It’s been a perfect day so far. My rescue dog (an abuse survivor) was on his very best behavior during our walk AND our fetch session. I have fresh bread for my sandwich later. I’m going on a spaced-out masks-on walk with friends (and my dog!) later. And I’m trying tea!!!
Today’s goodness is Maple Pecan Black/Oolong from Plum Deluxe. I really love Plum Deluxe, as a company. They always list things like “love, gratitude” in their ingredients. Their tea costs more per cup than, for example, David’s Tea, but I feel like they manage to cram a LOT of goodness in there, and it’s worth it. Plum Deluxe is like my bougie treat.
I steeped this tea in boiling-hot water for 5ish minutes in a tea ball. (Sorry, guys, I don’t pay the best attention to the brewing specifics. I leave it in there until I remember to take it out.)
David’s Tea makes a maple chai that’s pretty good, but this one is better. It doesn’t feel as overly-sweet and/or artificial.
This one is rustic — no-nonsense, no pretension, just a nice gift. It’s a warm, chai-like tea with maple and nut overtones. The taste after you swallow is clove & cinnamon, not syrup.
A woods witch would infuse healing magic into this, and serve it to you in a handmade mug. Your skin would seal itself back together; your hair would detangle; your eyes would be 20/20. You would say goodbye to her, and she would hug you. After leaving the cabin, you’d take a glance backwards, and it would be gone.
You’d just have the cinnamon flavor in your mouth to remember her by.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black/Oolong
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Originally featured as a new blend in our 2019 advent calendar, Maple Pecan is back as a wonderful sweet and nutty tea to enjoy during the holiday season. A blend of oolong and black teas, paired with fresh pecans and a hint of real maple syrup, it’s sure to please many palates.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Creme Brulee Grey Black Tea/Plum Deluxe
Earl Grey tea is black tea with bergamot flavor, and there is a huge difference in natural bergamot – a type of sour orange – and artificial. Some people think they don’t like Earl Grey because they tried either a tea made with a poor substitute for the real deal or a base that too lemony and astringent to take on sour orange. Others love the stuff, any old way.
Enter Creme Brulee black tea. Plum Deluxe has blended a strong black tea base with orange peel, jasmine flowers (<3), blue cornflower, bergamot oil, vanilla extract, and….here I quote the package…love and gratitude.
This tea is STRONG. I don’t mean strong, in-your-face bergamot. I mean they didn’t wimp out on us for the black tea base. It is quality stuff. The first cup has deep, dark, rich color. The bergamot flavor is strong enough to please an Earl Grey lover, and balanced enough with the other ingredients to please the reluctant. The addition of vanilla adds a nice creaminess, and jasmine sweetens it. The aftertaste leaves a brisk tingle on the tongue.
To stretch my sample, I made a second steep. It was good, and sufficiently strong! In future, I would blend the two steeps together at the outset and double my tea dollar. The price is reasonable for a blend of this quality, but more money equals more tea! I was smitten with their Reading Nook blend, so I want to get the most bang for my buck so I can get all the teas I love and share them, too.
I checked out their accessories page and saw quite a few items that would make great gifts…or treats for me! I was rather taken with the pewter dragonfly strainer, but the Victorian infuser was really nice as well. This is also one of the more reasonable subscription boxes. Take a look!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Creme Brulee Earl Grey was the winner in our recent customer appreciation month vote – it won by a landslide, which tells you how good it is. The creamiest of cream earl greys, the brisk bergamot notes balance nicely wonderful rich cream notes. It makes a dandy London Fog (earl grey latte) or just enjoy it with your favorite tea cookie or biscuit.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Herbal Tea/Plum Deluxe
This tea couldn’t have come at a better time. All this stormy weather makes you just want to stay at home with a cup of tea. And I don’t think I could have picked a better “comfort” tea for today.
I usually reserve spiced teas for the holidays. They can be overwhelming year round and aren’t my favorite during warmer weather. But this tea is very lightly spiced and smells amazing—like someone just pulled a tray of snickerdoodles out of the oven. (And it has me really wanting some of my mother-in-law’s snickerdoodle cookies right now!)
