Jun 11
Jamie’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "As the tea cools just a bit, it almost seems to develop a bit in viscosity, with a distinct apricot sweetness building and a nice blush of sweet smokiness coming along as well. "
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One of my favorite things about loose tea and trying new teas is that you often come across breathtaking visuals along with wonderful tastes. Golden Monkey is a beautiful tea. It's worth trying some if only to take a peek at its lovely leaves, tawny golden brown in coloration with a smoldering autumnal glow that leaves you wondering how it could be a spring picked tea. The tea has a wonderful scent, super sweet and very fruity, again reminding me of autumn with a sweetness reminiscent of dried apricots.Brewed, again, the tea is meritorious. Its beautiful coloring is deep, a bit lighter than the honey produced by bees feasting on late summer buckwheat. The scenting of the hot tea is lightly astringent and while I've just barely sweetened the tea, it has a pleasant sweet smoothness. I don't pick up on any smokiness in the tea to start, but as the tea begins to cool down just slightly, it almost seems to develop a bit in viscosity, and with that, a distinct apricot sweetness builds with a blush of sweet smokiness coming along as well. A lot of complexity that I didn't take note of right away is really developing.
I had an excellent second infusion from this tea with fabulous color and flavor. This is one black tea that I enjoyed tremendously with no sweetener added, as well. I did find in my experimenting that a very slight sweetening and allowing the tea to cool just a little brought out a flavorful nuanced smokiness that I enjoyed very much.
In the summer months, as the blessed heat and the lengthening of the days boosts my energy, I find I don't have as much interest in strong black teas like assams as I do in the wintertime. I'm looking more to whites and greens and oolongs for my daytime teas. But Golden Monkey is one variety of black tea I plan to do some more tastings of. It makes a great summertime morning tea that I expect you could happily enjoy any time of day.
My impression after reading a bit about Golden Monkey tea leads me to believe that this might be a rather mild version of the tea, as the smokiness was never very distinct in this sample, despite it hailing from Yunnan. I'm not absolutely sure if this is typical or not, though, so please use your grainiest saltshaker or rely on your own experiential knowledge when considering this impression. A little more taste exploration with a few other Golden Monkey varieties is called for in my case, more's the pity. I am sure that this is a tea that would disappoint few people, though. It makes a nice change from very strong breakfast teas, would compliment an afternoon tea beautifully, and just generally has a lovely appearance, scent and taste that is worth sampling.
— To purchase You, Me & Tea Organic Golden Monkey, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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