The Tea Spot’s Organic White Monkey Picked (review)

Name: Organic Monkey Picked White Tea

Brand: The Tea Spot

Type: White tea

Form: Loose leaf

Review: Perhaps the good folks at the Tea Spot ought to consider marketing this tea as a 2-for-1 special: Change your brewing vessel/method, and you get a very different tea!

But first things first: This tea has a lovely looking dry leaf, with a sweet yet pungent nose of lavender and jasmine. Most tempting.

When infused according to package instructions, the nose deepens: The floral remains, but there is a fruitier, sweeter note as well. The tea infuses to a truly gorgeous gold, medium-bodied liquor, with light notes of honey and apricot.

I also tried preparing this tea in a gaiwan, and got a very different result. The liquor was a deeper, even more beautiful gold. and possessed a intensity that rather shocked me. Instead of honey and apricot, the tea took on the character of clementine oranges, with a floral backnote and a very “juicy” mouthfeel.

This tea is good for multiple infusions, making it an excellent value. Unlike The Tea Spot’s relatively austere Vintage Oolong,  and very smooth Blue Mountain Nilgiri, Organic White Monkey Picked has a decided unctuousness. While I liked the other two teas very much, this one is definitely a standout.

Food Pairings: If prepared in a teapot according to package directions, this is a fine tea for pairing with plainly prepared fish or chicken. If prepared in a gaiwan, the tea becomes suitable for many different Asian dishes.

Recommendation: This is a surprisingly versatile tea: Depending on the  brewing method, you can enjoy either a light bodied, refreshing tea or a richly flavored delight.

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