Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Little Red Cup Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Little Red Cup Tea’s organic White Monkey Tea is a terrific mountain-grown tea from western Hunan Province. Despite its name, White Monkey Tea is, in fact, a green tea — a function of processing — but when steeped, the tightly rolled leaves unfurl yielding a lovely golden brew more akin to white tea than anything else. It is made from the earliest leaves, still covered with downy white hairs for which the tea is named.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A lovely tea, this White Monkey Green Tea from Little Red Cup Tea Co.! The texture is what captures my attention immediately, it’s so soft and silky. It’s like a fine broth, very gentle and soothing as it floats across the palate.
The flavor is a gentle green tea flavor. The “grassy/vegetative” tones here are very subtle, much softer than in a typical green tea. This tea is called “White Monkey” not because it’s a white tea, but because the leaves have the tiny, white fuzz (similar to what you’d find on a Silver Needle tea!) But, even though it is not a white tea, it does share something in common with a white tea – it’s delicate quality.
The flavor is so delicate! And I like that! I suppose a stronger flavor could have been obtained with more leaf, or with a longer steep time (I steeped this for 2 minutes in 175°F water in my Breville One-Touch), but I like it this way – I like the gentle quality of this tea.
The sip starts with the soft texture, which gently introduces the delicate vegetative notes that are influenced by whispers of floral tones. By mid-sip, I notice a buttery flavor which complements the texture of the tea very well. The finish brings hints of a fruit like note, almost citrus-y. The aftertaste has a slightly sweet, slightly tangy note. There is very little astringency to this, and absolutely no bitterness.
This is a really nice green tea offering from Little Red Cup Tea Co., and I’m thinking it’s one of my favorites that I’ve tried thus far from them!
