiling water for 3 minutes.
2nd infusion: 5 minutes
3rd infusion: 8 minutes

https://whisperingpinestea.com/products/ailaoshan-black

About Whispering Pines Tea Company View company

Whispering Pines Tea Company is dedicated to bringing you the most original, pure, beautiful tea blends. We use only the highest quality ingredients available to create additive-free teas teas inspired by the pristine wilderness of Northern Michigan. Our main focus is on customer satisfaction and quality.

130 Tasting Notes

100
Recommended
1118 tasting notes

Goodness, this is an excellent tea. It’s biscuity with deep cocoa notes. There’s also a nuttiness and a smooth, sweet caramel finish. I lowered my water temp to 205° F, and it kept the tea from having any astringency. This is probably the way I’ll prepare this one from now on. It really is delicious. I think I fall in love with this tea a bit more each time I drink it.

I’m bumping my rating up to 100. This is a tea I adore.

(previous rating 98)
Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
20 comments
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MzPriss
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I love this one too

Veronica
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I have four teas rated at 100, and three of them are from Whispering Pines. I might be addicted. :)

MzPriss
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Yeah, it’s a problem. I have the same problem with Mandala and Verdant too

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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This makes me smile :) So happy that you’re all enjoying my stuff! :D

MzPriss
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Good stuff.

Marzipan
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I need this one!

Veronica
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@Brenden – I totally agree with MzPriss, good stuff. :)

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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:) I’m excited for the good stuff that will be released on July 1st! :)

Veronica
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@MzPriss – You and kimquat have me hooked on Mandala. Thank you. ;-)

MzPriss
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You are very welcome. It’s good stuff too. And Garret is awesome.

Veronica
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Stuff that was out of stock or new stuff? Or both?

MzPriss
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Marzipan – you really do. Reeeeely

Veronica
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Oh mercy. I made a new deal with myself that I will only make one online order a month. Looks like July will go to Whispering Pines. :)

Marzipan
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It was out of stock last time there was a % off code. :(

MzPriss
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That’s because it’s so f-ing good

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Truth! I have never sold out of a tea faster than this one!

Veronica
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Yeah, I have no doubt there will be a rush on this one again. Too many of us only bought one ounce last time. Won’t make that mistake again! I want to try the Bi Luo Chun, too!

TheTeaFairy
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Hehe…that’s why I hoarded on it…muahahaha!!!

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42 tasting notes

I just slipped this into our sample section for those of you that want to try before buying. To buy it by the ounce, though, you’ll have to wait until the 1st! :)

http://whisperingpinestea.com/samples.html

Having a cup now since I love it so much. Always hits the spot with that salted caramel note :D

Enjoy!
31 comments
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Ost
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You guys would add that after I already ordered a sample pack xD Well whenever I put in a real order anyway I plan on ordering that…but still xD

Cameron B.
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Same here, Ost. I’m now considering a second sample pack… Hm…

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Haha, Ost, well it just now arrived! :) Are you order #139?

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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You could just trust me that it’s awesome and wait… ;)

Stephanie
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YOU DO SAMPLES? places order right now

TeaTiff
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Yay! This was the tea I was waiting for to make a full blown order. I just ordered a sample pack to try a few others before ordering as well.

TeaTiff
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Yay! This was the tea I was waiting for to make a full blown order. I just ordered a sample pack to try a few others before ordering as well.

Cameron B.
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I was surprised at the number of people who didn’t know that you offer samples when I posted about receiving them in the mail. You need to add them to your front page or something!

Stephanie
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Aww booo one of the ones I want to try is sold out. I wait :)

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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That’s a good idea, Cameron! I’ll have to figure something out. Maybe make one of my banner images about samples. :)

Sorry this wasn’t in when you placed your sample order today, TeaTiff! Hope you enjoy your samples though! :D

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Which tea are you looking at, Stephanie? I can get you an ETA for most of my out of stock teas :)

Stephanie
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I want to try one with pine needles in it! :D

Ost
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Heh, am I order #139? I don’t remember. xD Probably? I ordered two sample packs. The free shipping got me on that one…I love free shipping. xD

Cameron B.
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Stephanie, from what I could tell they don’t offer everything as a sample. There were some that I wanted to try that were in-stock but just weren’t on the sample list. I was assuming they were teas that they have limited stock or sell out of fast.

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Ahhh don’t we all :) Well, let me tell you…I harvest the pine once a month and the stock is very limited. So on July 1st, the moment the newsletter goes out, probably around 10-12 ounces of The Sleeping Bear will be available. Once it’s gone, you’ll have to wait until August harvest to get another chance :)

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Ost, yes, we all love free shipping I think! It’s free after $50 on regular orders in the states, after $75 in Canada.

And yes, Cameron is right, we only offer 10 samples and they are all based on availability. Many of our teas, we just don’t have enough inventory to offer samples.

Stephanie
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I’ll remember to look for it the first of the month then…thanks!

Cameron B.
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I can definitely understand that. Luckily for me, most of the ones I’m interested in are fairly inexpensive. :D

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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No worries, Stephanie! :)

Cameron, I’m glad you like our prices! :)

Marzipan
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Brendan is like the Rene Redzepi of the tea world :)

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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That is a HUGE compliment, Marzipan, and I plan to continue striving for excellence and createavity :D

TheTeaFairy
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Yay, let’s get some more Ailaoshan Love :-)

Marzipan
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Ack it auto corrected your name wrong :(

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Ahh no worries :) I must spend less time on here or I’ll end up spilling the beans on new secret blends. I’m terrible at keeping secrets as long as I plan to. Lol

mj
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AAAAHHHH I didn’t know about the samples! I just ordered some :-)

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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:) Yay! I’ll have that sent out tomorrow :)

MzPriss
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This just decided me on the first tea of the morning. I love this one!

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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Mmmm I might have to have this one this morning too!

MzPriss
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Just finished mine. Managed to not lick the inside of the cup when it was empty. I had a cup of coffee :O first but I NEEDED tea. This particular tea.

Whispering Pines Tea Company
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:) I just had a weird moment when I thought about this tea, I could smell it. Need to make this right now!

Nicole
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NEED more! :)

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