Hey Sugar Plum!

Holiday Tea-son! I am craving the hibi cider tonight, so I started pawing through my holiday teas again hoping I had some more, and… hey, a discontinued Bird & Blend tea from their Bluebird Tea days! This is another one I got from that same cupboard sale of tea-sipper’s nearly a year ago, so thanks tea-sipper!

This is a fairly tasty hibi cider, though a little more subtle in the spice than some others I have tried. The cinnamon note feels like more of a background note, and the fruitiness is quite thick, full, and tart. I get a lot of hibiscus, currant, and berry notes, and it comes off warm and juicy, reminding me almost like the juiciness of mixed berry cobbler. I could do with more spice though to really make it feel more like a cider rather than just a warm fruit punch! It isn’t nearly as nice as T2’s Mulled Wine Magic, but it is hitting that particular craving I was having tonight.

So I ordered from Bluebird’s sale last night. sigh. I can’t help it. And Bluebird deserves my money anyway. The sale is a good way to stock up on teas that might be disappearing for good. I think many of the Bluebird teas they once had in stock don’t come back again. Luckily, Bluebird does keep PLENTY of my favorites around. I haven’t written a note for this one yet. I wish the name didn’t mislead to what this tea actually is. I want a sugar plum tea! Though the berries might LOOK like tiny plums, I don’t detect anything resembling plums here. And this cup ain’t sweet either. It’s very tart! Usually the tea magicians at Bluebird are experts at taming their hibiscus and using just the perfect amount. But the hibiscus here is a little much. (Maybe my scoop portioning had too much hibiscus?) My brewing could probably use some tweaking but otherwise, this just seems like a very hibiscus tea.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons // couple minutes after boiling // 4+ minute steep

A musty aroma combines with cinnamon to provide a mulled feel. Whereas the actual flavour is a little more fruity with clear notes of elderberry. I’m not a massive fan of elderberry, so wasn’t too keen on this blend. However, I would definitely recommend to elderberry lovers! This was obviously a cute attempt at a festive fruit tea.