Plum Deluxe

I did not get enough sleep last night, by a long shot. So this morning I am most certainly in a fog, and so I thought I’d try this.
Good choice! A strong breakfast blend. Not so malty or overpowering that you feel like you’ve been whacked in the head, but strong.
Thank goodness. I’m going to need all the help I can get this morning!

So, in my “Try new companies” tea goal, I’ve ordered a whole bunch of teas from Plum Delux. This is the first one I’ve cracked into it.
This is a good and strong chai, which is exactly the sort of jolt I needed this afternoon. The base and the spices are hanging out well together for this cup, and I enjoyed it, to be sure.

I was looking into tea subscription services, asking around on my main Facebook group I frequent. It was a pass up between Plum Deluxe and Sipsby, and was going to try Sipsby, based on the fact you can create a flavor profile, but I decided I needed to be a little adventurous. Ok, well, kind of. I decided to try out some sample based on flavors I liked, before I bought a box of surprises. Makes me a little nervous, considering I hate rose and lavender flavors.

anyway, a lot of what I like is in the black tea area (hate green, mostly) and I like flavors of nuts, vanilla, maple, apples, cinnamon, blueberry, but I’m willing to try almost anything that isn’t lavender or roses. I haven’t tried any kind of chocolate tea yet, but that’s next on my sample list.

I got a bunch of samples and some bigger bags, and I had a feeling I’d love Porch Sippin’ Pecan. Cinnamon, pecan, can’t really go wrong for me.
I feel like this needs to be brewed stronger than the instructions though, so I suggest 2 teaspoons instead of 1, but that might be because my mug is a little over 10 oz vs. 8 oz.
It’s very good with milk and/or sugar. I use lactose free milk and sugar in the raw with almost all my teas, unless it’s something that needs honey.

It’s a very subtle nutty tea that I imagine would go very well with scones, or shortbreads. Probably would be good with pancakes, and I may even try a dash of maple syrup in it next time. I enjoyed it with my knitting today.

Chai might be my favorite kind of tea. I love the variety of its spices and the bold flavor. Full Moon Chai adds a new twist on chai, adding a splash of vanilla and “butternut” flavoring.

At least my bag of this tea, the cloves are the foremost scent, adding some of their almost-dr.pepper sweetness and spice. Other chai favorites, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, are also present, but more relaxed.

The “butternut” flavor comes off as a touch of butterscotch or toffee. This blend isn’t one of Plum Deluxe’s official dessert teas, but it certainly could be.

The blend of sweetness and spice are wonderful, keeping both my nose and sweet tooth happy with every brew.

Plum Deluxe has a whole group of teas they call “dessert teas”, with tastes inspired by everyone’s favorite sweet treats. Coconut Macaron is one of these dessert teas.

This is blended with both black tea and red rooibos, alongside plenty of buttery coconut pieces. The rooibos helps cut the sharp mouthfeel of the black tea and make the blend more caramel-y in taste in texture.

There is nuttiness beyond the coconut shavings in the form of almond flavoring. The almond adds a decadence, a little amaretto, a little marzipan, that goes perfectly with the rooibos.

The black tea adds a much-needed robustness to the overall blend, and balancing the overly herbal red rooibos. Of course, there is plenty of deliciously creamy and buttery coconut in both scent and taste. All the elements in this tea play a crucial role in shaping the dessert tea experience.

I’m sharing my review for the decaf version here, as the regular blend is very close in flavor.

The scent in the bag is zippy and sweet with lush orange peel and snappy cinnamon. Both flavors a suited to pair with the tanin-y black tea base. Brewed, the spiciness mellows out, letting the tea flavor itself come to the forefront. The orange peels add to the natural citrus flavors in the tea, while the cinnamon brings a specific warmth and sweetness.

The ginger and cloves are thankfully a bit to the background, as those ingredients have a tendency to take over a blend if not used sparingly. I like ginger and cloves, but if I wanted to taste a tea with them, I would go for a chai. I prefer this tea when I want something warming but with flavor beyond the traditional chai flavors.

The orange is the crown jewel in this blend, separating it from chai teas, and adding an uplifting brightness to my mug.

One thing I appreciate about Plum Deluxe teas is that they offer decaf versions of some of their blends. I’m a fan of spiced teas, and really enjoyed their Comfort Blend tea. But I enjoyed the decaf version more, since I could drink it in the evening or on days when I didn’t need the caffeine boost.

The scent in the bag is zippy and sweet with lush orange peel and snappy cinnamon. Both flavors a suited to pair with the tanin-y black tea base. Brewed, the spiciness mellows out, letting the tea flavor itself come to the forefront. The orange peels add to the natural citrus flavors in the tea, while the cinnamon brings a specific warmth and sweetness.

The ginger and cloves are thankfully a bit to the background, as those ingredients have a tendency to take over a blend if not used sparingly. I like ginger and cloves, but if I wanted to taste a tea with them, I would go for a chai. I prefer this tea when I want something warming but with flavor beyond the traditional chai flavors.

The orange is the crown jewel in this blend, separating it from chai teas, and adding an uplifting brightness to my mug.

I tried this tea as part of the 2018 advent calendar. I’m so glad I did! I first thought this blend was going to be too flowery for me, it seems like they have a whole garden in there, but trying the sample size convinced me that there is a nice time and place for this kind of tea.

The creamy vanilla black tea base keeps this sweet and like a baked good, tempering all the floral flavors. The trio of lavender, rose, and chamomile provide a calming aromatherapy, and add just a touch of flavor to the brew without competing with the creamy black tea in taste.

