Port

This is a really unique and tasty tea blend :)
The aroma is Amazing, the wonderful sweet clean sects of Vanilla and Saffron, best enjoyed with a long, slow sniff, Mmmmmm…
On the first sip of Port I was greeted with the wonderful sweet flavors of the Vanilla and Saffron that I had just been enjoying sniffs of and I was just lost, for a minute there all of my thoughts and others concerns kinda went out the window, I was just in a peaceful state of bliss.
The taste of the first steep was a perfect reflection of the aroma and just so good, it is kinda hard to describe. Second and third Steeps were even better and I was able to taste more of the Tea itself, nice and bold slightly malty, a nice solid tea that seems to be pleasantly “softened” by the taste of the Vanilla and Saffron, which is still so hard to describe.
I was able to get 6 nice infusions from this one with no problem at all, the flavors really held up well untill abut the 4th infusion but even then 5 and 6 were still quite tastey.
This Tea to me was awesome and Like I had said before Hard to Describe, I know exactly how it tastes to me but I hard a had time to put it in words to type but Heres the best I could come up with.
Have you ever been out walking or on a hike somewhere in the woods or wilderness? When You are out hiking like that and you come near water like a lake or a pond or something most people can tell that water is near, I dunno something in the air changes the smell and feel and closer you get to water the stronger it is(it’s a sensation you can taste, feel and smell, If you are not much on the outdoors you may have no clue what I’m talking about, Sorry) Anyways, That is kinda what saffron or safflower even is like to me, very nice clean. It tastes like this clean Aroma of water with soft sweet Vanilla swirled with malty, roasty almost woody goodness. It is just awesome.
Insipred by Tucker Lake, I’ve never been there But I can totally get why a Lake would be the inspiration for this Tea because really My very first thought on my first sip was the thought of feeling a nearby Lake.

The Inspiration
Tucker Lake is an inland lake in Glen Arbor, Michigan. In the summertime, a thin layer of fog forms around the lake during the night. Each sunrise brings a light breeze to the lake, pushing the fog northward. If you row out to just the right spot and wait for the sunrise, the breeze pushes the fog right into your canoe. There is a freshness to this fog that defies all explanation. Through the trees to the south of the lake and over Dunns Farm Road, the essence of this place becomes captured in the fog. The journey begins at a small dock across the road at Fisher Lake where the rustic scent of old wooden boats and crystal clear water billows into the fog. Warm and inviting, the fog pushes through the narrow stream connecting the lakes, rolling over summer trilliums and whispering through the pine trees, becoming as sweet and warm as everything it touches. When the sun rises, the fog warms, energizes, and just before disappearing, it reaches your canoe. The last breath of fog is vanilla-sweet and saffron-warm with an energy I can not even begin to describe. As the sun rises above the trees and the bald eagles soar the skies above, you wonder why you’d ever leave.

Port was inspired by this unexplainable scent and moment in time. I wanted to create the best blend I could, something to match one of my most beautiful memories. The base of this tea is a wild-picked black tea from Dehong, China, carrying intensely complex notes of sugarcane, eucalyptus, and barley over a deep rustic body. I tried all of our usual herbs, spices, and flowers, but nothing came close to matching the freshness of this memory, so I took the plunge and used the two ingredients that I knew would bring me back to Tucker Lake – organic madagasgar vanilla beans and spanish saffron. The result was a more perfect incarnation than I could have ever imagined. Port has the most beautiful vanilla notes, a rustic base tea, perfect saffron warmth, and is rounded out with the evergreen sweetness of roasted red cedar tips.

I can proudly say that this is my greatest achievement!

Notes
Vanilla
Saffron
Evergreen
Cedar
Sugarcane
Eucalyptus
Barley
Summer

How to brew the perfect cup:
Steep 1 tablespoon of leaves
in 8 ounces of 200ºF water
for 2 minutes.

2nd infusion: 3 minutes
3rd infusion: 4 minutes
4th infusion: 6 minutes
5th infusion: 8 minutes
6th infusion: 10 minutes

Ingredients
Black Tea
Roasted Red Cedar Tips
Organic Madagasgar Vanilla Beans
Spanish Saffron

Caffeine Content
High

http://whisperingpinestea.com/port.html

I really like this tea. It’s earthy and woodsy and the vanilla goes with it perfectly. As with each of the Whispering Pines teas I’ve tried, it’s truly unique- and delicious!

Thank you blodeuyn for this perfect sample!

I heard about Port from various tea friends and was intrigued by the name. I then saw that the company had named this its “greatest achievement”, so I knew I needed it in my life, hahah. Luckily, a tea friend came to my rescue, again, and I was able to indulge in this discovery.

