The first time I drank this tea, which was also the first time drinking Golden Monkey, it didn’t hit the right spot mostly due to its fairly light body. Today however, its smooth and delicate nature was exactly what I needed. The tea has a light, but pleasant smell. Dry leaves have a bit of a leather aroma with hints of tobacco, while the wet leaves are more malty. The taste is nutty, moderately sweet and quite woody in the finish. In the aftertaste I also get some chocolate notes emerging.
I definitely wouldn’t make this my default choice as far as hong cha goes, but once in a while it can be nice.
Flavors: Chocolate, Leather, Malt, Nutty, Sweet, Tobacco, Wood