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So I guess I haven’t reviewed the sample of this I bought from Harney last year (bought May 2017). So this isn’t exactly fresh, but I wanted to write a note for it anyway. As usual, this has vastly different flavors than from the other harvests I’ve tried. I think I had three different harvests of this previously and every single one of them has been vastly different. Probably the most different harvests of any tea I’ve previously had. Then again I don’t usually get the chance to try four harvests of a tea. The leaves look different every time too. The harvest that tasted like tomato soup oddly looked amber in color, smaller, and very very fuzzy. The older tiny leaf tasted like chocolate and wine (my favorite black tea flavors, though that may be the tannins.) I’m assuming that the tinier the leaf, the lower the quality is supposed to be? But I seem to like the lower quality teas with deeper flavor once in a while. THIS harvest looks higher quality with bigger longer leaves, hints of gold, and no fuzziness whatsoever. This harvest has much different flavors. It almost tastes like Laoshan Black. It’s got that lighter black tea flavor, slight smokiness, caramel. But not deep in flavor enough for my liking (the same problem I’ve always had with Laoshan.) These lighter black teas aren’t my favorite. All three steeps stayed with the same flavor profile, though I steeped them vastly different. The third cup I steeped for 10+ minutes with only half a mug of water and still had that light flavor. It’s amazing that Harney’s Golden Monkey changes constantly, which is a shame, as I loved the first harvest I tried. (Though it also amazes when a tea can stay consistent between harvests.) Who knows, 2018’s harvest is probably completely different too. But this is not the flavor I want for this steep price (right now $.96 per cup according to harney.com). This harvest would probably get a an 77. Though I don’t like moving ratings when they go lower. I only change them higher.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug// 15 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 minute steep
Steep #3 // half mug of water // just boiled // 10+ minute steep