Plum Deluxe

Nice orange flavored black tea that was perfect after a meal. There was a floral note at the end which was nice. I would get this again, its a good tea for afternoon time when I’m looking to just sit and relax

Day 16 of the Plum Deluxe herbal tea advent calendar! Since the black tea is cut pretty finely, I only brewed this for about three and a half minutes, though I did leaf generously. A lovely cinnamon aroma wafts up as it brews, and that slightly spicy cinnamon kick is reflected in the sip too. Unfortunately, that’s basically all I can taste. The mouthfeel is watery and the base tea doesn’t seem to have any noticeable characteristics. This is the rare Plum Deluxe blend that I have found to be a true disappointment. While some have been just ok or needed extra TLC, I don’t think any have been completely flat, even with a relatively “short” steep. I can smell/taste other things, so it’s not covid, and I’ve only had this for a couple of months so it’s not age. Maybe I didn’t get a representative sample?

I choose a tea tonight that has been in my stash awhile. I forgot how delicious this tea is with honey. I like the mixture of ingredients Rooibos, sage, peppermint, lemongrass, orange peel and bergamot essence. Very herbal tea I can’t taste the bergamot. I love sage in tea and it goes very well with the mint. I will have to try this tea cold brewed with lemon juice. I really like this tea but it is not one I would drink that often. I have to be in the mood for it.

Day 14 of the Plum Deluxe caffeine-free advent calendar. This is a great combo of chamomile, citrus, and mint. I’m not sure that “cozy” is the right word for it, but it’s really tasty and a lovely bedtime tea. My only complaint is that the chamomile “fannings” were a particular pain in that they kept sticking to the packaging. This is one of my favorite advents this year, on balance, but the plastic packaging of the samples is really prone to static electricity. Depending on the type of tea in it, that can make it harder to get the tea out and results in wasted leaf, which always sucks.

Day 13 of the Plum Deluxe caffeine-free advent calendar. If this and the Caramel Snickerdoodle blend from Day 2 are anything to go by, Plum Deluxe makes darn fine cookie-flavored herbal blends. This one tastes exactly like the name suggests and makes a delicious latte to boot. I only regret how quickly I drank through the sample.

Day 12 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent. I drank this a few times and tried to remember its qualities each time so I could jot them down later, but somehow never did. It was just kind of… pleasant but unremarkable.

Day 11 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar. For some reason, the first flavor in the initial sips of this was a strong anise/licorice note. I truly don’t know why, it’s not an ingredient in the blend. And it fades as the tea cools. The strawberry flavor doesn’t really come out until the tea cools down. About halfway through, I added about a teaspoon of sugar, which helped a lot. It brought out the banana flavor and more of the strawberry. I still really have to search for the lemon, though. This isn’t bad, it just isn’t as entrancing as some of the other blends in the advent have been.

I thought this was a fun blend that smells and tastes mostly of the passionfruit with a hint of orange. One cup had no ginger flavor or discernable ginger pieces, but the other with visible ginger brought some spiciness that added tasty complexity. I don’t need more but I did enjoy it, especially as a final note for an advent.

Plum Deluxe Caffeine Advent, Day 24

In all, I had 11 teas in the 24 that I enjoyed enough to consider repurchasing, and another 5 I thought were decent but wouldn’t buy. I would seriously consider doing this advent again next year; it seems they always have enough new blends to make it worth another go, which is why I’ve remained subscribed with them so long.

This one felt muted; there is cinnamon in the scent and I sort of taste cherry in the flavor, despite the presence of both cherries and cinnamon essence. I don’t get much of the almond (another essence I couldn’t add as an ingredient). This is mostly a sort of generic tea with the smallest touch of sweetness and cherry.

Plum Deluxe Caffeine Advent, Day 23

Really enjoyed this one; the strawberry and plum somehow reminded me of the cotton candy tea from DAVIDsTEA that I’m so conflicted about, but this one went green rooibos instead of red and it made all the difference. It smells tart, and it tastes fruity-sweet. My partner hated it, calling it far too sweet for tea, which is on brand for him. I like that I wouldn’t have to add anything to it to enjoy it.

