Tea advent calendars are huge right now and I had to jump in and pick up a few for the holidays. One of the calendars I picked up was Plum Deluxe’s Advent Calendar- one of the more expensive ones I came across, but loving Plum Deluxe, I knew this would be amazing.
Unlike other tea advent calendars I’ve seen, Plum Deluxe’s calendar comes with a reusable 25 day “goodie” holder that you can reuse year after year. The goodie holder is made out of canvas and is done amazingly well. I’m quite taken with this calendar and actually wish there wasn’t a winter theme to the artwork because I would love to hang this in my office all year long to help me drink down my current tea stash. Unfortunately, my office is in the corner area of my family room, so it would look a little odd with snowflakes coming out of a tea pot in the crazy hot days of summer. Nevertheless, I’m in love with this holder and can’t wait to use it during the next few winter seasons to come. 
This particular calendar contains a mix of treats and Plum Deluxe teas- sample size. Being a huge fan of Plum Deluxe teas, I was excited to jump in and get my kettle going. I used to subscribe to their monthly tea plan, but found that I had to cancel just because I had so much tea on my hands. If you haven’t had Plum Deluxe teas, I encourage you to check them out. Beyond having delicious teas, they have the most amazing customer service and community behind the scenes. If you ever had any dealings with Plum Deluxe, you know exactly what I mean.
So, without further ado, I’m going to run down the first five days of treats/teas. . .
-Day 1- Sample Size of Apple Cinnamon Warmth Black Tea–
Not being a huge fan of black teas, I was still really excited about trying this tea. Like I said, I took a break from Plum Deluxe for a bit and haven’t had this tea as of yet. Brewed with water at boiling and allowed to steep for 4 minutes then topped with frothed warm almond milk, I was in heaven. This tea was everything I needed on a Mid-West brisk evening. The cinnamon was the star of this tea with a subtle apple note in the background and a touch of orange. I didn’t so much taste the black tea base but I don’t think this tea really needed that. This tea is one for sure I could see myself reordering.
-Day 2- Soul Warmer Herbal Tea (Red Rooibos)-
Unfortunately, this tea contains red rooibos, an herb that I have a strong (insanely so) aversion too. I’m one of those that adores and loves green rooibos but red rooibos is and always will be my arch enemy- so I have added this tea another’s Sisters tea package to send to them shortly. I hope they love it. It looks really pretty and I’m sure is amazing.
-Day 3- Berry Pie Dessert Tea (Honeybush)
This tea right here is hands down the best tea I’ve ever had from Plum Deluxe. The honeybush is crisp and provides this luscious dessert feel with a vanilla backdrop, the cinnamon and cardamom provide this subtle but solid spiced feel that is reminiscent of pie, and of course the berry flavor is spot on. Just so good, so right, so simple and yet so perfect. I want a gallon of this tea at the ready for me at any moment. That’s how much I love and adore this tea.
-Day 4- Self Care Blend Herbal Tea (Honeybush)
Brewed up with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for about 4 minutes, I was hoping this tea would be a gorgeous blend of apricots and apple with a vanilla background based on the ingredient list. And that is exactly what the taste was but it almost seemed like this tea needed a touch of something else to really bring the flavors to life. The tea was good but it didn’t blow me away like I thought it would. With the second steeping, I threw in a few cinnamon chips and this tea popped to life. The sweet cinnamon brought the apricots, apple, and vanilla into this gorgeous spiced fruit note that blended perfectly with the vanilla flavors the honeybush was provided. I’m now quite addicted to this connection I created.
-Day 5- 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Heart
I do like how there is a mix of teas and treats in the mix, but I was hoping for more tea related treats than a chocolate heart. I’m sure it will be delightful with the right cup of tea and will keep it for a treat later when I have a chocolate craving. (I’m actually not a huge chocolate fan)
So overall, I did enjoy the first week’s offerings. Some hits and misses, but planning an advent calendar to appease the masses would be a huge undertaking and I can’t even imagine getting together something of this nature. I’m hoping for more hits next week!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description- A daily tea based advent calendar to enjoy through the holidays.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Root Beer Float Black Tea from 52Teas. . .
I am lactose sensitive. I can have some dairy and be perfectly fine but too much and I am sick. This is especially true with ice cream. That is why I was particularly surprised when my mother took me to a restaurant called Jackson’s and happily let me order a Root Beer Float that came with a pitcher of root beer and a pint of vanilla ice cream. She’d been there before and knew what I was getting into…I did not. Needless to say I had to force my stepdad to help me out with the ice cream. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it though because root beer floats are awesome!
In light of my enjoyment of root beer floats, I was pretty pleased when this Root Beer Float Black Tea arrived as a sample in one of my orders from 52 Teas. Even more exciting are the delicious sounding ingredients of black teas, marshmallow root, sarsaparilla root, vanilla beans, calendula petals, and natural flavors. I made this as both a latte and a plain hot cup of tea.
