Tea ‘N Joy’s website claims that this is a super-high-quality tea, and I tend to totally agree with that assessment. In fact, I’m tempted to place an order right now just so I can continue enjoying a premium-quality cup of this tea on a regular basis. <3
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea N Joy
Description
Golden Monkey Tea is hand-processed each spring with a careful plucking of only one leaf and one bud. It is among the finest Chinese Black Teas available today. A rich, full-bodied Tea. The name comes from its unique appearance: the leaves resemble monkey claws. Sweet and very ‘nosy’ with the aromas of: savory roasted apples, cocoa and spice notes that linger as you sip. Rich, coating texture and very smooth, soft mouth-feel. Delicate, almost indistinguishable astringency.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Golden Monkey Black Tea by Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Coming from Fujian, the Golden Monkey is made of the fresh buds and leaves of Fuding Pekoe, by lightly sun withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. Golden Monkey has the particular aroma of black tea. You could scent the fruity flavor through every sip of the tea.
The golden hairy tips truly make this tea more attractive. This is one reason why it is called Golden Monkey. Another reason is its monkey-claw-liked shape of the dry tea, which is in golden and black color. When brewed, the Golden Monkey Tea tastes brisk and smooth for the first sip, presenting a distinctive flavor. If you like stronger flavor, you could brew for a longer time. The sweet aftertaste could act faster for thicker liquid. You could only feel it when trying by yourself.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
In my opinion, Golden Monkey is a Teavivre classic – one that all tea lovers (and particularly black tea lovers) should try at some point. It’s a cupboard staple for me, perfect in any season, and at any time of the day or night. It’s a real comfort tea, for me. Reliable, versatile, and tasty to boot! I used 1 tsp of leaf for my current cup, and gave it approximately 2.5 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is lightly golden, the scent sweet and malty with an underlying hint of grain. I’m drinking it without additions today, hence the reasonably low steep time on this occasion, but it also works well with a 4 minute brew and a splash of milk.
One of the reasons I like this one so much is its almost intensely chocolatey initial flavour. It’s like a square of high quality dark chocolate; bittersweet, with an edge of dark, dry cacao. The malty notes emerge in the mid-sip, and make this a much sweeter prospect, which becomes a little reminiscent of molasses. It’s by no means overpowering, though – there’s just a hint of something treacley lurking in the background. Notes of baked bread, grain and a light nuttiness develop towards the end of the sip, along with a smooth caramel richness.
I like that this can be a layered, nuanced cup without milk – there’s a lot to taste, but it all somehow works together to create a flavourful, full-bodied cup that’s immensely satisfying. It’s a little more generic with milk, which seems to flatten some of the flavours and drown others, but I can enjoy it either way. A cup with milk typically features, for me, a stronger note of baked bread, a little chocolate, and a similar level of malt and grain. It’s a slightly altered, less intense flavour profile, but sometimes that’s exactly what I want. Golden Monkey is tea that suits any mood. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never look back.
Golden Monkey from The Meaning of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Meaning of Tea
Product Description:
Origin: From Yunnan Province, one of the most ancient tea-growing regions in China. This black tea is named after its golden brown, fuzzy buds.
Ingredients: organic China black tea
Organic Status: certified USDA organic
Taster’s Review:
This is an incredibly beautiful tea. The leaves are very much like the picture above portrays: gorgeous and golden! The liquor is a deep amber color with a delicately sweet aroma that hints of notes of fruit and flower.
This is a real treat to sip! It has a strong fruit note to it – much more distinct a fruit taste than I think I’ve ever experienced from an “unflavored” black tea. It has bright citrus tones that are both sweet and slightly tangy.
The tea is brisk but not quite as bold as some Yunnan teas I’ve tasted in the past. Instead, this tea is smooth and sweet with malty undertones. It starts out with a sweet note that develops into a citrus-like flavor as the sip washes over the palate. There are brief hints of tangy and sour notes as the sip progresses. It ends with some dry astringency. The finish is sweet with a light aftertaste.
I absolutely LOVE this tea. If you’ve been looking for a great Golden Monkey – look no further! This one fills the bill!
Golden Monkey from White August Tea Company
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: White August Tea Company
Product Description:
This stunning Chinese black tea is among the finest in the world. Each spring the tea leaves are carefully plucked of only one leaf and one bud, resembling a monkey claw. The beautiful twisted golden leaves yield a full bodied tea with a soft apricot finish. 50g bag only.
Tasters Review:
This is a mighty fine Golden Monkey! It didn’t disappoint! This has the flavor you would expect from a Golden Monkey as well as a semi-chewy with the slightest bit of smoke hint that lingers on to the aftertaste!
Plain, Simple, and Straight to the point…I haven’t found a tea from White August Tea Company that I haven’t liked! What a great tea from a great company!
Organic Golden Monkey Black Tea from auraTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: auraTeas
Product Description:
Origin: Wuyishan, Fujian, China 武夷山‧福建‧中國
Style: Fully oxidized, full bodied, light roasted, fruit aroma
Loose leaf style: Slender tightly curled
Loose leaf color: Brown and gold
Wet leaf style: Crimson
Tea color: Golden Crimson
Certification: USDA, BCS, JAS certified organicGolden Monkey is one of Wuyi Yen Cha (Wuyi Rock Tea, grown in spaces between mountain rocks) originated in Wuyi area of Fujian Province, China. It is one of the finest black tea from China. Golden Monkey tea is a mix of brown tea leaves and gold new buds, only hand processed in spring. Local legend says its name came from the monkeys help to harvest tea leaves grown in the crevices between rocks; modern interpretation is that the leaves look like monkey claws. Golden Monkey is full bodied with natural sweetness and fruity aroma, fully oxidized and light roasted. It is recommended to taste it without sugar and milk, you may open another door to black tea.
Taster’s Review:
I really like this tea. It has such an interesting complexity to it.
It is robust and bold like a black tea should be, but it is not so overwhelmingly bold that it interferes with the ability to appreciate the layers of flavor that this tea has to offer. It is smooth and bright tasting with a lightly drying astringency at the tail.
The tea presents a deliciously light sweetness that is fruity in character, but also has a warm, toasted quality to it as well. It reminds me a bit of what a roasted plum might taste like. There are some wine-like notes to this tea as well – not a bitter wine, but more of a fine, dry wine with a pleasant fruit finish.
And this tea MUST be infused a second time (and even a third!) The flavor of the second infusion is every bit as delicious as the first, although it is a little different. The flavor of the second steep is sweeter with a burnt-sugar caramel sweetness that lingers well into the finish.
This is an amazing black tea. It has such a delightful flavor and pleasant sweetness that it really needs no additional sweetener. I couldn’t imagine adding any sweetener to this! It’s really perfect just the way it is. I do recommend drinking it hot, though, as I found that some of the delicate nuances of this tea began to mute as it cooled. It is best consumed straight up and hot! YUM!