This is truly the most unique blend I’ve ever had. I peer through my package at the strange assortment of leaves. I can spot long ceder with creeping black tendrils surrounding it. Then, scattered about this smokey mixture are small wisps of fiery saffron. I opened my small pouch to inhale. I am tantalized with an array of scents. It reminds me of this old italian shoppe my father used to take me to when I was younger. I remember in the back room there were large wooden casks filled with wine and various liquor. The room had an enticing erie scent. I used to just stand back there to inhale the soft wooden aroma. I remember there being a light leather scent in the background. I class this aroma as pure ethnic. I am already flooded with memories and can’t wait to brew. I pour my steaming spring water over these dry leaves and it hit with a slight sizzle. I can describe the scent as if one of the casks in the back room of that italian shoppe had burst open. My tea room was flooded with a deep cedar smell covered by brandy and wine. It had a slight undertone of a robust vanilla. The liquor was a golden brown with a tinge of crimson. I took a sip of this aromatic beverage and was greeted with a smooth wood tone and hearty vanilla. It calmed my tongue and left me with an eucalyptus feel. I drank heartly and whisked my mind away back to that italian shoppe. My favorite attribute of good tea is its ability to let you travel. I enjoy being able to travel across the globe without even leaving my tea room. I’m not sure if others do this, but I do. This is another superb blend by this company! I’m very happy I was able to experience it.

https://instagram.com/p/0VPQfTTGRS/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

I’m finally trying out my sample (from Lindsay, I think?), and wow am I glad I did. This is such a unique tea.

The dry leaf smells strongly of sweet, fruity alcohol. I’m thinking brandy, a tawny port or some kind of liqueur.

Steeped, the tea soup has the same strong, alcohol fragrance to it, which carries through to the palate. In addition, there are also notes of Chinese medicine, dates, prunes, and lou han gou fruit.

This is definitely a rich and luxurious cup of tea. The ingredients combine in such an interesting way, that I don’t actually identify any of them in the flavour.

I don’t think I’d drink this often, but for a special treat, this is amazing.

This is glorious. And little did I know that I would need some gloriousness in my day. It is one of the most delicious cups I have ever had. It was unexpected, for sure. It is very saffron-y, both dry and steeped. I also had no idea how much I would love the cedar scent and flavor that gave an almost boozey aspect. I also really tasted the vanilla in this one, particularly in the second steep when the saffron and cedar chilled out a bit. So great. SO so great. Now I am paranoid of running out. Eep.

Storytime: Online Dating Blows
I just had a terrible phone call, talking to a guy I met here on OkCupid. A guy I’ve been talking to via text and email literally nonstop for days. I request a phone call as the next step. He was normal and able to interact via email, and text. On the phone he was uncomfortable and stiff with overtones of superjerk. Pretty much said all teachers whine too much about how their job is hard when it really is such a cushy job they have no right to complain about anything. And while I agree there are many perks (summers and holidays off, etc), cushy is not the word I would use to describe my future profession (that he knew I was going into).

Even after that I was nice. I asked other questions. Every answer he gave was “I don’t know” followed by dead silence because I literally didn’t know how to respond, until he finally qualified his answers. Eventually I just asked why he was having so much trouble talking to me when he had no problem using text. He basically said he didn’t know what I wanted him to say, unable to grasp that if he would say it over text, he should say it with his actual voice. No more, no less. So I suggested we call it a night.

I have never, ever, in my whole life been in a situation with so much social failure with interaction. Nobody here knows me in person but if they did, they would know I am incredibly socially adept with conversation. Even if they are very awkward people. Ask about enough stuff and eventually you HAVE to hit on a topic that triggers an interest or a memory that could lead to a conversation. But what do you do about a man who, when asked what two pizza toppings he would pick if he could only have two his whole life, says cheese because he doesn’t need complicated pizza? TOPPINGS ARE NOT A COMPLICATION. I can’t even handle it. He didn’t seem stupid an hour ago. I don’t know what happened. Now I am feeling a bit like a dating failure. lol. And frustrated with the whole dating process.

I needed good tea today.

Off topic: You guys, I am SO obsessed with the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording right now. Ugh, go listen to it so I’ll have someone to geek out with. :)

Instead of buying more Whispering Pines tea I thought I’d drink some of the stuff I already own. This is an interesting and delicious blend – I love the roasted cedar and vanilla.

WOW this tea is really unique! Thanks for the sample Cameron B!

I’ve never tasted Cedar before. I guess that is what is giving the overall alcoholic feel to the tea. It does remind me of bourbon or scotch or something! There’s a sweetness to it, and a woodiness and creaminess. Very interesting. It is dark and somewhat rich. I like it but this would not be an everyday drinking tea for me!

Thanks so much to Dexter for sending me samples of these pricey Whispering Pines teas! The leaves of this one are rather broken, but I think that’s mostly because it came from the bottom of the package. I can see the cedar leaves and a few scant saffron fragments mixed in. Dry scent is earthy, woody, and reminds me of scotch.

This tea has a very manly aroma. It’s a mixture of woody and leather with a touch of vanilla, and makes me think of a study with a vintage wooden desk and leather-bound books. Hmm, this one is actually quite interesting. It tastes much as I would expect it to from the aroma – there’s a strong woody flavor and roasty note. It tastes almost exactly like high-quality scotch to me (I don’t drink, but my boyfriend loves scotch so I’ve tasted his on multiple occasions). I can taste a hint of menthol at the end of the sip. Overall, very unique, though I don’t see this being worth the price.

The first steeping of this was a little confused, I couldn’t figure out just what I was tasting. I tasted the vanilla and probably the saffron, both strong, both powerful, competing. As I continued to steep this the vanilla got slowly stronger. By the fifth steeping the vanilla was dominate. The other flavors moved to the back burner. This was a really good tea. I would probably rate this tea lower if I had only steeped it once. This is definitely a tea for multiple steepings.

I steeped this five times in a 8oz YIxing teapot. I used 2 tsp leaf and boiling water. I steeped it for 2 min, 2.5 min, 3 min, 4 min, and 5 min. It was delightful by the fifth steeping. I will have to consider buying some of this.