Sugar Plum Spice

Well, I got this tea sometime prior to 2009…because the box I have in the pantry has an expiry date in 2010. I think of “best before” dates as simply that. After that date is when “life gets interesting”.

And since my life needs to get interesting again…why not give it a try?

Let me tell you. There’s no way this is what it tastes like anymore. The paper bag is stained and brown now, and smells more than a little spicy. It tastes very similar to how it smells; spicy first then a bit of sweet at the end. If someone told me it was plum I might believe them, but I certainly wouldn’t guess that. But that is completely my fault; there’s no way you can let a tea sit for 6 years and expect it to taste the same as it did when the box was freshly opened. You know what? I don’t even care. I LIKE IT this way. It yuuuuuummy. At the same time, I vaguely remember how much I liked this tea when it was fresh, too.

Verdict: if I ever find it again in stores, I’ll be buying more.

I think that this is the oldest box of tea in my stash. …It was actually from my mum’s stash. The box has the old red/white/blue ballerina art, not the cutesy purple fairy stuff. I mean, late 90’s/early 2000’s. I could probably sell this in the vintage part of Etsy.

….To be honest, it still tastes the same as it did 5+ years ago. That is, kind of like potpourri. Perhaps it has mellowed a bit, which is probably a good thing. I always brew it for about 2 minutes, then add a used black teabag for about 2 more minutes to kind of make a lazy person’s blend.

I wouldn’t be consuming this tea if I didn’t have a complex about food waste. I guess it’s just that sugared fruits, candied fruits, and applets/cotlets/Turkish delights/heavy sweet fruity winter things really aren’t part of my culture? Perhaps this tea is imbued heavily with Tchaikovsky elements, which means that I instinctively shy away from it? I don’t know. CS really isn’t my favorite company to begin with (but I really appreciate their packaging and production beliefs), so I’m not that broken-hearted. …Though I do have at least 4 more bags of this. …

Snowing heavily here, and wanted something Christmas-y. Spicy, thanks to the cinnamon. If it didn’t say Plum on the package, I couldn’t have told you there was plum in it. Tasty, but only one steep per bag.

Great for setting the Christmas mood, however this really doesn’t suit my pallet. It has a hint of sweetness, and a whole load of plum which is accompanied by a nice amount of cinnamon. This cinnamon can easily become overpowering to the point of giving you a numbing sensation on your tongue if you steep it too long or as it has a strong flavor, steep it in a cup that is smaller (9oz and around there). If you are going to enjoy this tea, a large cup or a teapot is very recommended to preparing it. This tea isn’t actually all that bad, I just personally do not like plum teas very much as all.

One of, if not my favourite teas. I know, I know, it’s bagged and boring, but my word is it ever good. Plum? Sugar? Can’t screw that up.

I remember having this years ago but didn’t enjoy it as much as I am today (after cracking open a new box.)
Not sure what my issue was back then, perhaps my tastes have just changed but this is nice and comforting!
A pleasant mix of sweet/sour/tart where I’m mostly getting a fruity (red/purple fruit vibe) and a light spiceiness (cinnamon/ginger.)
A perfectly good tea for those Winter evenings when you need something caffeine-free!

Hmm, something in here is quite sweet. It tastes similar to Hot Cinnamon Spice, so maybe it’s the cinnamon flavor? Not sure.

Regardless, it’s still a pleasant enough tisane. Even though I’m not a fan of sweet teas, the hibiscus tartness counters it nicely. Really, it’s a bit like Hot Cinnamon Spice, if someone added a bunch of hibiscus to it.

It gives me a bit of a mulled wine or cider vibe. Not sure if I would repurchase it, but I could see it being nice during the holidays. Definitely doesn’t taste like plum though.

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 14/19

This is one of my favorite holiday teas. The spice is sometimes a bit over the top but it does have a very winter feel to it while drinking it. I tried to make a cold brew pitcher of this tea but it is better served hot. The fruit flavor comes through more when it is steeped in hot water. The spices are more pungent in the cold brew version of this tea.

I often say that Celestial Seasonings rarely surprises me. This is one time they have! I love their Sugar Plum Spice Tea!

I’ve tried this tea both as a hot brew and cold brew and can say that I prefer this tea warmed. It draws out the flavors in a more complimentary way whereas a cold brew makes it sweet, but in an unpleasant way. It’s like sipping on cold sweetened cinnamon water. Not festive or refreshing!

As a hot brew, though, I thoroughly enjoy this tea! I tend to steep this tea at 190 degrees for 5 minutes but am, often, lazy about removing the bag from the cup as I like the continued flavorings the tea imparts so some steeps have gone on for 15-20 minutes. Sometimes it will develop a bit of a tart aftertaste, which I enjoy, but it never makes for an undrinkable cup. I’ve been known to make a new brew with a new bag without removing the prior bag. Sometimes my brew can have upwards of three tea bags in a cup from me not removing the prior brew’s bag. When I notice the brew getting too tart I discard the bags and start the process again. If not obvious, I tend to drink several cups of this tea when I do make it.

Another quality about this tea I enjoy is that it is sweet enough that it doesn’t require me to add sweeteners or milk. On a few occasions I’ll add a bit of sweetener whenever my piled up tea bags create a more tart than sweet taste. Fortunately, this tea is very forgiving so removing the tea bags and adding a little sweetener easily remedies the tart flavor.

Finally, I really enjoy the scents of the tea, too. The fruit scent with hints of cinnamon and hibiscus I pick up on, but, thankfully, the ginger is not. I think the cinnamon could be masking the smell for me, which is good as I tend to not like teas with a ginger flavor or aroma.

Again, this is by far one of my favorite Celestial Seasoning offerings and one that will be a frequent visitor in my tea cupboard.

Enjoyable. It really evokes a sense of the holiday season for me. I enjoy the spice and sourness of the plum flavours, although a bit too sour. The flavoured could be more balanced for me.