The second of the new teas I tried from the October 2016 DavidsTea traditional tea release is Golden Monkey. It is an organic black tea and I was hoping it would live up to the price tag like Ruby Oolong.
At $17.98 for 50g, Golden Monkey is expensive for a plain black tea. DavidsTea promises that it is prized for its signature golden tips. A rare black tea is hand-crafted into the shape of a monkey’s claw. The result? A rich brew with sweet aromas of ripe fruit and brown sugar.
DavidsTea Golden Monkey Steeping Instructions & Ingredients
Golden Monkey Ingredients: Organic black tea from Fujian province, China
Golden Monkey Steeping Instructions: 1-2 perfect spoons of tea per 16oz near boiling (194℉ – 203℉ or 90℃ – 95℃) water for 4-7 minutes.
This was perfect for me with 1 perfect spoon for a 10oz mug steeped for 5 minutes. It was not very astringent so is probably fine left to steep longer. It was already a deep black tea colour at 5 minutes and I like my black teas hot so steep for as short as possible.
DavidsTea Golden Monkey Tea Review
My boyfriend referred to the loose as wasps legs rather than monkey claws. Like Ruby Oolong, the loose tea unfurls quite a bit while steeping so leave plenty of space in infusers for full flavour. There are plenty of golden tips in the loose tea. Golden Monkey steeps to a deep black tea, almost red. The wet leaves are left a golden brown colour and were ok for a second steep but nowhere near as bold.
The tea itself tastes a lot like DavidsTea’s Honey Black which is no longer available. A close second would be Nepal Black which is much cheaper but not quite as smooth. It has a slightly sweet aftertaste and smells delicious. It has a slight natural sweetness to it that calms the maltier black tea that some people don’t like. That bold earthy/malty taste is still there though without too much astringency. It really is a nice smooth black tea but I think at $17.98, there are other teas out there I would drink before it.
Is DavidsTea Golden Monkey Latte Friendly?
Golden Monkey is very latte friendly. It has a bold, slightly sweet natural taste to it that makes it perfect for a latte. But then, unless it curdles the milk, I will make most teas in a latte form at some point. At $17.98, it is a bit pricy to be using multiple spoons for a latte, so a definite treat but tasted oh so delicious as a latte.
Is DavidsTea Golden Monkey Worth The Price?
At $17.98 for 50g, Golden Monkey is pretty expensive for a plain black tea. It is a superior tea and one I would happily use my Frequent Steeper rewards on. If I had to choose though, I would spend my money on Ruby Oolong which is more unique and get a decent black at a cheaper price. That being said, Teavana has a similar Golden Monkey tea priced at $19.98 for 2oz. Therefore, DavidsTea has it reasonably priced if you do want to try it – and it is worth trying once.