#monkeypickedoolong

Tea Review: High-Mountain Monkey-Pick Oolong (Know sometimes as Tie Guan Yin, Tie Kuan Yin, and Tikuanyin) Type: High-Mountain Oolong (or Wuolong) Tea Traditional Origin: Fujian Province, China Harvest Season: Late April to early May Recommended infusion method: A zhong, gaiwan, or small teapot Purchased from: New Century Tea Gallery in Seattle, Wa

Review by Miles

This is where reviewing tea becomes tricky. This particular oolong I have today is known not only by many names, but can tasty vastly different from other oolongs of the same name and region. Tie Guan Yin, also known as "Iron Goddess of Mercy", is a general name for a greener oolong produced mainly in the Fujian Province of China. The story behind the name is a classic in tea lore, but I will reserve that tale for another day! Today, I have another piece of tea mythology to discuss. Tie Guan Yin is also known as Monkey-Pick or Monkey-Picked Oolong. Again, this name is general so don't expect all monkey-picks or guan-yins to taste the same, they wont. They may even taste like completely different teas all together. This is because many different regions produce oolong under the same name. While the basic processing is the same, the tea can be vastly different in taste and appearance. I own another monkey pick which is more fermented than the type I am reviewing today and if you compared the two anonymously, they would taste very different! 

The story of monkey-picked oolong goes something like this: Many centuries ago, a Buddhist monk was picking tea when his pet monkey started to pick along side him. He was intrigued by the monkey's behavior, so he took the monkey-picked leaves and turned them into tea. To the monk's surprise, the tea turned out to be uniquely rich in flavor. He was so impressed, he persuaded the monkey to go up into the mountains and pick tea from him. There, high in the mountains of the Fujian province, Monkey-Pick oolong was born. While the tea I had the pleasure of drinking today was most definitely not picked by monkeys, it is rumored that there is still a small village in China which actually trains its monkeys to pick tea. If I ever go to China, that is the first place I am going. 

It is unfortunate that this tea is labeled so generally because the Monkey-Pick I am reviewing today is probably the best Monkey-Pick I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. I went to a smaller tea shop in the International District looking for some conversation and perhaps some cheap oolong to purchase. When I showed interest in trying a high-mountain oolong (more vegetal and less oxidized), the owner pulled out the last bag of a rare Monkey-Pick he was saving behind the counter. He steeped some for me and after the first sip, I knew there was no way I was leaving without at least a few ounces of that fantastic drink. Fortunately for me, that was the last amount he had! While I ended up paying a little bit more for the tea than I had planned, it was completely worth it. The taste is of  hyacinth, clover, and fresh greens. It is warming, beautifully rounded, and fantastically complex. Each sip reveals more subtle flavors: hints of zuchini and artichoke, a touch of vanilla, and just the slightest note of smoke and honey. If I said that Dong Ding oolong was my favorite, I may stand corrected. I have actually found myself craving the taste of this tea throughout the day. A definite favorite!