The blend is also very photogenic, with three colors and shapes of flower blossoms set against the dark black tea background. With the herbal relaxing properties of lavender and chamomile, this is the perfect tea to brew on an afternoon in, reading a book or having some quiet time.

I tried this blend in the 2018 advent calendar and was surprised by how much I liked it. When I brewed up a cup, I found myself coming back to my mug again and again to take in the scent and taste. There is still very much the earl grey base with vanilla, citrus, and bergamot. But a drizzle of strawberries makes this feel youthful and joyous, nicely balancing the more traditional earl grey. Brewed black, the tea is delicious, smooth and comforting, and still sweet without being cloying or artificial. As we leave the winter and enter spring and summer, this tea only feels more and more appropriate, perfect for flowery spring tea parties or refreshing iced tea days.

A very tasty, smooth, sweet chai.

A favorite of mine since the very first bag! Actually tastes of butterscotch while still being a sturdy black. I like it best brewed strong with a good dash of milk: no sugar required.

This was an advent tea, so it’s no longer available. If you didn’t get any, you should cry, this stuff is soooo good! I didn’t try it early on because the combo didn’t sound very good to me, but OH MY GOSH it was delicious! It’s definitely a dessert type tea, sweet and juicy and delicious.

Both fruity and vanilla-y, nicely balanced and this one has a ton of fans. I’m not the biggest fan of fruit with vanilla, but it’s good enough, just not my favorite.

This has an aroma of hot pineapple juice, which is a little odd, but has a lovely light, fruity tropical taste. The green tea is not strong, it just helps cut a little sweetness – so this comes across more as herbal than a green tea. The website describes this as a one-off when a tea was mixed incorrectly, but it is a delicious oops!

Oh, I love this one!!! I love anything chocolate and orange, and this one actually has enough of both flavors to balance out well. As always, I love the black tea and honeybush mixture that gives me the black tea flavor and backbone without as much caffeine. I brewed this at a lower temp for longer and that seemed to really bring out the flavors. Definitely will order more!

I like this one but it seems to be lacking something to give it a bit more body. I’m not a huge fan of fennel, either, although it’s not strong or overpowering in this. It’s a nice, different sort of herbal than what you usually get, and it is nicely done, it’s just not my favorite cup.

Yum! It’s a chocolate chai that actually tastes chocolaty! Cinnamon is by far the strongest spice, and the chocolate and hazelnut notes are warm and strong. It’s a seasonal tea, so I reordered a couple more bags. It’s nice and cozy, and the mix of black tea and honeybush means I get the caffeine and black tea feel without being totally high caffeine – a win for me most of the time.

I have to give it to Plum Deluxe, I truly think I have at least liked every tea I’ve had from there. They haven’t all been eternal faves, but they’ve all been worth drinking, and some have been true loves. (My one dislike wasn’t even a true dislike, it was just making promises with the scent that the flavor didn’t deliver.)

This one is a really unique mix. It is exactly what the ingredients promise, a blueberry white tea with a peppermint sting. The blueberry is soft, not overpowering, which works with this white tea. It’s kind of a weird combo, but I’ve actually really enjoyed it. I think it was just seasonal (they change their tea offerings regularly, although I think some are in standard rotation), so it’s not available on their site now. I enjoy the novelty of this blend, and it is nicely done, but I won’t be crying in my tea that I can’t get more of it.

I’ve never had banana in a tea before, and I was a bit hesitant because I couldn’t quite imagine it. Additionally, I don’t much care for bananas anyway! But this stuff is like crack, I swear! It is truly banana bread in a cup, but with slightly green bananas so it doesn’t taste overly sweet. I went through my entire package of this stuff in 24 hours. Oops. And on top of that, it’s caffeine free (maybe a touch from the cocoa nibs, I suppose). Most caffeine free teas lack a bit in the flavor department to me, but not this one!

This one is warm and cozy. The cardamom gives it an added depth and spice without making it “spicy.” It’s a nice balance of flavors, and the blend of honeybush and black tea makes it something I can enjoy at almost any time of day. I’ve not tried it as a latte yet, but that’s the next step!

Although this is labeled as a dessert tea, it was not sweet. It had hints of chocolate and vanilla, but nothing overly strong. There was butterscotch in the fragrance although I didn’t taste any in the brew. It would have been lovely with a sweet treat, but it was also good with savory food. I think the apple and rosehips perhaps contributed a tiny bit of brightness, but I couldn’t actually taste them. A nice and warming treat!

This is a strong, true chai to me. It is very heavy on cloves, and very light on the cardamom and cinnamon. (Cinnamon is more evident as it cools, but still evasive.) I suspect it would be great brewed as a chai latte or in milk – on its own as a tea, it’s a bit harsh but passable. I’m not going to give a numerical rating at this time as I suspect it’s very different brewed with milk rather than water – the water brewing, I’d probably give it a 65 as it just doesn’t have a great balance.

Same review as the caffeinated version, which I’ve attached here. The good news is that this tea does not suffer from using a decaf tea. However, it’s still somewhat blah and bland.

The fragrance on this is just amazing – luscious orange and spices, in a nice balance with each other. Unfortunately, the flavor falls a little short. It’s still good, but not as divine as promised. I don’t get any vanilla from this, and the tea base is a bit musty or earthy for these flavors. Again, it’s still good – maybe the fragrance was just so wonderful that I am let down by a perfectly adequate flavor.

This is a nice solid, basic tea to me. It’s definitely what I think of as a breakfast tea, hearty and strong, a touch bitter and malty but not overly so. The lemon isn’t strong but is definitely present – I’d probably like a touch more, but I like a ton of flavor. This isn’t a tea that I’ll drink often just because of personal preferences, but it’s nicely done and solid.