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Monkey-Picked Tie Guan Yin has been Imperial Tea Court’s signature tea ever since we opened our doors 16 years ago. The tea that grew wild in the Wuyi Mountains was once so rare and difficult to harvest that it was said only monkeys could gather leaves from such inaccessible mountainsides. Therefore, South China tea merchants traditionally called their best tea “monkey-picked” to signify its rarity. A proprietor’s monkey-picked tea is like his calling card, representing his tea philosophy. No traditional tea merchant calls a tea monkey-picked lightly! Our Monkey-Picked Tie Guan Yin is nothing less than exceptional. Processed with traditional techniques, this tie guan yin was oxidized “three hong (red) to seven lu (green),” in other words, until 30% of the leaf is reddish brown and 70% remains green. We perform the final firing here in the US to ensure maximum aromatics and flavor. Fans of this great tea will be delighted with this year’s improved version, which features larger leaves packed with flavor, rich viscosity, a great balance of florals and firing, glossy bao guang (“treasured luster” – a sign of high leaf quality) and a rare and highly desireable reddish-orange liquor