inanthocyanin

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Purple

Tea Description:

Wanja Purple Tea of Kenya is a very rare tea that has sweet woodsy notes with a pleasant lingering astringency. While it is still derived from the same plant (Camellia Sinensis) that produces traditional Black and Green Tea, Wanja Purple Tea is rich inanthocyanin (a water soluble pigment that is found in red cranberries and grapes) which gives it the distinctive purple leaves.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I haven’t yet had many occasions to try purple teas. I’ve tried a few, and I’ve really enjoyed those that I’ve tried. So, when Wanja Tea of Kenya approached me with the opportunity to try their purple tea, I was very excited.

And now that I sit here, tasting it, I can say that the tea has not disappointed me. It is really delicious. It has a smooth creaminess that reminds me of an Oolong or a buttery green tea. The texture is rich and thick – almost like a broth, and there are compelling notes of wood and earth, as well as hints of vegetable and fruit within this cup. It has so much flavor to it, so many dynamic layers of flavor – but it isn’t what I’d call robust. It is soothing and calming.

As I continue to sip, I notice that the woody tones really emerge, and there seems to be a hint of spice along with it, making it vaguely reminiscent of a Darjeeling, but this has more body to it. The vegetative notes continue to linger in the distance, not exactly what I’d call grassy, exactly, but more like a very mild vegetable – like white beans. It even has the creaminess that reminds me very much of a bean soup.

I am really enjoying this tea and all the flavors it has presented. This is currently the only tea that Wanja Tea of Kenya offers, but, they picked a really good one for their benchmark tea. I hope it is indicative of what’s to come from this new company, because they’ve certainly piqued my interest!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Purple Tea