Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: twisted, covered in downy hair
Ingredients: white tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 175 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: pale gold
This was a wonderfully delicate yet complex white tea. The aroma of the leaves, both before and after steeping, as intoxicating. There were floral and nutty notes along with a slightly vegetal, sage-like finish. The aftertaste was sweet and lingered in my palate. This is a tea to take your time with so that you don’t miss the subtle nuances. The second infusion was grassier but still delicious and refreshing. With both steepings, the mouth-feel was soft and smooth with no astringency. I love that this tea is USDA organic. I drink such a high volume of tea that pesticides are a major concern of mine. The value of such designations is debatable but I believe that it is better than not knowing anything. Monkey picked is a term that is used to denote high quality tea but there are lots of legends connected to the name. For more on that, check out this great blog post from Gongfu Girl.
You can find out more about this tea here.