This is the perfect tea to brighten up a cold or rainy day. While it smells pretty spicy, the taste is very mild. Just a tiny bit of cinnamon with a vanilla flavor that takes the edge of the spice. It’s made with green rooibos and nothing containing caffeine, so it’s also a nice evening tea if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
The tea itself is lightly sweet on its own, but I added a tiny bit of orange blossom honey to my second cup. I steeped my first cup for 6 minutes and the second cup for 8 minutes. The second cup was spicier, but beyond that, there wasn’t a noticeable decline in flavor, which was nice. I was afraid the light flavors might quickly go bland, but it held up just as well!
This one should definitely go on your list of teas for a rainy day (literally and figuratively!). It’s comforting, even heartwarming, and is just the thing to brighten up an otherwise unpleasant day.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green Rooibos
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
We’ve heard some of our teas described like a cookie-in-a-cup, but this tea is exactly that! Everybody loves a classic sugar cookie tea. This one is inspired by our staff favorite – snickerdoodles! – we created a calming herbal tea perfect for an evening night cap or just a smooth afternoon pick me up. We use our favorite herbal tea – green rooibos – paired with a variety of vanilla extras and a unique spice blend that comes together perfectly. It’s just lightly sweet and lightly spiced, making for a great cookie flavored tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Reading Nook Blend Organic Black Cream Loose Leaf Tea from Plum Deluxe. . . .
Feeling fretful and restless, unable to decide which of the many tasks at hand I ought to start, frustrated over adulting and situations that are somewhat out of my control for now, and tired of the rain, rain, and more rain, I decided not to do anything for now, but to pick a tea that needed reviewing instead. The chores will wait for me.
As I went through my box of tea, the title of this one grabbed me and said, “This is exactly what you need right now. A great book to escape into and a great cup of tea.”
I always listen when tea talks to me, so I headed over to the internet and downloaded a book I have been wanting to read for ages and made a whole pot of this beautiful blend.
Before I even started drinking it, I was already feeling more relaxed. The top of my infuser basket held the loveliest colors of pink rose petals, little lavender blossoms, and golden bits of chamomile floating lazily over the black tea leaves. An aroma wafted up that felt like a gentle hand patting the shoulder with a “there, there.” Now, feet up, tablet on lap, one chapter down, and two cups in me, I have a new attitude.
Ah yes, this was just what I needed, indeed. Every element of the tea is nicely balanced and making me feel more peaceful. The black tea is soft and smooth but still strong enough to make a nice “real tea” base for the blend. The floral elements are soft and sweet. I added nothing to this and it doesn’t need a thing in my opinion. The rose is sweet and creamy and adds roundness to the texture, the lavender is soothing and so much more interesting than just lavender by itself, and the chamomile would be the lightest touch here to me, adding to the sense of peace, as I associate it with unwinding and letting go of worries and cares. The tea says, “Breathe.” So I do, deeply and slowly.
The overall effect is just what I desperately needed – enough of a break to relax and restore the strength to do what needs to be done next. But not tonight. Tonight is going to be just me and a good book and a full pot of Reading Nook Tea. Breathing.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Herbal
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
The reading nook blend is our signature organic tea created for enjoying while perfecting some of our dearest passions: reading, writing, and enjoying conversation with friends.
One needs a touch of caffeine to keep the conversation flowing, the pages turning, or the pen on the move, so we start this blend with a wonderful cream black tea. We then added rosebuds for creativity and sustenance, lavender for flavor and aroma, and top it off with a bit of chamomile which adds a calming balance to it all. Customers often tell us this is our prettiest tea!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Drink Me Oolong from Plum Deluxe
Drink Me Oolong from Plum Deluxe has a warm and toasty roasted oolong base with added mango and almond essence. The darker oolong tea keeps the blend from getting too sweet, adding an almost savory nuttiness with each sip. The almond adds its trademark, almost-floral marzipan candy taste. The fruity mango adds a nice brightness to keep this blend uplifting and not too dense or cake-like.
I believe the name of this blend is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but even without the reference is it a cute name to have looking back at you from your tea cupboard on rainy days. With sunny mango, bakery sweet almond, and a mid-level of caffeine, this is a great tea for the afternoon slump or a mid-day tea party.
Drink Me Oolong from Plum Deluxe was a limited edition blend, that should cycle back around in their seasonal blends or as part of their subscription service. In the meantime, give Pick Me Up Oolong a try, with almond and maple flavors and a similar oolong tea base.
Or try another flavor of oolong tea. Plum Deluxe teas always have great flavor combinations, and include things like “love” and “gratitude” on their ingredients list, so you can’t help but feel good when you brew a cup of their tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
This tea is no longer available but click below for other options!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
