Monthly subscription boxes are so popular anymore. It seems like you can get just about anything in some form of a monthly box delivered to your house. From dog treats and toys, to clothes, to jewelry, to vegan boxes, you name it, you can find a subscription for it most likely. This is especially true with tea. Tea sub boxes seem to be growing in popular and I have to say, I’m ok with that. There is something so alluring about getting a box in the mail with surprise flavors or blends that you might not necessarily pick out yourself. I personally subscribe to 5 tea boxes a monthly. Sounds like a lot, but I also only drink tea so it works for me.
So with the holiday shopping season just around the corner and people starting to think about gift giving, I’d thought I’d run down a few of my favorite tea subscription plans to maybe give you ideas on what to give the tea enthusiasts on your list.
(1) Plum Deluxe
Plum Deluxe is the one that started it all. When I first started looking at subscription plans, I wanted something that was affordable and was hand blended. I instantly fell in love with Plum Deluxe. From the bright purple envelopes you receive in the mail, to their unique and soul soothing tea blends, to the amazing community that surrounds Plum Deluxe. This company is all about taking a moment and enjoying life. Their motto is Making Moments Matter and the exude this in every uplifting post, tea blend, and note they include in their shipments.
A quick side note: When you sign up with Plum Deluxe, you are invited to join the Plum Deluxe Facebook community-which is incredibly active and even has fun holiday swaps. On a daily basis you see the members of this community encouraging each other through their love of tea.
Cost: 2 options starting at $10 a month (includes shipping)
(2) 52Teas
Probably no surprise this lovely tea company is on my list. I have been a customer of 52Teas for years but only recently pulled the trigger on signing up for a monthly subscription plan. I actually figured up how much I was spending on stand alone orders with 52Teas and realized I would save money just by signing up. I have to say I’m very glad I did.
Each month, I receive all of the different uniquely hand blended teas that will be offered for the month. The fact that I get a chance to try the blends out before they are released has some great advantages. When the teas are official released on the site, I have a head start on whether or not I want to order more of a tea or not.
Besides that, who wouldn’t want a monthly tea box sent to them full of delicious teas like Blueberry Honeybush Muffin or Bananas Foster Black Tea or Earl Grey Cider Black Tea?
Cost: Options start at $18 (includes shipping)
(3) BlendBee
BlendBee is one I can’t recommend enough. I love the customer service and delicious fresh teas that are delivered to my door each month.
Every month I receive an email from the amazing Jamah asking me what blends I would like. You have the option to choose from any blend that are currently being offered in the store or choose from one of the new teas she may be releasing that month. I’ve even asked for her to tweak a blend here or there and she has happily obliged. This plan is one of the more custom friendly plans perfect for anybody’s tastes.
Have to love a company that offers amazing customer service and fabulous fresh teas!
Cost: Options starting at $15 (includes shipping)
(4) Tea Box Express
Maybe one of the more expensive boxes out there, Tea Box Express is a box that I can always bank on getting some really unique and quality tea and/or tea related goodies. And completely worth every penny!
I have only received two boxes so far from Tea Box Express but i have to say these boxes are worth it. Each month you are sent quality fresh teas from companies that you may not have necessarily tried yet or even heard of. Last month’s box had JusTea’s Mount Kenya Black Tea and that tea has memorized. Also included was an adorable wooden tea spoon (also from JusTea), a herbal tea that you can either drink or use as a facial, and a box of sea salt caramels that were sinful. Here is my post about my unboxing of the October Tea Box Express.
Cost: Options start at $25.50 (plus shipping)
(5) A Quarter To Tea
My newest subscription plan is to A Quarter To Tea. I have always adored their blends and drink them down quite quickly. So when I saw they offered a monthly subscription plan, I quickly emailed Lauren, asked her a few questions, and promptly signed up.
This particular plan is similar to 52Teas were you are sent 4 different teas each month. I’ve had experienced so many amazing rich and decadent blends from A Quarter to Tea recently that I had to sign up. To be completely transparent, I am drinking their Eggnog Pound Cake while I write this post up.
What I’m really excited about is this box is A Quarter to Tea’s limited edition teas, the ones that aren’t available in their sampler packs. Such delicious flavors and so incredibly unique, I had to jump on the chance to get a monthly box!
Cost: Options start at $16– you can sign up on their Etsy site or their site. (Just a note, if you order through the Etsy site, you will need to sign up every month. If you sign up through their site, there is the option to have recurring billing.)
There are many many other wonderful tea subscription plans out there and I”m sure I’ll sign up for a few more here and there. Handmade Tea for instance is one that I subscribed to for some time and I know there are several tea subscriptions that deliver more straight teas. So many wonderful tea plans and so little time!
Let us know which subscription plans you currently subscribe to tea related or not and we will randomly draw a winner who will receive a lovely tea care package from The SororiTea Sisters!
Spicy Caramel Apple Cinnamon Herbal from Plum Deluxe
Living in the Midwest has spoiled me, you guys. I recently left my full-swing-of-fall homestate for a business trip to Texas, and was shocked when I stepped off the plane and was greeted with a wall of thick humidity the likes of which we hadn’t seen near the Great Lakes for months. You see, the second the first cool breeze and slightly orange-tinged leaf make their first appearances here in September, I’ve busted out my entire (vast– trust me.) collection of scarves, colorful tights, and obviously– autumnal teas 🙂
This limited 
edition autumn blend from Plum Deluxe hit all the necessary checkpoints for a perfect seasonal blend– spicy? Check. Slightly sweet? Yessir. Caramel-y smooth? Done and done. Upon first blend, my cup is evocative of an afternoon in the orchards– the apple notes are present and delightfully smooth. I will say the second steeping loses the apple for me, but the cinnamon remains, and it certai
nly can carry this tea on its own. Whether autumn is in full swing where you are, or you’re sweating it out in the sunshine and greenery, this tea is a great one to carry you through the season!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Nothing says fall flavor better than apples and cinnamon — and we’re taking it to the next level with the addition of fresh spices and a splash of caramel, to create the perfect tea paired for enjoying freshly harvested foods, carving pumpkins, going on a walk in the fresh autumnal air, or savoring your own special fall moments.
