Rivendell

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.

I’m a sucker for hints of cedar in my less oxidized teas, especially when vanilla is in the mix. It’s the reason I bite the bullet and buy blends like Bellocq’s overpriced White Wolf. It’s also why I decided to order from Whispering Pines again, one month later. I’ve been meaning to try this tea for years. Also, no one told me WP carries Taiwanese Assam and Wild Mountain. Hello again, long lost friends.

It’s been a while since I read or watched LotR, but isn’t Rivendell essentially a spa retreat hidden away in the middle of misty mountain wilderness (with elves)? That’s this tea to a “T” (although, possibly minus the pretty elves). This cup and hot springs are meant for each other.

Main flavour notes are vanilla, cedar, fruity pear, vegetal somethings, floral fruit blossoms, cedar, citrus, frankincense (sort of like eucalyptus/mint but sweeter/muskier and with more tree resin). Floral berry aftertaste like cherry and/or pear blossoms and chocolate.

I oversteeped the second steep just a tad and now it smells a little like banana runts. Still good though.

Steep Count: 3

Aroma: Awesome
Taste: Nice
Flavours: Great mix, but a bit too mixed up
Recommendation: Yes, at a good price.

Smelled amazing, but the taste was just a bit off!

Here’s Hoping Traveling Teabox – Round #5 – Tea #9
I just watched the third Hobbit movie the other day. :D Happy to see this one in the teabox to try! Oolong and Tahitian vanilla? sure! And boy is this an oolong fit for those elves. It’s like nectar of flowers… and fruit… and this lovely vanilla and this oolong is so smooth. The fruits sometimes seem like pear and peach and cherry. So so good & gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve tried an Anxi Ben Shan before… but I think I remember Ali Shan being very fruity and mostly pear. I’m not sure what these cedar leaves bring to the table, but nothing that doesn’t fit with this cup. I couldn’t think of a better name for this one either. I just love the creamy floral fruitiness of it.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug// 15 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 7 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 3-4 minute steep

i received this tea the other day. i open it up and i tell you the aromatics are great with the smell of the vanilla, white chocolate and i think cedar. i gong fu’d this and went about 8 infusions in, probably 2 too many, but it was still a good yield i thought. what i believe to be vanilla and cedar “dust” lines the inside of the bag and comes out fairly heavily as sediment, so use your strainer! im a big tolkien fan however i have yet to read the silmarillion or the lotr trilogy, terrible i know, but i dont mind since i have something to look forward to. ps. i’ve read the hobbit multiple times.. its a good ol book.

from what i remember the first infusion- to me, was one of the best (5 or so sec) it was light and floral and sweet in a natural sort of way. the second and third became more robust and unfortunately i lost some of that sweetness, but the tea in itself is so nice i was happy with what i got. to me it gives more natural sweetness (like a sweet water) than a floral sweetness.. i could be wrong on that, i must drink moar.

i used the recommended brewing tips provided by wp ( will have to mess with the stats.) i will try to flash brew this western style, and full infusion ws. im also coldbrewing the spent leaves to take everything out of this awesome tea.

i must add: i think there is a bit too much cedar in the mix for me.

From the Here’s Hoping TTB R5,

I don’t know if this tea is just old or not to my taste but I didn’t particularly enjoy this cup, which is sad in a way because I’ve been looking forward to trying WP vanilla teas.

There’s also something in this tea that made my throat very scratchy and swell up. It was not fun. I didn’t even attempt a 2nd steep. =(

I gong fu brewed this with the directions on the Whispering Pines website. One last tea time with Dinosara before she’s officially moved!
Steep 1: Vanilla, sweet midsip, florals. Cedar on the out. Sugar aftertaste
Steep 2: Perfume with vanilla in it in the aroma cup. Way sweeter, very vanilla. Still cedar on the breath out. Oolong opening up.
Steep 3: Pretty much the same as the last steep. maybe a bit more cedary.
Steep 4: Still very nice. The mid tones seem to be falling out, I think the oolong is starting to go over.
Steep 5: Fading, for sure. The vanilla and sugar seem to be all that is left.
Steep 6: Same as above, but maybe more green.

You know, I can tell this is a really good tea. It would make a good perfume, but I’m not blown away. It’s super tasty, and I thoroughly enjoy drinking it, but I don’t feel like I NEED it, like a few of the other floral teas that I’m currently in love with. It’s not disappointing, and maybe I’m glad I’m not in love, because it’s expensive, but I’m glad I got a chance to try it and I will enjoy drinking it down.
Edit: I threw the spent leaves in a cold brew pitcher for about 15 hours and it came out very tasty! Floral, almost juicy light fruit, like a white peach, maybe? Pretty sweet for spent leaves, this tea has a lot to give!

