Monkey Picked Oolong
I’m looking for a nice Monkey Picked Oolong for my husband but am not really experienced when it comes to this particular tea. Does anyone here have any recommendations for their favorite Monkey Picked Oolong? I would love to find him a good one.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Hi Shae – this may broaden your search a bit, but one more common shared name for “Monkey Picked” Oolong is Tieguanyin. This can also be translated as Iron Guanyin aka Iron “Goddess of Mercy” or transliterated as Ti Kuan Yin.
The term “Monkey Picked” is meant to imply a high grade – picked with care – but it is also a fairly outdated term. Fine Tieguanyin is picked by hand – it’s a tough job, done by humans and real people! – so luckily more and more of the industry is moving away from the more exotic image of “monkey picked.”
Tieguanyin is one of the most popular teas in China. It can be either oxidized or unoxidized. Unoxidized tieguanyin (sometimes called “Jade” tieguanyin) is a newer modern style, and produces a tea that is green, juicy, fruity and floral. Traditional Teiguanyin is oxidized to some extent – this creates a darker, warmer toastier brew while still retaining those lovely floral and aromatic characteristics. Both styles have their avid fans for good reason, since both can be really delicious!
I will leave recommendations for Tieguanyin to other fine Steepster folks. Whichever tea you choose, I highly recommend going for an Autumn 2014 harvest. This is the freshest harvest you can get from Anxi right now, and tea does have a shelf life – the fresher the better. Spring Tieguanyin is beautiful as well, but it is best when it is fresh in the spring time. I also recommend avoiding any tea that cannot or will not list when it was picked, where it was picked, or who picked it.
Oh my goodness…I was just looking at this thread out of curiosity since my first love in the tea world was a “monkey picked oolong”. That comment was very insightful. I’m really glad you posted that-thanks! That’s really cool to know!
And it’s still one of my favorite types of teas! :D
Oh – my pleasure! I will always be in love with Tieguanyin (there’s some in my cup right now!) so I am always excited to share that love whenever I can, however I can. :)
My husband always loved the idea that monkeys picked the tea. I think that is what a lot of people believe. I felt like a monster when I shattered the illusion.
I know what you mean – but in many ways, it turns out the truth is even cooler! Tieguanyin (and oolong in general) is one of the most labor intensive teas around, and that labor is done by people who have to care deeply about what they do to produce something really great. It’s grown by people who know that some of their tea bushes are older than their grandparents, and who work to make sure their tea plants will still be around for their own great grandchildren. In the best cases, you can taste that care when you drink the tea – the care that goes into keeping the land clean and good, the care in picking, in finishing. All tea is a gift that way – a labor of love sent out into the world, heading to someone you may never meet, but who you can’t help caring about because one day, they will be drinking your tea.
The story of monkeys may be cool, but I have to admit – I prefer the story of people.
Thank you so much, Lily, for such an incredible description! I’ve heard of Tieguanyin but didn’t realize it was the same tea. I’ve never tried this tea by either name, but one of my husband’s coworkers was telling him how good it is so I wanted to surprise him with some of his own. Now I’ll know what to look for!
I love the story you tell in your most recent comment about those who labor to produce the tea itself. The way you talk about the gift of tea and caring for those you’ve never met is so special. I can tell this is something close to your heart – everything about your comment makes me smile. :)
I have purchased tie kaun yin from arborteas before, and I was quite satisfied with my purchase. I just recently used the last of it.
Whispering Pines had a really good one recently, check to see if it’s still in stock. Otherwise Teavivre.
Without seeming sycophantic, Verdant’s TGY is really good, to give you another option! Plus, they tend to carry both the Jade and the roasted varieties, both of which have been delicious in my experiences :-)
I bought one from Yunnan Sourcing, called “Autumn 2014 Imperial Tie Guan Yin of Anxi Oolong Tea of Fujian.” Long title, very expensive, had good reviews on the site, but I have not received it in the mail yet. I will update my thoughts on it once I try it if you would like. Has anyone tried it from this supplier before?
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