Just to add another voice to the masses, I have a purple one here, with the one I gave to my father being slightly better, but still blue in tint.
Basically this is just a byproduct of the Nichia LED used, which have always had a pretty poor tint, but do come with the advantage of having great runtime at the e01's output levels and come in a self contained package (the reflector of the e01 being largely cosmetic)
Alternatives mainly trade tint for battery life - the e05 giving more output (but a much floodier beam, so similar actual look) with a reduced runtime and the LD01 giving us a choice of similar output/runtime as the e05, or boosting the output even more with a somewhat restricted battery life... Also check out the 47's preons and other similar lights, the names of which I have completely blanked at the moment...
I love the e01 - sure it isn't perfect, but it makes for an excellent backup or keychain light and has a fantastic runtime. Pop in a lithium primary cell and you have the perfect light to store for emergencies.