One of the perks about writing about food for a living is that sometimes, I get free stuff. It doesn’t happen all the time. I’d like it to happen more. But when it does, it’s glorious.

Which brings me to this Plum Deluxe tea. I got an email from the company a couple weeks ago telling me about their organic tea blends. I throw most sales pitches/story pitches in the trash but this one caught my eye. I love tea and I’m willing to go out on a limb to try a new brand.

Plum Deluxe sent me a few samples and I spent this week trying them all (it’s a tough life). I started on Monday with the “Pick-Me-Up Oolong Tea.” It was the perfect tea for that day because I got stuck in traffic for an hour on the way to work. By the time I showed up at my office, I needed something reassuring. The Pick-Me-Up blend has maple syrup extract, orange peel, and almond. It’s very warm and comforting.

I followed that up with “Gratitude Blend Black Tea,” “Rainy Day Puerh,” and “Lavender Daydream White Tea.” Gratitude is a popular blend, according to Plum Deluxe’s website. I can see why. It’s a strawberry earl grey tea with cornflowers and bergamot. It’s very fragrant, almost like a cake. It’s sweet and bright, which makes it good to drink in the morning.

The Rainy Day blend is aptly named. I saved it for a rainy day (we’ve been having a lot of those lately in St. Louis). The blend includes cinnamon bark, orange peel, and anise. It kind of reminded me of the Gibassier I made the other day, just in tea form. It was reassuring and warming. I felt better after a few sips.

My favorite tea is the Lavender Daydream. I don’t drink white tea that often and I’m not sure why, because it’s so good. It’s minimally processed and very delicate, which makes it lighter than black or green tea. I love the way it tastes with lavender, apricot, and rose petals in Plum Deluxe’s blend. The tea is light enough to drink throughout the day. I’m thinking of making another cup right now.

ANYWAY. Before I get too carried away, you should check out Plum Deluxe. They’re not paying me to say this (even though maybe they should be?). I do think their blends are worth your while though, especially if you’re looking for something different than your average earl grey or green tea.

Here’s a song to get you started on your tea journey. It’s also good for times when you realize that you left yourself no time to pack for a vacation so you’ll probably end up doing it at 2 A.M.