Introduction: Grown near the Tai Mu mountains of Fujian province, China, Golden Monkey is also known as ‘Panyong Wang’, the king of high grade black teas.
Golden Tipped Varietal
Only certain tea plant varietals can produce golden colored tip leaves. The golden color emerges during processing after an accurate ‘withering’ (moisture drying of the leaves). Few areas in Fujian contain these types of tea plants. Other areas known to have golden tipped varietals are Yunnan and Hunan provinces in China and Assam in India.
The Term Monkey
The tea term 'Monkey' in China, refers to the fuzzy, golden down ‘leaf hair’ on the leaves. The golden down provides texture and smoothness to the brew.
Judging Quality
Since there are several grades of Golden Monkey available. We recommend those with long, full leaves, consistent gold color and sweet aroma .
Brewing Suggestions
Chinese black teas can range drastically in flavor and aroma but generally produce very full bodied, strong infusions. A water temperature of 180 to 200 F is sufficient to bring the rich character of the leaf. Some recommend water at a full, rolling boil, but in our opinion boiling reduces the oxygen content in good water and gives the tea a “flatter” taste as opposed to a more “lively” taste from slightly cooler water. Chinese black teas with small leaf brew faster than those with larger leaves and require shorter steeping times. We suggest steeping one teaspoon per 8 ounce cup of water for 3 to 4 minutes. A minute or so longer if you wish to add milk (a longer steeping time is needed to acquire enough astringency to balance the milk).
