Another New Mexico Tea Company "Haul" with a little surprise from the staff there!

So I was stocking back up on some favorites from my last New Mexico tea company haul, as well as getting a couple of new things, one of which is an iteration of one of my favorite cold weather teas. (I must be the only girl who hates pumpkin spice, so I go with Scottish breakfast for cooler weather, sometimes spiked with ginger and cinnamon.)

If you know much about New Mexico Tea Co, you know you get one free sample per order per month (depending on how much you order). So why are there three sample pouches you ask?

That was my reaction!

I had only asked for a sample of the royal bengal tiger for my free sample.

Then I looked at my order slip- 

If you are having trouble reading the notes, they are as follows-

Next to the blood orange rooibos it says " * Great Iced Tea Too!

And below the whole order it says- 

"* Please enjoy these extra samples (on the house). Apologies for the darker orange blossom oolong; The online photo was taken years ago and was a different batch of tea than we are currently receiving.

     Stay Cool,

                 NM Tea Co Staff"

I thought it was really great that they took the time to read the blog post located here, and explained why the oolong is darker than the photo on the website.

NOTE: I rated it a 7/10, and I do really like it, as shown by the 4oz I ordered this past time.

They really took time and looked at my order history, which is awesome and caring of them, and chose two samples that they thought I would enjoy- Blood Orange Rooibos, and what I will be reviewing today, Plum Oolong. 

I have been glaring wantingly at that Plum Oolong for a while, and I have always debated on buying it.

I LOVE prunes, but plums and I don't always get along, sometimes they are just too mooshey for my liking (I like mooshey peaches but not mooshey plums, no clue why I have that distinction).

So this one was always a maybe later, and now, I get to try it!

They sent me a very generous sample of maybe 6-8 grams, and when you see how I am going to brew it, you will see why I call it generous.

I know. 2g? That's way less tea than you ever use, Kat!

YES. And for good reason. 

I read a blog post written by a colleague (I think that's the right word), who calls herself Marzipan Fairy, about the Libre Loose Leaf Tea Glass.

I have been looking for an easier way to grampa style my tea for about a year now, and I wasn't going to purchase something that didn't have a decent review by someone whose opinion I trust.

I trust Marzipan Fairy's opinion. She is a very smart lady, and very practical.

So Husband and I jumped and purchased one.

Husband picked the pattern and he picked the same one Marzipan Fairy picked.

Black Brush. which is much prettier in person than in any online photos I have seen.

I am not ready to review the tumbler yet.

I am still doing rigorous "product testing" (read as, playing with my new toy), and am trying to determine both best use and multiple other things.

I am however using it for this review.

Now, a LOT of Grampa style proponents I have read state to use BOILING water. I usually don't.

195°F is really as high as I will go, unless it is puerh.

Note, even with Grampa style, I am only going to the top of the little flame/leaf logo. 

This is after about 3 minutes, and the scent was so heady that I started drooling.

Honestly, I did.

I love twisty dark oolongs that have those natural plum notes (like plain Wuyi cliff teas).

This was a subtle enough flavoring to just enhance the flavor of the oolong without overpowering the minerally flavor of the oolong.

I am usually somewhat suspicious of flavored teas where I can't see fruit/spice/herb pieces, but the flavoring of this one is not an artificial flavoring, so I feel a bit better about it.

This is a fantastic tea, No wonder it's a customer favorite.

I give it a Rock Solid 8/10

You can buy it here.

And as for what I am listening to- it's Shinhwa, the South Korean "Man Band" (they aren't exactly teenagers, anymore), I am listening to the station I have based on them on Pandora. (Pandora doesn't give me anything for mentioning them, I just like it better than anything else.)