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drank The Ranger, Spring 2019 by Whispering Pines Tea Company
1637 tasting notes

This blend of wild purple black tea and lapsang souchong has a character that is deliberate —purposefully rustic yet refined. It reminds me of a gentleman from a world forgotten sitting in leather saddle in command of his horse. The lapsang souchong pulls the reigns on the wild purple black tea’s unrestrained energy and guides it into a respectable trot. There is a full flavor and body in the sip followed by cleansing tannins on the swallow but it seemingly cannot be oversteeped. Intriguing, buoyant mix of flavors with campfire, jerky, leather, wildberries and muscatel, dry grass, cocoa/cocoa butter and lemon-citrus. There’s certainly a lot I’m missing, like once I think I have a grasp on a certain flavor, it gets pulled back into the fold. The smokiness is moderate. It feels like that found in wild teas, rather than a heavily smoked lapsang souchong. The aftertaste lingers and I think that is where my imagination begins to unfold.

I like when a tea can both prod at my mind’s eye and be a functional, energetic brew.

Flavors: Berries, Campfire, Camphor, Citrus, Cocoa, Dry Grass, Leather, Lemon, Meat, Mineral, Muscatel, Nectar, Oak, Rose, Tannin

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 295 ML
6 comments
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gmathis
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Memory fails me so I don’t have a name handy, but it sounds like you are describing the very easy-on-the-eyes buckskin guy from “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman!”

ashmanra
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Gmathis – I don’t know his name but I know exactly of whom you speak!

derk
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Sully? The main reason my stepmom watched the show.

Nattie
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Interesting, I saw the Lapsang as the horse…

Nattie
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Just googled the guy and I may start watching that show :’D

Kawaii433
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My Steeper email is very wishywashy but just wanted to thank you for the gift! I love a great matcha. <3

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Comments

gmathis
Delete

Memory fails me so I don’t have a name handy, but it sounds like you are describing the very easy-on-the-eyes buckskin guy from “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman!”

ashmanra
Delete

Gmathis – I don’t know his name but I know exactly of whom you speak!

derk
Delete

Sully? The main reason my stepmom watched the show.

Nattie
Delete

Interesting, I saw the Lapsang as the horse…

Nattie
Delete

Just googled the guy and I may start watching that show :’D

Kawaii433
Delete

My Steeper email is very wishywashy but just wanted to thank you for the gift! I love a great matcha. <3

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. Yet I persist.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, and Nepal. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possesses off flavor/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s puerh, I likely think it needs more age.

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Sonoma County, California, USA

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