Sampling teas from Plum Deluxe

Recently, I got an e-mail from Plum Deluxe offering to let me sample some of their teas, and I was so impressed by founder Andy Hayes' website, which features a tribute to his mother, who passed away following a battle with breast cancer. Since I lost my own mother to cancer just about this time two years ago, that naturally spoke to me, and I was pleased to see that his tribute is no weepy thing but rather an encouraging, uplifting account of some of the wonderful lessons his mother taught him. (What mother wouldn't be proud of that!) Now usually, I tell any tea company that offers to send me tea samples to please just send whatever they like, not wanting to appear greedy, but this time, I saw a tea I truly coveted and let greed lead the way, saying, "May I please, please, please have some of your Reading Nook blend?"  Since my day job now includes editing novels, that tea seemed right up my alley. Happily, Andy wrote back and said sure, he'd be glad to send me that one and a sample of a few others as well. Oh happy day!

This Reading Nook blend lived up to my every expectation, and I think it's so pretty that I'd like to have bowls of it to sit around as potpourri. The scent is lightly floral, and I can truly see myself savoring this delicious and delicate tea as I'm reading for pleasure. It wasn't by any means an overpowering floral taste I got, just a little extra something in the tea, and I loved it. I got a kick out of reading the list of ingredients, too: "Black Tea, Rosebuds, Lavender, Chamomile, Love, Gratitude, Natural Flavor." I tasted the love!

This Oregon Breakfast black tea was a lovely surprise! I didn't read the ingredients first, I just made the tea and tried to figure out what was in it. Once I prepared the tea, I detected a distinctly nutty scent. When I sipped, I got a wonderful nutty flavor. The ingredients? "Black Tea, Honeybush Tea, Orange Peels, Hazelnut Essence, Love, Gratitude." So it was the hazelnut I was tasting. Ahhh. And yum!

Finally, I can't get enough spice teas right now, so this Deluxe Pumpkin Spice Tea was a treat because it's a little more spicy and peppery than the usual pumpkin teas I drink. It contains "Honeybush Tea, Black Tea, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Cloves, Calendula, Safflower, and Natural Pumpkin Flavor." Plum Deluxe also has a Tea Club and newsletter (which I've just signed up for), and if you'd like to visit their website and learn more about these terrific teas, just click here!