Self Care Blend (Elderberry / Apricot)

Hmm. Day 13 of the Plum Deluxe herbal advent. They suggest cold brewing this one, so I steeped it overnight. It’s not bad, but I want to try it hot as I suspect I might enjoy it more that way. I couldn’t quite place the flavor until I looked at the ingredients. It was registering as sort of a less-tart, less-sweet raspberry-like flavor. Which, to be fair, is a way one might describe apricot. And “apricot” does match now that I’ve seen it. This is tasty, I just want to play with it more. Maybe add a touch of agave…

Cold brewed

Sipdown (232)

This has cooled slightly and the elderberry is coming out a bit more. While I really enjoy the juicy and ripe apricot notes in this, the elderberry is a darker flavor that I find to be a bit distracting. It delivers on what is promised but for me, I wish it delivered less elderberry and was just all apricot, with a touch of honey from the base.

This was one of the teas provided to me for sample by Plum Deluxe, thank you so much Plum Deluxe! I selected two of the three flavors offered and just chose “blender’s choice” for my last flavor, and this was the tea Plum Deluxe selected. I’m home with a migraine today and feeling like some hot tea, so it seemed like a good time to brew it up.

The dry leaf smells very nice; I’m not extremely familiar with elderberries, but the aroma reminds me of plums and apricot, which is is a very pleasant fragrance. Steeped, the smell of those fruits is much stronger, and I’m also getting a peppery note on my nose. The apricot is very forward in the flavor, with that plummy flavor coming out toward the end of the sip, and a touch of a spice note. There is a slight berry tang, but not much, the honeybush mellows the tea out a lot. It’s really nice, and I’m enjoying it a lot on a day where I’m feeling very under the weather.

I was skeptical of this tea that I received as a Mystery Blend. My skepticism was based solely on the name. I expected grassy greens with herbs and weeds that aren’t delicious. My first sniff let me know I was wrong. This fruity (elderberry and apricot) tea is lovely and comforting any time of day.