Beware The following review includes insight about me:
Whispering Pines is a dangerous company because it is so easily to spend all of your tea budget (or more) very quickly without noticing; and there is no regret behind such a choice! I had this tea on my wish list just because it sounded cool, I didn’t intend to purchase it but once I saw it was in stock and someone was wanting it I went ahead and purchased it so I could split it with them. I will admit it was kind of unfair to do such a thing without asking them first… but they wanted it and agreed. I really like when I am able to help others on their tea journey.

Since this is a hard to get ahold of tea and I have a low quantity, I have saved this for a special occasion. Tonight is very special for quite a few people and I am not ashamed to admit I am one of them. You may laugh, but I have been in for this to happen for years: Tonight is the last episode of Degrassi on Nick. I first watched this show in junior high as a requirement in a Life Skills class. Ever since then I have just watched it as it came out. So yes, I have watched this show for over 10 years just as I have listened to Linkin Park. There is a part of me that is emotional over the aspect of what is happening with this show as I have followed it for so long. The series finale is going to occur tonight and it will be accompanied by this tea.
Whispering Pines and I have some interesting history… first of all, I somehow was lucky enough to randomly be on the side and purchase a Black Fight Box which I took to Tokyo with me. How funny is it that I was in Tokyo drinking black tea from Whispering Pines while others were drinking 2015 shincha?

So what is this tea like?
Well, it is the combination of the vibe that I get while I am in a hookah bar and the taste oolong that was roasted in some sort of butter cream ‘stuff’…
Maybe I am weird, but I find the aroma to be a bit odd and the taste to be splendid.
Like I said, Whispering Pines’ orders come s with no regret : )

This tea is the reason why I went over budget. This is why I am going to be much more careful with my tea selection. And this tea is important to me. I was just starting to get into Tie Guan Yin’s and oolongs became my new obsession. I wondered if there were any that were Lord of the Rings themed, and low and behold, I find an entire community devoted to all things tea, and the very first review in my sight was Rivendell. This is the tea that introduced me to Steepster, and the oolong that I was determined to try. Like many have said before, it’s named Rivendell, and it has to deliver the promise of a cup from Middle Earth. I waited over a year. I missed some times it was back in stock. Now, I have it.

Does it deliver on the hype? Not quite, but almost. I’m sorry, but it just didn’t. The Tie Guan Yin from Mandala tasted very similar to this, and it is significantly cheaper-cheaper by seven dollars per ounce. It has the same notes, nuances, and aroma in the first steep. I may have gotten lucky with the Mandala sample, being a spring harvest one, and being from a good year. I understand that the majority of the cost is because of the quality of Tie Guan Yin, which can be one of the most expensive teas in the world, and the quality of the Tahitian vanilla bean and cedar leaves. On top of those huge expenses, this product is in very little supply, and there is a tremendous demand for it as clearly apparent on this very site and the frequent times that it is out of stock. Yet the woodsy cedar and vanilla notes are ones that can be found in a high quality Tie Guan Yin-the later steeps are the more complex ones that allow this tea to be different from others. Nevertheless, the price remains as my main point of criticism.

Otherwise, it certainly is a drink that Lord Elrond would offer. It is very Elvish, smelling and tasting like described. The Vanilla and Cedar are the dominant scents and flavors in the tea, with the Tie Guan Yin’s natural orchid, creamy sweetness blending both scent and flavor together. Brenden’s description if pretty accurate. Again, Cedar and Vanilla are immediate. Lilac, or orchid, takes the previous two together and grinds them both with minerals. Caramel is more in the smell. Cherry and chocolate are approximately there, but you really have to search for them. The last three or two steeps really brings out the cherry, and the final one is like pine nut and mint, or menthol. It is a very light tea, and like any Tie Guan Yin, the taste is delicate but distinct. The most impressive aspect of this tea is that it is able to yield the same floral relish of a Gongfu in five western style brewed cups, which partially staves off the price in reusability. I actually let the later steeps soak in for 20-45 seconds more than recommended and got more flavor though this is western.

I thoroughly enjoy this tea. If it weren’t for the incredible price, this tea would have probably been one of the best I’ve had, and one of my favorites. I am very glad that I have it and pretty satisfied that I do, because the quest to have it finally ended in full circle, and it’s a good cup. This is the tea I would have given a 100 to, and this is my tea 100, the hundredth cup I’ve reviewed, the first cup that I saw on this site.

Now, for the audience that this tea aims for. You have to be a fan of Tolkien to fully enjoy this tea, or a huge fan of Tie Guan Yin oolongs and lighter teas. This is the must try tea for you guys, and probably no one else. Because the taste is so delicate, and so specific to Rivendell, a person who prefers stronger teas, someone who has no idea who Tolkien is, or someone who is newer to the over active imagination that is tea tasting would be severely underwhelmed. And if you are in a rush, you cannot possibly savor this tea. You’ll be reminded of the stark reality that you are just drinking a flowery glass of water. You have to slow yourself down, and travel to Middle Earth. You must let go, and allow yourself to escape.