Scent in tin: Like barley, very light, somewhat malty
Brewed in: tea for one w/metal infuser
Steeped: 5 min.@ boiling
Cup: Café mug
I was pretty sure I’d like this tea even before ordering it. I really like strong, malty flavors, and everything I’d read about Golden Monkey was very positive. So I ordered some from both Adagio and Rishi, and set out on a most pleasant tasting experience with Adagio’s up first.
This golden monkey is surprisingly thin. The scent and taste are quite bold, but the actual texture of the brew is thin, an odd contradiction in the mouth. It’s slightly sweet, somewhat malty, but bitter too. Perhaps I over-brewed it, and 4 minutes would have been better. It seems to have almost a “liquor” type quality to it – mildly fruity underneath the barley taste. It’s quite enigmatic, and I can’t quite decide if I like it or not.
I think I need a few more sessions with this tea, more experimentation with water (I used bottled water-cooler water this time), and some different brewing times. I would be interested to see if any type of raisin flavor came out with the right parameters.
In any case, it’s very interesting, and when I’m not thinking about it (ie, just sipping at my desk focused on work), it slides down rather easily. Definitely something I’d recommend trying, and I’ll be revisiting it again very soon.
I have also had trouble coming to grips with teas that lack viscosity, especially if they tend toward fuller flavor profiles.
ReplyDeleteEven greens, however, seem better with texture in the mouth. Maybe it's time to start adding a little glycerin to the brew. How poisonous do you think that would be?
Hmm...I might have some around here (used it in soap making).
ReplyDeleteCould be kind of explosive, though...an interesting experiment served to someone we don't care for? ;-)