Plum Deluxe Caffeine Advent, Day 22

Finally finishing the notes on this advent.

The first cup of this was a very tasty raspberry with strong lemon. The second cup was timed the same but quite weak; I must not have separated it as well as I hoped into the two cups. I would consider buying more to play with another time. It does seem like a blend that can be left to steep a while, which is often a plus for me.

Plum Deluxe Caffeine Advent, Day 21

This reminds me of a Teavana vanilla rooibos that I really enjoyed many years ago. I haven’t bought a replacement in a long time in favor of more heavily flavored teas, but this one has me thinking that I should. The vanilla is so sweet and desserty and almost floral. It goes really well with the base, which is a pretty nice, smooth rooibos. It didn’t even need milk. Maybe I should add milk to fewer of my rooibos teas so I can enjoy the flavors more. Thanks for sharing this accidentally thought-provoking tea, getanzt!

I have had this sample for a long time, and I think the blend has lost some flavor or Covid is still playing tricks with my sense of taste.

I am only just coming to tolerate red rooibos but I am determined to get rid of all these single servings or small bags that have been lying about. The rooibos here is very mild, and lacks the sharp Robitussin flavor I dislike so much. That is a good thing.

While it was piping hot, I tasted very little. As it cooled, the nutty flavors came through.

Not bad, but not one I need to buy. I wouldn’t turn down a cup of it if it was offered.

Happy New Year! Unsurprisingly, seems I’m going to be working on advent calendars into 2023. I finished the Steepster homemade, Clipper, and Teeccino advents and the Plum Deluxe Hannukah sampler. Still working on the Dammann Freres, Kiani, DavidsTea herbal, and Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendars!

This blend is Day 10 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar. The flavors in this are distinct but work well together. There are clear orange and vanilla notes over a malty black tea and woody rooibos base. From the name, I was expecting something more like an orange creamsicle vibe, but the base teas are too assertive for that. It doesn’t  claim to be an orange creamsicle tea, though, that’s just me misinterpreting the name.

Day 9 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar. This one’s particularly refreshing cold. Lots of nice mango and citrus flavor. It’s not particularly sweet, which I think is part of the reason why the flavors don’t come across as juicy the way that fruit flavors sometimes do. I like it exactly as it is, though.

Arbitrarily selected Day 8, and final day, of the Plum Deluxe Hannukah sampler! I’m a little bummed that I ended on this one, as it’s my least favorite of the bunch. I found it tart and sweet, with dominant notes of cranberry and hibiscus as well as some that I couldn’t quite place that were probably the moringa and possibly even the date. It just wasn’t my cup of tea, as it were.

Overall, I enjoyed this sampler! These were tasty, enjoyable blends. Some were more on point with the theme than others, but I appreciate the effort. It would be nice if this sampler had the same kind of tracker postcard that the advent calendar comes with, for marking down the names of the teas and whether you like them – it’s cute, convenient, and makes it feel just a little more special. This one has a high likelihood of making a return appearance for me next year.

Arbitrarily selected Day 7 of the Plum Deluxe Hannukah sampler! I’m not generally a fan of Earl Grey, because I don’t like bergamot, but this is more pleasant than I expected! There’s a creaminess and floral quality that smooths out the bergamot and makes this more balanced and less aggressive than I find most Earl Greys to be. I had a bag of DavidsTea’s Cream of Earl Grey, so I brewed that up for comparison. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I like the Plum Deluxe blend better. The DT version has a similarly brisk black tea as a base and a soft creamy/vanilla flavor that softens the bergamot, but it’s still pretty straightforward and distinctly Earl Grey to me, whereas the Plum Deluxe blend is more like a complicated blend on an Earl Grey base. I also find the Plum Deluxe blend a bit sweet, whereas the DT blend doesn’t seem to have any sweetness to it (I know, I know, it seems like I’m rarely satisfied with the level of sweetness in a DT blend, it’s always too much or too little!).

