Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea from the Fujian province of China. Golden Monkey tea is hand-processed each spring with careful plucking of only one leaf and one bud. The name comes from its unique appearance: the leaves resemble monkey paws. Sweet and very ‘nosy’: savory roasted apples, cocoa and spice notes that linger as you sip. Rich, coating texture and very smooth, soft mouthfeel. Delicate, almost indistinguishable astringency.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A beautiful golden tea, the dry leaf has colors that range from a pale gold to a warm chocolate tone. And … if I were to describe the flavor, I might offer the same description: golden notes of apple, warm notes of spice and a lovely, lingering cocoa note. And it is those chocolate-y notes that makes golden teas like this Golden Monkey from Adagio Teas a treasure.
This is deliciously sweet. When I read the description, I wondered about the apple note … I don’t think I’ve ever had a golden monkey that I tasted a distinguished apple note … or perhaps I just didn’t identify it as such, instead I labeled it as a fruit note. But as I sip this, yes, indeed, it does have an apple note, and it’s quite a clear apple-y flavor. Quite nice.
The spice tones are subdued but warm … it doesn’t really taste “peppery” or “vibrant” or any of those other grandiloquent words I often use to describe teas. It is really quite a mellow spice note, but, it adds an interesting dimension to the overall cup.
But it is the chocolate note that I love … and it is the chocolate note that will make this Golden Monkey memorable. It lingers sweetly on the palate, and as I allow myself to enjoy the cocoa flavor, I also notice a hint of caramel hiding just beneath the bittersweet chocolate. Lovely!
I am not always overly excited about Adagio Teas, but this one is definitely worth trying. One of the best teas I’ve tried from this company.