Even better, our spiced caramel apple cinnamon tea only has a pinch of organic rooibos tea as a base, making it caffeine-free, so you can enjoy it as an after dinner treat or a lovely bedtime companion.
This is a limited-edition tea available until Dec 31st, or while supplies last.
All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon. Each 1 oz tea packet makes 15-20 cups. All organic ingredients — no sulfites, no artificial chemicals, non-GMO.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Midnight Melange Black Tea from Plum Deluxe
Midnight Melange – Midnight Melange – Midnight Melange…say THAT 10 times fast! Midnight Melange is just FUN to say, isn’t it? Midnight Melange Black Tea from Plum Deluxe is also TASTY to sip on, too!
Midnight Melange Black Tea from Plum Deluxe contains Black Tea, Hibiscus, Lemon Peel, Rosehips, Rose Petals, and Vanilla. The black tea base is medium strength. It has a tarty-tang of the hibiscus but I have to say it’s NOT overdone, thankfully! The lemon peel cuts the tart from the hibiscus a bit and I like that. The vanilla prevents it from not being too citrusy or too tart, overall. The rose does seem to give it a hint of floral flavor but it’s underneath and in the background.
Midnight Melange Black Tea from Plum Deluxe DOES brew dark. It smells like a tart black tea with rose which totally makes sense based on the ingredients! The end sip and aftertaste – especially after naturally cooling at room temperature for a while – are that of lemon peel and I absolutely LOVE the way that peel lingers.
I do really like this Midnight Melange Black Tea from Plum Deluxe. If I wanted this for a first-of-the-morning tea to smack me in the face I would love the black tea base to be more prominent but overall it is a nice flavored black. And other companies should take note as to how this specific tea worked with hibiscus! Nicely done…NOT overdone at all…just the way hibiscus SHOULD be but rarely is.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
This tea is no longer available but here are teas that are!
Midnight Melange Black Tea from Plum Deluxe
Hello, tea fans! It’s time, once again, for a new tea.
Today’s offering comes from Plum Deluxe’s “magical” tea-of-the-month club. They send out a special tea every month and then read the tea leaves.
This is an unexpected and cute practice, so I shouldn’t’ve been so surprised at how unexpected and cute this tea was. This black tea has lemon, hibiscus, rose, and vanilla. I never would have thought to combine them, but it’s delicious. Like, really really good.
The “Midnight Melange” isn’t available on their site any more, but this Reading Nook Blend is similar. You could just add a drop of lemon from one of those plastic squeezy things, and boom! There you are!
As I sip this, I keep going back to the tea leaf thing. That’s so cool. I am kicking myself for not looking at their post before making mine. I would have totally loose-leafed this if I had known.
So I did the next best thing: I dumped the contents of my gravity steeper onto a piece of paper and photographed it. (My office? Exactly the mess you think it is.) I dropped it into Photoshop and, a few clicks later: here’s a Rorschach test.
What is it?
Obviously a butterfly.
(Original Artwork Provided by Super Starling)
Google tells me that butterflies mean “Inspiration, intuition, higher consciousness, transformation, resurrection, flashes of insight, power of beauty, strength in vulnerability.”
How inspiring is that? I love it.
I never would have thought to do this crazy experiment without Midnight Melange. Thanks, Plum Deluxe.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean all this up.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
This tea is no longer available but these are!
Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Tea from Plum Deluxe
Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Tea from Plum Deluxe was one of my samples that I received a month or two ago. I am not a huge chocolate or hazelnut fan to begin with. Mix that with honeybush (which I love or hate) and that tea is bound to hang out in my tea stash for a while.
That is a tragedy and shame on me when it comes to this tea. This tea has me rethinking my whole thought process when it comes to this combo. I could even see stocking this tea in my cabinet for that sweet treat after dinner.
First whiff of this dry leaf and you are greeted with this decadent and dare I say sinful aroma of rich milk chocolate notes and hazelnuts. Using the same brewing method as an herbal (212F-5 minutes), I graciously poured a mug full of this dessert tea and sat down to enjoy.
Immediately I am again greeted with those rich milk chocolate notes. Took my first sip after allowing the tea to cool for a couple moments. Deep lush silky chocolate notes swirl on the tongue with a nice mix of a creamy hazelnut vibe. Both flavors are given a good amount of time in the spotlight and do not overtake each other.
This is one of those gorgeous dessert teas that really transport you. Since this is a caffeine free tea, this would be the perfect way to wind down for the day. I can’t believe how crazy I am about this tea and highly recommend it.
Leave it to Plum Deluxe to create a chocolate tea I love. Simple fresh ingredients blended with love. That is just want Plum Deluxe does.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description:
People have been pairing chocolate with hazelnut for millennia. Why not — it’s a perfect pairing. We paired it with honeybush — our favorite herbal tea — to make a decadent, delicious drink. Add a splash of cream and/or a pinch of sugar, or turn it into the most wonderful tea latte ever.
Learn more about this tea here.