While periodically ordering our regularly consumed teas from Murchie's, I'll sometimes go after a small sample of a new tea, just to try something different, since they do have a huge selection. The name intrigued me (purple tea?), as did the origin, in some of the highest-elevation tea-growing areas of Kenya.

Unlike the description of the leaves being plucked off the plants, the dry leaves aren't purple. Instead they're charcoal-gray, and brew up an intriguing, pale-greenish gray, sage-like color, with big wet leaves. The dry-leaf and wet-cup smells are nothing like sage, however, but instead noticeably like chocolate, with a hint of fruitiness. The liquid itself also brewed up a deep gray-green shade.

As for the flavor, it's complex and rather rich, a positive for me. I didn't taste as much chocolate, but some was there, along with a faint hint of jasmine or florals of some kind. Mainly it tasted moderately strong, somewhat astringent, definitively bitter (not totally offputting, but noticeable and more than I'm used to), and more like a green tea instead of a black tea—or like a green/black mix. Maybe that's because it is, as the website states, "processed similar to a pan-fired Taiwanese green tea".

This also tastes like it has a sturdy punch of caffeine in it. Strange, but rather pleasant mouth-feel...and not much aftertaste. Though I won't go out of my way to buy more, I can see why some folks would like this a lot, and I'll gladly finish this order off. It seems to be a high-quality and flavorful tea, just a bit on the bitter side for my preferences.

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