When I looked at the title of this tea, I was actually freaked out. My first reaction was, "I know that place!" There are several "Murray"-s in-and-around my city. The name Murray Creek sounded familiar, either as the name of a cul-de-sac, an apartment complex or an actual creek. A perusal of Google Maps turned up nothing, however. I concluded it was simply me trying to make a tenuous personal connection with a tea blend. Kinda weird.

Friday Afternoon's Murray Creek Blend is a fusion of rooibos, peppermint, and chamomile. They mention that it's cozy, soothing, and meant for all occasions. The only occasion this'd be good for - given two of its ingredients - is sleepy time. Peppermint and chamomile are notorious relaxants. At least, to my delicate system they are.

I had an inkling to try this out in the middle of the morning, then I saw the chamo-blossoms - of which there are many. While rooibos is the primary ingredient - as it should, since it's the base - peppermint and chamomile weren't slouching. Both in visual presence and aroma, they made themselves known. This blend smelled like knock-out medicine.

Brewing instructions were nowhere to be found on the site, either on the profile or a general tab. Typical approach for hearty herbals and botanical blends - for me - was 1 tsp in 8oz of boiled water, steeped for six minutes. I did just that but doubled the herb/water amount. Eh, it was close to bedtime.

Rooibos usually colors amber-to-red. Peppermint and chamomile tend to turn a color I like to call "medicine yellow". Murray Creek colored somewhere in between those two - gold at the bottom, and it reddened closer to the mouthpiece. The aroma was all peppermint; wish I had more to add. The taste was chamomile on the forefront with its floral lean, cool peppermint in the middle, and rooibos finally made it's nut-sweet presence known in the finish.

I can generally say I liked it, but it's not something I would turn to on a regular nighttime basis. Chamomile by itself is fine. Rooibos by itself is fine. Peppermint...does not play well with others. In my opinion, it's an un-blendable herb - either dominating or clashing with other ingredients. As for the other two, chamomile and green rooibos and/or honeybush work far better. (I know, I've blended 'em.) I admired what they tried to do here, and - for the most part - approved.

— To purchase Friday Afternoon Murray Creek Blend, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Geoff Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Geoff's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Geoff.

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