Disclaimer: I am a tea drinker or, to be fully transparent – a hot drink addict. This series is a review for some of the teas and infusions in my collection from Fortnum & Mason. Their products are eye wateringly expensive compared to any normal supermarket, and having had mixed success with my purchases, I’ve missed the support fellow consumers could have given me. And don’t ask me how many different teas I own. Too many, babe, toooo many!
Since Christmas is fast approaching, I’ve chosen one of their winter specialities: “Plum, apple and cinnamon” herbal infusion – as the first test subject.
Making the tea:
Using 1 bag per cup, and a 250ml cup, brewing for the recommended 5 minutes before pics.
I HIGHLY recommend leaving the teabag in (yes, permanently, or giving it a solid 7-8 minutes at least).
Colour: plum flesh
In 4 minutes, you’ve only reached a half-point of colour development. It starts of as a watered-down mahogany, purplish tones developing with a bit of a delay. To be fair, once fully developed, it does look like the flesh of a red-fleshed plum.
Ingredients:
Hibiscus, Rosehip, Cinnamon (12%), Cloves (10%), Apple (8%), Flavourings, Ginger (5%), Beetroot, Plum (4%)
Taste:
The flavour also develops in stages: in 4 min, you get mostly spiced hibiscus; the actual “fruit” part arrives a good few minutes later, and with such subtlety you may need to dig deep to find it.
Think watered down mulled wine. Think of a vintage wine glass. Think of your childhood mug forgotten on the table half way through drinking. Think of a fireplace after a long walk in knee-deep snow. Think of late August evenings, and ice cubes clinking in your glass.
Confused much? Yeah, that’s exactly how it tastes.
What upsets me most is that, like with waaaaay too many infusions, especially for the price Fortnum & Mason charge, you still HAVE TO pay attention the ingredients list. It is called APPLE and PLUM, yet the “apple” is completely buried under rosehip and “plum” barely survives, thanks to the earthiness beetroot lends to it. And don’t get me started on hibiscus – the generic “sour” of all teas.
I can still remember the disappointment of my first taste of Plum, Apple and Cinnamon, so it should have ended there and then but… I’m on my second jar.
It has some kind of an unexplainable charm.
Maybe it’s the richness of the colour. Maybe it’s the fact it works with sugar, with honey, and without any sweeteners. Maybe it’s because you can start drinking while it’s hot, and finish a few hours later without any sense of loss. Maybe I’ve got a slight cinnamon addiction.
In conclusion:
- Is it good? Yes.
- Better hot or cold? Works both ways.
- How often do I reach for it? More often than I’m willing to admit.
- Worth the money? Oh, abso-fucking-lutely NOT.
- Am I pissed off? Naturally.
- Would I buy again? Not for another year 😀
- Would I recommend it? Uhmm, depends.
IT IS for you – if you like sour & spicy, and already (willingly and knowingly) own more than 2 types of hibiscus teas.
It is NOT for you – if the main attraction comes from seeing the word “plum”.
Sidenote:
Btw, they have now updated their tea tin design + stuck a “Christmas” into the name. Not for the better, in my opinion. I’ve “borrowed” some pics from their website, so the copyright is defo Fortnum&Masons:
The “old” – Plum, apple & cinnamon infusion
New – Christmas Plum, Apple & Cinnamon infusion
