On a particularly stressful day, I decided it was finally time to break out the sample packet containing Plum Deluxe’s Self Care tea blend. It was my first time trying a honeybush tea, so I was interested in seeing how it compared to the rooibos base people often compare it to.
Like the other blends I received from Plum Deluxe, it was an attractive mix, rich in warm color and filled with fruit bits and bright marigold petals. However, when I opened the packet, I had my doubts about this one. I’ve never had a batch of samples where I liked all of them, and the smell of apricot overpowered everything else when I gave this blend a sniff test. Since my doubts about the Reading Nook blend were proven unnecessary, this had to be the one that didn’t do it for me, right?
Personally speaking, I didn’t see much resemblance between the flavor of the honeybush tea base and the flavor of rooibos. While rooibos has a bit of a cinnamon flavor, the honeybush tea provided a slightly herbal and naturally sweet taste, which was accented nicely by the flavors of fruit. Despite the overwhelming apricot fragrance, I found that flavor to be much more subtle. Likewise, the typical tartness of elderberries was masked nicely by the sweet taste of apple.
The apple was the flavor I found most prominent, and it made the brew sweet and smooth. While the company recommends this tea with honey and cream, I drank most of it straight, only experimenting at the end of the cup for sake of this posting.
Sweetening the tea brings out the flavor of the apricot, while a bit of milk toned down the flavor of the sweet fruits, bringing out the honeybush base and a hint of tartness from the berries. Both pleasant changes, but I think drinking it straight is still my preferred way of enjoying this tea–especially since as an herbal blend, a strong brew won’t be bitter.
Honestly, I’m surprised to have found all four blends I received so delightful, as there’s always been one that struck out for me. With this experience under my belt, though, I’m looking forward to trying more teas from Plum Deluxe in the future.