Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin

Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin has been Imperial Tea Court’s signature tea ever since we opened our doors back in the summer of 1993. The tea that was wild grown 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 their calling card, representing their personality and tea philosophy. We find this batch of Monkey Picked so intriguing that we’ve decided to adjust our standard firing techniques from high temperatures to a low-mid temperature setting. This is done to enhance the tea’s floral notes as well as to bring out fruitiness. This un-aggressive roasting technique not only preserves the tea’s jade green appearance, but also enhances and concentrates the depth and richness of flavor, resulting in an extremely silky and thick textured mouth-feel with an insistently long finish. This special batch of Monkey Picked is one of our favorite batches in years. Hurry so you can enjoy with us before it sells out!

GROWING REGION

Fujian, China

BREWING SUGGESTIONS

Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin may be prepared in many ways, but for best results we recommend traditional gongfu preparation using a good Yi Xing clay pot. Fill a pre-warmed teapot 1/4 to as much as 1/2 full with tea leaves and cover with hot, but less than boilling water [85-95C (185-203F)] and infuse for 1-5 minutes, depending on desired intensity. Use a lower water temp for more floral notes, heighten water temp for more intensity. Pour out into a pitcher or directly into warmed tasting cups and enjoy. Monkey-Picked Tie Guan Yin may be infused several times by gradually increasing steeping time and water temperature. Always adjust quantity of leaves, infusion time, and water temperature according to your personal preferences.