White Monkey

White Monkey is a rare early-season green tea, grown high in the mist-covered Wuyi Mountains of the Fujian Province, China, and plucked within the first two weeks of the new growth — around late March to early April. Only the top two leaves and bud are taken, still covered in their natural silvery-white down. Gently steamed and dried by hand, the finished leaf curls into a shape said to resemble the paw of a white-haired monkey — giving this tea its distinctive name.

The infusion is velvety smooth with a sweet, floral character and low astringency. So pale and refined is the liquor that White Monkey Paw is often mistaken for a white tea — though it is, in fact, a green tea of the finest character.

AKA: Bai Mao Hou, Baimao Hou