Steeping Out

I had picked up Teavana's Golden Monkey Black Tea about a month ago, and I thought that it would be good to try a different batch of the highly prized golden monkey black tea. The local tea shop for me is Gong Fu Tea, and they have No. 314 Monkey-Picked Black.

Close-up of Monkey-Picked BlackWhen I mention a monkey picked tea, people often give me a weird look and ask about the monkey. Well, according to legend, the local growers trained monkeys to pluck the bud and first leaf of the plant due to the steep locations where this tea is grown in the Yunnan and Fujian provinces in China. Gong Fu is more specific about their source of golden monkey tea. They list that the tea is from Nanping County in Fujian Province, China. 

I steeped this tea with 90.5° C (195° F) water for three minutes. The color of this liquor is a light golden brown and has a full nutty flavor with hints of peach. What's nice about the Monkey Picked Tea is its lack of astringency. I've steeped this several times and it was difficult to get an astringent cuppa. Therefore, I like steeping this tea in the morning as it is forgiving in that respect. You can pick this tea up from Gong Fu Tea for $10 per two ounces. They accept online orders, or if you are local, you can stop by the store and try a cup for yourself.