Vista Blend from Plum Deluxe. . . .

by TeaRax

There is so much Yes going on with Plum Deluxe! I discovered them when my Sororitea sister sent me a surprise cuppa their Pomme Blossom White tea. It’s a discontinued exclusive so I won’t tease you with too much detail. This was a very colorful blend with some “furry” white leaves. What was so exceptional was that the second steep tastes even better!!! Which is usually not my experience with flavored white teas.

I ordered another, not sold out, white tea blend of theirs called Afternoon “High Tea”, which is a peach and pear blend that also held up to resteep. It was a completely different taste profile than the Pomegranate and berries that I fell in love with earlier, but it was still very posh tasting. All their teas are made with organic ingredients — no sulfites, no artificial chemicals, and non-GMO. Eco-Friendly for the Win!

I ended up subscribing to Plum Deluxe’s tea of the month club. It’s only $10 for one exclusive bag of hand crafted tea, plus access to their amazing Facebook community. And Yay for supporting local PNW businesses!

The real star from this month’s shipment was a sample of their Vista Blend Herbal Tea.

This definitely tastes like the uncaffeinated sister of the Pomme Blossom. I’m not sure what the common element is, but it could be the Love and Gratitude they blend into their creations? This company likes to send out smiles.

The infusion slowly turns the color of a summer sunset, and the beautiful sight is complemented well by the apricot flavor. A creamy lavender taste leads into a mellow citrus that lingers nicely for quite some time after drinking.

The naturally sweet Honeybush base made a scrumptious treat cold brewed, and no sweetener was needed, which for me is saying something. Double win! I don’t want this cup to end, so I will definitely be buying more of this with next month’s mystery blend.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Honeybush
Where to Buy:  Plum Deluxe
Description

The apricot + lavender “Vista Blend” is inspired by one of our favorite things about nature — the views. This tea reminds us that we can have a beautiful view wherever we are, if only we slow down to appreciate it.

We use a base of earthy honeybush tea, paired perfectly with Oregon lavender and apricot essence. The fruit and floral pair to create a calming influence.  It’s just delightful — and especially refreshing on ice. Originally this tea was a seasonal-only blend but based on your demands, we’ve elevated it to a signature blend so you can get your Vista cuppa anytime of year.

All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon. Each 1oz 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!

TeaRax

My favorite tea is always changing, like a typical Gemini. When I was a teenager, my native Washington Starbucks coffee was forbidden, but I occasionally snuck in a chai latte, so black teas have been my go-to morning drink when I feel feisty. As an adult, I spent 3+ years living in China and Japan where I learned about green, white, oolong, and pu'er teas origins. I was even prescribed traditional medicinal teas while I was there and that's a taste you don't soon forget! But it didn't scare me away from herbals - I really like cold brewing rooibos and tisanes now because I can share them with my toddler. I am back in school to become a geologist, and these science textbooks can be difficult to get through without a strong cuppa. When I'm not studying, I love pairing my teas with my BFFL and salted caramel macarons, or having existential chats with my dad.

This post was posted in Fruit/Herbal Tisane, Plum Deluxe

Yamane-en: Sugabou, Gyokuro Karigane Houjicha Green Tea from Yunomi

by thelastdodo

Yamane-enKariganeHoujichaTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Yunomi

Tea Description:

Stems of high grade tea is called karigane 雁音. By roasting these stems in an iron pot, it becomes Karigane Houjicha. This particular product uses gyokuro tea stems from Uji, Kyoto.

This karigane houjicha is roasted in an iron pot over strong heat. Only the surface of the stems are roasted, retaining the flavor of the tea itself, because the inner part of the stem is not roasted. Both the strong aroma and taste of tea can be enjoyed.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

When I first read the name on the package of tea, I was overwhelmed by the name alone. What did any of that mean? The only word I understood was gyokuro and houjicha. I am always into trying a houjicha green tea from Yunomi.

By doing a little deciphering and careful read through the insightful description was I able to discern with little effort what all it meant. Karigane is a form of kukicha, which is stick tea, basically. But the thing about Karigane is that it is a cut above your average run of the mill kukicha because it is made from high grade teas, such as gyokuro. leave it to the Japanese to make the most out of everything they are given! After a good and strong roasting in an iron pot, the core of the tea is still intact, and the delicate nuanced sticks blending together with the roasted flavor I know and love.

The dry leaves (or should I say sticks?) looks quite unlike any other houjicha that I have ever seen. The leaves are a light straw gold. The roasted and slightly smoky aroma reached my nose and I was hooked. Steeping the leaves in my favorite kyusu revealed a comforting toasted cup of roasty goodness. There were some nice coffee notes hidden there somewhere, and it complimented everything in a way that was unsurprisingly lovely.

I have had plenty of houjicha in my time, everything from yama moto yama teabags and flavored kit kats to freshly fired bancha from a cousin on their latest trip and this really is the best I’ve ever had. I sense that this could be that it is from karigane, and I don’t think I’ve had karigane in roasted form in the past. The aftertaste this leaves is amazing. A mix of refreshing roasted sweetness with a slight smoke note at the end. As it cooled, it became sweeter.

I took this tea in a thermos for my most recent hike, and it was the perfect end note to a nice, quiet hike. I was lucky enough to miss the snowstorm during the hike, and sitting in the car and warming up to a big steaming mug of this tea really just hit the spot.

thelastdodo

I dream in tea. Hello! My name is Maddi and I love to gongfu and listen to good tunes. I live in Denver, CO with my big dumb malamute and three other people who are not bid dumb malamutes. I like to take boiling hot showers and meditate in my closet. I talk about tea so much that it has become a punch line of sorts with my family and coworkers. Besides my unhealthy obsession with the drink that gives me life, I do yoga frequently, watch Korean Dramas religiously, run as a form of moving meditation, make green smoothies out of any vegetables and fruits within the nearest vicinity, and play video games with my patient and forgiving boyfriend. I also cook for a living and have at least one waffle a day. Likes: Tea, Teaware, All forms of nature, Old movies, People with infectious laughs, Blankets Dislikes: Watching sports, People who don’t tip servers, Slipping on ice, drinking tea for the ‘health benefits’ I tend to only drink loose leaf, although I will have a bagged tea every once in a while in an emergency. I also never sweeten my tea because, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ I like the following flavors: Smokey Floral Coconut Majority of chai Anything Tropical Vanilla Grassy/Vegetal Citrus Stone fruit/melon Earth/Wood I am not so fond of the following flavors: Hibscus Lavender Strong Bergamot Berries Chocolate Cloves/strong cinnamon

This post was posted in Green Tea