Day 8 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar. This is so fragrant as soon as I open the packet! It has really powerful chocolate and sweet caramel notes that translate beautifully into the brew. I’m not really noticing the rosemary but that’s ok given how tasty it is otherwise (which is funny because the other tasting notes find the rosemary very strong – I don’t know what’s going on here!). I made the first cup with no additions and it was rich and flavorful all on its own. I thought this would be great as an oat milk latte but it was actually better with no additives! The oat milk somehow flattens the chocolate and caramel flavors, making them less robust and sweet. Better to just drink it straight.

Now this is a turmeric blend I can enjoy! Day 19 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent calendar AND tasting note number 1100. This was in last year’s Hanukkah sampler. I loved it then and was a little disappointed that it wasn’t in this year’s, even though logically of course they wouldn’t repeat blends in a small sampler two years in a row. (Putting aside that I got the caffeine one and this wouldn’t have been in there anyway, clearly one of my goofier moves.) So I’m very pleased that it’s in the advent! Just a really great blend of chocolate, earthy, and vanilla flavors with a hint of heat from the ginger and pepper. Perfect cold weather tea!

Arbitrarily selected Day 6 of the Hanukkah sampler. This is perfectly named, actually. Besides literally being golden-hued from the turmeric, the spice blend gives it a brightness of flavor that’s not super common for a cacao blend. The pepper and ginger are particularly prominent, along with the cacao. It all works together very nicely, and the brightness of the blend makes it super on theme for a Hanukkah sampler. One of my favorites so far from this sampler.

Arbitrarily selected Day 5 of the Hanukkah sampler. The strawberry and pear notes in this one are really sweet and juicy. The ginger complements them nicely. It’s fainter when the brew is hot and stronger as it cools; personally, I think this particular combination works better when the ginger takes a back seat, so I prefer it when it’s hot. Hot or cold, this is quite refreshing!

Sipdown! (17 | 420)

Thanks Gabby, for another sample!

This kind of seems like the same tea as Simpson & Vail’s Apple Cinnamon Coffeecake. I’ll have to try that one later and compare.

Anyway, it’s a very pleasant sweet and somewhat buttery desserty tea with subtle apple and cinnamon notes. I feel like the coffee cake name is more apt, as the apple and cinnamon aren’t really the main flavors here. It does taste like a buttery crumble topping with a dash of cinnamon.

It’s almost more like a snickerdoodle tea really, considering the lack of apple? Still yummy though.

Ok, final stretch of the holiday season! To those who celebrate, I hope you are having a merry Christmas and/or happy eighth night of Hanukkah! If it’s already Monday when you read this and you celebrate Kwanzaa, happy Kwanzaa! I hope folks are finding moments of joy and light even if parts of the holidays are rough.

I pulled this out of the Plum Deluxe Hanukkah sampler. The packets aren’t numbered but this is the fourth one I’m getting a note done for – I’ve fallen behind in the past couple of days due to a lot of family holiday stuff. This one is perfect for finally being done. I have completed my obligatory engagements with three different families, dealt with a higher than usual amount of drama, and trekked to a friend’s place in the cold to feed their cats. A tea called “no obligations,” decaf so I can have it in the evening, is just the right match for my state of mind. I am enjoying this one quite a bit. It’s a dessert tea that’s rich without being too sweet, relying instead on cocoa nibs. I’m enjoying the chocolate, nutty, cinnamon, and vanilla notes in this. The base is sort of bready, adding to that sense of indulgence. The chocolate and cinnamon build and linger, too, which is really nice. I’m not getting anything from the orange peel, but I’m not sure that I want to – citrus flavor on top of everything else just feels extraneous. This still tastes good cold, but I think it really shines as a hot tea given the flavor profile.