Golden Monkey, or Jin Hou, is a premium black tea from Fujian Province in southeastern China, the region that gave the world some of its earliest and most celebrated black teas. Its name comes from the leaf: long, downy buds that curl like a monkey's paw, picked and processed by hand so that each twist of dark leaf is shot through with golden tip. That high proportion of golden buds is what defines it. Golden Monkey brews a bright red, clean liquor – smooth and rich yet remarkably low in tannin, with sweet notes of cocoa, malt and honey and none of the briskness of an everyday breakfast black. Jin Hou belongs to the lineage of Fujian black teas that were prized by European traders through the Qing dynasty, and remains one of the province's most sought-after teas today. This is a black tea to drink on its own. Its sweetness and delicacy are easily lost under milk, so brew it gently and drink it slowly - no additions needed.
