Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: varied shades of green, somewhat curled
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 180 degrees
Preparation Method: glass test tube steeper
Liquor: very pale
Despite it’s name, white monkey is actually a type of green tea that hails from the Hunan Province of China. The leaves were quite curly and many of them were covered in downy hair. The taste was delicate but by no means lacking in flavor. There were sweet vegetal notes along with a slight floral quality. It had some astringency but only just enough to leave a clean and refreshing aftertaste. Of course, I have to mention that this tea is both organic and Fair Trade certified. While the efficacy of both certifications is debatable, they are currently the tea drinkers only guide for finding ethically grown teas. Little Red Cup Tea Co. does an excellent job of finding quality selections and I love that they are a small, family-run operation. I discovered them through Fab.com several years ago and have been enjoying their teas ever since.
White Monkey sample provided by Little Red Cup Tea Company.