My latte, though a bit watered down due to my inaccurate measuring, has a great sarsaparilla flavor. More than just the sarsaparilla which captures the root beer note, the vanilla beans and fluffy marshmallow combine with the milk to create a silky and creamy vanilla ice cream flavor. As a whole, the entire concept of root beer float is expertly captured in this tasty tea latte.
The plain tea is much more root beer than float. Granted there is a nice dose of vanilla and some softness from the marshmallow root, it is more heavily weighted towards the base black tea and the sarsaparilla root.
All in all, this tea (which is not currently available on the site but could be reblended) is a great take on the popular root beer float tea. Though it is good both ways I had it, I personally recommend the latte for a more accurate float. Just add a bit of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry and you got a treat worthy of any soda shoppe or 50s diner (but with much fewer calories :P).
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pancake Breakfast from 52Teas . . . .
Oh my god, you can taste the dough, and the maple sweetness, and like maybe a little hint of spice. It’s an all-encompassing deep sweetness, not saccharine or cloying. Your teeth don’t hurt. The taste has gravitas.
This tea is really well-named. It tastes precisely like sinking your teeth into a delicious breakfast at a diner.
Imagine the scene: it’s 10 a.m. on the weekend. Maybe you’re a little tired from whatever you did yesterday, even if it was just Netflix bingeing. You and your friends/family have been waiting in line at the mom and pop diner downtown, and you finally get in, and you see waffles are on special. OBVIOUSLY you are going in on that. The food is wicked fast coming out. You are gobbling that stuff down like it’s air. The waitress is calling you “hon” and asking if you want more coffee. You are in HEAVEN. You are a member of the Clean Plate Club.
If this sounds like a blast, good news! This is part of 52Teas’ permanent collection! Most of 52Teas’ offerings are “GOOD GOD GRAB IT NOW BEFORE IT IS GONE”, but this one is here to stay. Wake up and hop over!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
Because the love for this tea is so strong, we stuck closely to the original recipe.
One difference is that we’re utilizing different teas in our black tea base. I think you’ll notice the difference and I’m confident you’ll feel this was a change for the better! We’ve made a really yummy thing even better!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hibiscus Twist from The Cozy Leaf. . . .
I know I’m not the BEST person to blog about a tea called Hibiscus Twist. That’s because I’m not the biggest fan of the flower. But when I read the other ingredients of this herbal offering from The Cozy Leaf – I thought I would give it a whirl.
Officially described on The Cozy Leaf website as an Artisan Loose Leaf Herbal Tea (Caffeine Free) – Organic – offering – the flavor of this is tangy-tart and fruity with a delicate touch of spearmint. I will not tell a lie…the spearmint is what drew me in.
As the loose contents steeps a beautiful crimson color fills the cup!
I do prefer this offering ICED over the hot cuppa option but each person is different and this is one of those herbals that can easily please the masses!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Cozy Leaf
Description
A tangy tart herbal blend that is sure to add a smile to your tea time and has been bringing a healthy smile to my face since May of 2010! This brews a beautiful crimson cup that is excellent hot or cold! One of my favorite summertime treats is to add some lemonade or fresh berries to a delicious brew of Iced Hibiscus Twist (excellent paired with blackberries and fresh spearmint)! Another easy treat is to make an extra strong brew and freeze the concentrate in ice cube trays. Then pop the frozen crimson ice cubes into fresh made lemonade! The crowd goes wild!! This is also a fabulous tea to have premade in the refrigerator for the unexpected guests. Nothing like having a premium and healthy beverage right at your fingertips to leave an impression!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Carrot Cake Pancakes from 52Teas
I am a carrot cake fiend. I also love me some pancakes. And before I found this magical tea hybrid of the two, I found actual carrot cake pancakes…or perhaps it was pancakes carrot cake? Basically it was a cake sold in a deli in Montreal that looked like 20 pancakes stacked, with cream cheese icing in between the layers. It always fascinated me but I never got to try it so this tea is my chance to give it a go.
The first thing I noticed while drinking this tea is that it has the nice spice that I love in a good carrot cake. The cinnamon is definitely strong, though smooth, with a touch of nutmeg and a dash of allspice. It is a nice rounded spice flavor that is kept in check by the sweetness of the carrot. With that said, the black tea has a touch of thickness in the mouthfeel that is bringing to mind a denser pancake as opposed to a fluffy/light cake.
At first when I finished the cup I was sad that there was no semblance of a cream cheese icing. With that said, I can definitely see this as carrot cake pancakes, as in pancakes inspired by a carrot cake recipe as opposed to the carrot cake that looked like 20 stacked pancakes layered with icing. So no cream cheese icing but this does taste like a pancake with carrot cake spices and some carrot sweetness. If you want carrot cake, this is not the tea to go with but if you want carrot cake pancakes, then give this a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.