Purple Jasmine/Simple Loose Leaf. . . .

You know the song “Things that Make You Go ‘Hmmm’ “? This is a tea that makes you go “hmmm.” Its combination of flavors is really unique, in a way that I’m about 90% sure I like.

This tea combines Kenyan purple tea and green Jasmine tea together. I’m not sure what made a person do this. Probably it was a lazy Thursday and the brewer said, “why not?”

Purple tea is known for its antioxidant properties. It’s grown in Kenya; the high UV levels there cause chemical reactions in the tea leaves. It tends toward the green end of the spectrum, in its alleged health benefits, low caffeine, and delicate flavor. The purple tea adds a delicate, sweet flavor to this tea.

Jasmine green tea is a more vegetal and flowery flavor. You probably know Jasmine from going to Chinese restaurants and getting it served to you as the default when you ask for tea.

When combined with the purple, you get a yet-sweeter Jasmine. It’s like Jasmine with vanilla added. It’s really cool, and I’m glad I have some. It’s a smart, refined, sweet blend.

I started with “Hmmm,” and then settled on “Mmmm.”


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Purple

Where to Buy:  Simple Loose Leaf

Description

This tea is currently not on the website but click below for more information about this company!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Purple Youth from The Whistling Kettle. . . .

Purple Mountain Tea from The Whistling Kettle (or “Purple Youth” as its labeled on my sample) is a cup I’ve revisited recently.

The Whistling Kettle describes this tea as…Purple tea combined with a variety of herbs that provide a healthy dose of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Well rounded herbal notes with a floral-spice finish.

As much as I adore my black teas I need to change it up every once and a while. Plus, I have been incorporating more and more anti-inflammatory teas and tisanes into my tea-sipping-rotation as of late.

This Purple Tea seemed to check all the lists.

The product description page on their website breaks down all of the potential benefits to each and every ingredient they added to this loose leaf blend. I find all of that fascinating because I love learning about plant/herb based healthy and healing properties.

Of course, I’m not making any claims here…I’m just sharing with you what I find interesting about this offering and how they relate to what I’m trying to do to improve my intake, personally.

I’ve been on a Nettle Leaf kick the last couple of weeks and the more I learn about it the more I feel like I need to continue to use it or consume daily.

The flavor of this cup is mild, mellow, soothing, slightly herbal but not medicinal, and an easy drink.

If you want to include more herbs into your life but have been turned off by some other herbal offerings…this tea/tisane just might be for you! I know I enjoyed it and will look for it again, soon!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Purple
Where to Buy:  The Whistling Kettle
Description

We’ve designed this mostly herbal blend around purple tea as an all day, every day sipper. You’ll get loads of antioxidants from purple tea but also the benefits from numerous other herbs that help with skin complexion, hair and nail health and overall mental focus. Hydrate the healthy way!

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Purpose Purple Super Tea. . .

Who doesn’t love the idea of fresh brewed tea in a convenient bottle-ready to go whenever you need it? And to boot being purple tea. . . I was all in.

Purpose Tea has created ready to go Purple Tea to enjoy any time. . .the first of its kind actually.  When the tea arrived at my doorstep, I quickly put the tea in my fridge to cool to enjoy on one of my commutes taking the kiddos to school.   The next day, I took the tea along with my hot tea to enjoy during the 50 minute or so drive.

My first instinct was that this had sugar in it and the thought of I wish this tea didn’t have that added sweetness.  Thank goodness the sugar is cane sugar and not added stevia so the sweetness didn’t have that odd after taste.  For a ready to go tea drink, the tea is really good but not one that I would drink everyday-which I will explain in a bit. All in all, this tea is refreshing and the taste is quite nice and light. I do drink purple tea and you can definitely get that remarkable flavor that only purple tea can deliver.

I will say that for me personally, the sugar is a bit overwhelming but I don’t drink a lot of sugar in my tea or really in any kind of beverage so my taste buds find that taste sharper than my husband did who drinks full leaded soda.  My husband absolutely adored this tea and ended up finishing the rest of it off.

If this tea was offered in a non sweetened version, I think I would have been head over heels.  But because of the sugar, it just wasn’t for me.  A wonderful idea and I hope to try more of their varieties soon and to learn more about the company.   Even though the first variety wasn’t a complete win for me, with how much my husband enjoyed this tea, I know its a winner for others!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Purple
Where to Buy: Purpose Tea

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Power Up with Purple Tea from Kenya. . . .

Just when you think you’ve tried every kind of tea you can think of, you stumble across something new.  Not black tea or green tea but, Purple Tea?  I had to give it a try.  

This batch of tea had enormous, voluminous leaves that puffed up the sample bag.  The leaves were long and dark, tightly curled, and exceptionally elegant.  

Though the leaves were beautiful, they weren’t purple in color, but instead looked like traditional black tea.  Would the brewed leaves be any different?  

Black teas brew up dark sienna brown, rooibos teas are reddish amber, and green and white teas brew up golden or melon green.  Does this Purple Tea actually turn the water purple?  

Not exactly, though I will say that the brewed tea is a notable cooler color than most brews.  The Purple Tea brews up a muddy, blue-green.  It’s far from traditional grape juice purple, as far as the tea color wheel is concerned, brewing up blue-green still pretty unusual.  

With all this thought about the beautiful appearance of the leaves and the brew, we finally get to the taste.  This Purple Tea tasted surprisingly light and juicy, like green grapes and white wine.  There was also a flash of black currant tartness at the back of each sip that reminds you that this has a flavor palette beyond a typical green tea or an oolong.  As the tea cooled, I noticed more of a muscatel, earthy, grape flavor that helped flesh out the forward, bright fruit notes.  
Purple tea is grown near the equator in a sunny environment with lots of ultraviolet rays.  To survive, this tea is high in antioxidants, like blueberries and pomegranates.  When you want to expand your palette and get a health-boost, brew up some Purple Tea and feel the purple power!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Purple tea
Where to Buy: Kenya Purple Tea
Description: Recent studies on Kenyan purple tea indicate that this new tea has high levels of anthocyanins which are known to have powerful antioxidant properties.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Purple Needle Black Tea of Jing Mai Mountain * Spring 2016

Had to open up the aroma wheel for this one. There are some black teas that I have such a hard time finding descriptors for.

This is a very pleasant tea. No harsh after taste. An intriguing liquid color. Golden brown perhaps? The flavor profile is so amazing. Slightly citrus but the more I sip it the more I am tasting woodsy notes at the end.  Flashes of walking through a slightly damp Washington state forest come to mind. Keep spinning the aroma wheel we aren’t through yet.

Even with the citrus and woodsy flavors it can also be defined as sweet. Almost like honey. The sweetness gathers all the flavors in a way that makes you feel as if you are drinking a royal cup of tea. Something truly unique.

Something must also be said about the leaves. Look at how tightly rolled they are!

From the pain-staking process of picking only the young tender buds from the purple trees (See the web page below for more details!), to the processing, and up to the end where it is packaged- all care is taken with this tea.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea/Purple Tea
Where to Buy: Yunnan Sourcing
Description

Purple leaf “Zi Cha” was harvested in Late April from the Jing Mai mountainous area in Lancang county of Simao.  The fresh purple leaves were then processed into a flat needle style tea.  The processed tea leaves are black with tiny golden shoots on some.

The brewed tea is citrus fruity sweet and very vibrant in the mouth.  The smell is floral and grapefruit.  The tea soup is a deep red-orange with hints of purple and vert clear.

A unique tea from “Zi Cha” purple tea leaves which is quite different from “Wild Purple / Ye Sheng” varietal black tea.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!