Handmade Tea Murmur

Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: large, pale greenish brown and covered in fuzzy down
Ingredients: white peony, strawberries, cacao nibs
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: gold

My February shipment from Handmade Tea featured Murmur, a Valentine’s Day inspired tea featuring a white peony base. It was a nice contrast to the strong black tea versions in my last two reviews. The first thing that struck me about this tea was the big, bright chunks of strawberry. They were unlike any that I had ever seen used in a tea. Subtly is the keyword when it came to the taste of this tea. The white peony was sweet with notes of melon which was really complimented well by the tartness of the strawberries. I couldn’t taste any chocolate right off the bat but there was a rich, nutty cacao flavor that popped up midway through each sip. After steeping, the strawberries completely re-hydrated and looked like they had just been chopped up a moment ago. This was really amazing since the strawberries in similar blends that I have tried turned a worrying brownish color. I love that all of this was accomplished without artificial flavoring. This is my third shipment from Handmade Tea and I continue to be impressed. I would definitely recommend this tea.