The name of this tea intrigued me enough for me to pick up 25 g of it last year. I steeped 6 g of leaf in a 120 ml teapot at 203F for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
Dry, the tea smells like honey and roast. The first steep smells and tastes like banana bread. (Maybe this is why it’s called Monkey Varietal Dan Cong?) I get notes of char, roast, ripe bananas, honey, grain, and faint florals. The banana bread vibe is even stronger in the second steep, and is helped by the tea’s heavy body, if not by the slight astringency at the end of the sip. The next couple steeps have a very slight fruity note, maybe guava? By the fifth steep, the tea is roasty, bready, and nutty, and the banana is gone. Wood, minerals, nuts, and roast dominate the last few rounds.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was a Wuyi oolong instead of a Dan Cong. It’s also much less complex than other Dan Congs I’ve had, though this could be due to my brewing. While the banana bread flavours are fun, it’s way too roasted for my liking and I probably won’t repurchase it.
Flavors: Bread, Char, Floral, Grain, Guava, Honey, Mineral, Nutty, Pecan, Roasted, Wood
