Cinnamon Plum is your New Holiday Gem

Tea : Cinnamon Sugar Plum

Website description:

This festive, fruity tea blends the taste of ripe, juicy plums with the comforting warmth of cinnamon, fragrant spice, and tart hibiscus. Based on ancient Ayurvedic medicine, the herbs used in this blend are believed to enhance immunity and the black tea base is rich in antioxidants and anti-aging properties. Cozy up to this bold, jammy tea with a sweet, lingering finish.

Brewing Specs

Water: 32 oz

Temperature: 80 F outside in direct sunlight (Sun Tea technique)
Steep Time: 4 hours for 3 gm

My Review System: https://artofthepair.com/tea-overview/

Iced Tea Technique

All iced teas are brewed using direct sunlight for a minimum of 4 hours.
Only 3 gm of tea is used per 32 oz / 1 Quart of water.
Once tea is brewed, it’s strained and placed into refrigerator to cool to under 40F (typically overnight).
Samples are evaluated without ice, fruit additions (such as lemon) or additional sweetener.
Iced tea is consumed within 24 hours of brewing.

My Overall Impression (Score of 89 %)

I’ve been SO busy with work and other things that I have not been able to write as much. As I looked through my notes for articles (and trust me, there are a TON of them), Octavia’s Cinnamon Sugar Plum jumped out at me. Yes, I brewed this over the summer and paired it with incredible fruity grilled chicken thighs but it resonated with me. This is an all year around brew option.

I love my life right now. The first snow of the season has occurred. The garden is finally put away (I honestly thought if would never end at one point with the late Fall). As I now get ready for the winter holidays, I’m consuming richer items for the warmth and comfort.

Fall means something special for me. Being a Canadian, I’m used to having an early Thanksgiving in October. This leaves about 2.5 months to get ready for Christmas so I like to ease into it. I start thinking of the trees I’m going to put up (yes that was plural), making a ton of festive cookies and rich soups, stews and braising everything. What do I serve with this? Red wines, scotches and I start to pull out the cocktail notes to mix a massive list of drinks I’ve found. I just finished canning Cranberry Lemonade for the first time (I will update you with this recipe after I try it in a few weeks). The aroma from the cranberries reminded me of this brew. You have to check this tea out as its just got holidays written over it and it is a gem of a Tea. I will be looking out for more of Octavia’s options.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

“A welcoming Iced Tea that will mix up the status quo as its far from boring. Think bigger spices along with richer meats. As for the winter months, I would love to steep this for mulled wine.”

The Price

The price on 4/8/25 is $16.49 for 75 grams.

Broken down:

75 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 25 brews
25 brews from package = app. 70 cents per brew (1 Quart)
This breaks down to approximately 16.5 cents per cup.

For any tea, this is a great value. The fact that is will stand up to extreme foods (see below) makes it special and exceptional.

Aromas

Opening the package, your first reaction is wow from the candied dried plum, craisins and red currant notes.
This is followed by notes from the hibiscus.
Its exceptionally inviting reminding me of Christmas punch or mulled wine (hmmmm…that may be an option)
It finishes with notes of fruitcake and rich jams
When brewed, it still has the same notes but muted.

Flavors

Starting off with a dusty mouthfeel, this brew shows incredible characteristics for an iced tea.
It screams rich plums with big notes of cinnamon, cloves, with fresh unsweetened cranberries and hibiscus.
It’s rich with deep tannins that can be offset with the addition of sugar (mine was unsweetened).
I love its rinsing acidity and intense body from this strong extraction.

Scores

Aromas (4.6/5)
Flavors (8.7/10)
Overall impression (4.5/5)
- Total score = 89 percent (17.8/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

I do not think I’ve ever recommended a drink recipe in this area but now its time. Mulled tea infused wine would a gem on colder days or visits with family and friends. I know on the colder days of shoveling, this may become an option.
To start with a great appetizer option, I’m a sucker for cheese and berries. However, taking this brew and infusing this liquid into a focaccia to serve with the berries. The color may be unique but I still think this will be so worth it for a great flavor pairing.
This brew calls for bold entrée options such as lamb tagine infused with a hint of this brew for the braise. Take the lamb out and either stuff it into a soft pita, or make a sandwich with the focaccia and you have a good day.
Plums are now in season so it stands to reason that a beautiful cinnamon coffee cake served with flambeed plums (and fortified with plum jam) will be alright.
In the summer, I’m all about lighter fare. However, this salad option of fresh salad leaves, rose petals and a hibiscus dressing would be a great match. Fortify it with some grilled chicken to boost its protein potential
I use my smokers all year long (yes, I have four) and some 5 Spice marinated chicken on the smoker over plum wood would be a great option.
I have always wondered this….am I the only one that eats more ice cream in the colder months than summer? I would love to take some ice cream, soak some berries or cherries in a cinnamon brandy and pour this over the Ice Cream for dessert.