Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Tea Review: White Monkey Paw (Metropolitan Tea Company)

White Monkey Paw
Metropolitan Tea Company
Type:  White/Green
Origin:  China, Fujian Province
Product Description:  White Monkey Paw is made from the top two leaves and the bud of new season growth (late March /early April). These delicate leaves are gently and gingerly steamed and dried so the end result is an exquisite hand made green tea. You will see that the leaves still have the ‘hairy down’ on them, which indicates that these leaves were plucked very early in the morning and within the first two weeks of the new season of growth. Velvety smooth with very delicate but intense full green tea flavor.

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2.5 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of sweet hay, oats, honey, and nuts.

The infusion is pale yellow green, bright in the cup with a fresh green aroma.  The taste is green, savory, and broth-like with a long velvety and savory finish.

This tea was wonderfully surprising.  Its soft, downy leaves, and spring-like green aroma do not hint at the full, brothy, savory flavor found in the infusion.  It even tastes lightly salty.  After three infusions, the color and aroma hadn't faded, and it was just as flavorful throughout.  You can brew this tea at just over 180° F at 3 minutes for good results, though I found the lower temperature and slightly shorter steeping time ideal for my tastes.  

This was tea was provided as part of a workshop.




No comments:

Post a Comment