I’ve always been a black-tea-with-milk-and-sugar kinda girl (thanks, semester abroad in London!). Now, as the years have passed, my tastes have matured, and I’ll happily venture out to less traditional teas and more traditional preparations, but there’s something about a bold black tea paired with creamy + sweet that gets me right in my cozy, nostalgic heart.
So you can imagine my bummer when I was recently put on an allergy test for to be without my beloved coconut milk (the only “milk” left that I could tolerate) for thirty days. SOB. As there’s a silver lining to every cloud, this has (finally!) opened up a category of teas that I all-too-often avoid: black teas that taste best SANS milk. Gasp! Who am I?
When this tea arrived in my monthly tea subscription from Plum Deluxe, I knew it would perfectly fit this new category in my tea-drinking life. A mellow pu’ehr with notes of orange, cinnamon, ginger, rose and anise, with fruity hibiscus? Yes please. It brews a beautifully robust almost walnut-y brown, with just a hint of pink from the hibiscus. Sweetened with a touch of honey, it’s a cup that is absolutely un-put-downable. Spicy and sweet, fruity and robust– like no other tea I’ve ever had. The only downside I can find is that a re-steep of the same leaves just doesn’t produce the same vibrant cup with similarly complex flavors as the first, but that can be a tall order for such a nuanced dry leaf.
Normally, I finish my tea of the month and move on to the next month’s bag without too much love lost. But with my newfound love (and need) for milk-less black teas, this one will be reordered as a permanent fixture in my tea cabinet.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Pu’erh
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
This tea is only available to members of the Plum Deluxe Monthly Subscription Plan. Please click below for the other teas they offer or to learn more about joining their monthly tea membership.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lively Rose Blend from Plum Deluxe. . . . . .
As the days get shorter and the dark stretches longer, unsurprisingly I’ve been looking for comfort. For me, that looks like the typical things– a warm bath, a cozy blanket, a cup of tea (duh. :)), a burning candle, twinkle lights, good food, my favorite book, and the list goes on and on.
A few years ago, I learned that this innate need for coziness and comfort that always pokes its head out during this time of year has a name! And an entire nation of people who are experts at practicing it! Who knew? This Danish concept, hygge, is the idea that when it gets darker and colder, rather than feel despair, we need to treat ourselves extra kindly, do extra-good for ourselves and others, and really take impeccable care of ourselves.
This tea, (a delightful blend of black tea, rooibos, rose and almond) has become my new favorite for sipping when I’m channeling my own inner hygge these past few weeks. A collaboration between one of my favorite podcasters, Jess Lively, and one of my favorite tea companies, Plum Deluxe, this tea perfectly touches on light, delicate flavors while still remaining a balanced blend of hearty black and rooibos tea.
Which, let’s talk about that for a second– I think black/rooibos blends are quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. The nutty earthiness of rooibos in this blend in particular is a match made in heaven for the black tea base. No astringency or acidity present, just a hearty-but-delicate, floral-but-nutty hug in a cup. I’ve found this one pairs equally well with quiet mornings reading under a blanket in the sunlight as it does with afternoon self-care pick-me-ups.
As a latte, the rose and almond really shine, but even brewed straight with a dash of coconut milk, it’s exactly the kind of embodiment of cozy hygge that I’ve been looking for this season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Rooibos
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below to see what black teas are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Holiday Blend Alert! Holiday Embrace from Plum Deluxe
Here in Wisconsin, we’re known for a few things– cheese (of course), beer (naturally) and cranberries (apparently). While I’m not sipping the former two in tea form anytime soon, any chance I get to rep my state with a tea comprised of the latter, I’m all about it. (But listen, I’ll never say never to the beer/cheese tea given the right opportunity.)
This holiday blend from Plum Deluxe is an absolute delight in dry leaf form. The spices and fruit are big and chunky, looking and smelling like the most delightful holiday potpourri you could imagine. Traditional chai spices mingle beautifully with orange peel and cranberry, making this tea a slightly sweet and spicy herbal perfect to be sipped on snowy nights.
My only complaint about this one is that the pieces are SO large that I’ll likely blow through my ounce in no time. But that just means I’ll have to stock up on a few bags for the long winter ahead!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
We love this spicy herbal tea shared with family and friends during the holidays. Fresh, dried cranberries are paired with orange peel and a melange of spices. The warming fruit flavor feels so good paired with tasty snacks or after a hearty meal. This tea also makes for a wonderful gift.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Meadow Walk from Plum Deluxe. . . . .
You know when you find a tea that’s perfect in every way? Not too sweet, but just sweet enough?
Complex flavors that blend beautifully, unexpected and fresh but comforting all the same? I know. It’s rare. But I think I’ve found that tea for me, and it’s this insanely delicious herbal from Plum Deluxe.
A base of green rooibos with lavender, blueberry and rosemary– I wasn’t sure how this one would pan out when I added it to my tea of the month order, but it seemed too interesting to not give it a try.
Rosemary? And lavender? With fruit?! This coulda gone reeeeally badly, but it somehow all works together so, so wonderfully!
The rosemary and lavender are herbaceous but not vegetal, and the blueberry sweetness rounds the cup out beautifully. This one is just as great as an after-dinner stomach settler as it is a midmorning treat.
It’s not often that I can claim a tea to be like none I’ve ever tried before, but this one totally fits the bill. Plum Deluxe knocked it outta the park on this blend, and this will be one with a permanent spot in my tea cabinet, for sure!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
One of our favorite places for inspiration is Nature. From field to forest, we love it all. We thought it’d be fun to have a tea made just for hiking, but also great for those days you can’t get outdoors but want to feel nurtured by Mother Nature. That’s what led to our Meadow Walk blend. We use a delicious green rooibos tea base and add a curious trio of blueberry, lavender, and rosemary to create a wonderful flavor profile. Extra bits of floral and berry come together to create your new favorite herbal tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Spring Hickory Oolong Tea from Plum Deluxe
I’m not sure sure WHY but for some reason I thought Spring Hickory Oolong Tea from Plum Delux contained CHICORY in it but it DOESN’T. Which is ok because I’m not a HUGE fan of Chicory but I don’t necessarily hate it either. So at first when I Spring Hickory Oolong Tea from Plum Delux I was thinking to myself…’wow…the chicory in this isn’t that bad’ well that’s because there isn’t any in there that is why! Okay..crazy tangent over…on to the actual review of this tea…shall we?
Spring Hickory Oolong Tea from Plum Delux DOES contain oolong, orange peel, cinnamon, and pecan essence. I would say that the ratio or breakdown was ‘pretty even-steven’. So 25/25/25/25 split of flavors on my tongue!
I have enjoyed Spring Hickory Oolong Tea from Plum Delux both HOT and COLD. I cannot decide which I like better. Both have an extremely pleasing flavor which is flavored oolong with orange-cinnamon. The pecan flavors do seems to shine more when cold, however.
I’m not sure if this is a tea that would be enjoyed specifically in the spring months. I’m enjoying Spring Hickory Oolong Tea from Plum Delux months later and I think it’s pretty fabulous!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea
Where to Buy: Plum Delux
Description: Relax into the unfolding of seasonal change as we go from winter to spring. Contains: Oolong Tea, Orange Peel, Cinnamon, Pecan Essence,
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
