Ever since tasting Teavivre’s Golden Monkey, this kind of Fujian tea has been near the top of my list of plain blacks. I’ve been very curious about it ever since, especially from someone as trustworthy as Harney & Sons.
The scent is very fruity and complex, characteristic of this kind of blend. I’m definitely getting the aroma of sweet potato. What’s great about the flavor of this tea is that it’s fruity without being fruit flavored, and it’s so very smooth. There is no bitterness, no astringency. Just delicious, almost breadlike taste. I’m also getting light notes of honey. Truly something to savor.
A bit of a warning — this stuff doesn’t like being treated like a traditional black tea. You want to be gentle with it. Give it a shorter steep time and cooler water than you’d usually go with. Otherwise, the flavor gets pretty overwhelming and distorted.
And a bit of a random note, I made this for my stoner friend who always wants a cup when I offer, and he said “This is really good tea…” while crashing cars in Grand Theft Auto IV.
