Ruby 18? Ruby 21? The latest greatest hongcha (red tea) is a whole different skill set level from black teas around the world. Completely intact and without a hint of astringency, the honey sweet water has an intense fragrance of wintergreen and hinoki.
The Red Tea varietals are harvested with the smaller, more tender, less fibrous, leaves of the large leaf varietals. The wilting is done with warm room temperature air through the trough, and lots of hand fluffing, which sets apart the Gongfu Red Tea tradition despite the modern technology. Above: the Ruby 21 vs the Ruby 18. Ruby 18 in the spring, in this drought ridden year, sports an extremely unique palate fragrance of Hinoki wood. It is intoxicating and unlike any tea in the world I have ever tasted. For tea aficionados, it is another notch in the belt…..
Ruby Red 18, or Red Jade 18. Qiao Mu arbor type small tree, large leaf. A hybrid of Mynamar arbor type (similar to Pu-erh) and aboriginal Taiwanese wild tea. The tender spring sprouts are uniquely yellowish in color. Here at Mr. Zhuang’s 800 meter Ruby Red farm, it is ideally situated: wind, cool temps, and the dreaded beetlenut trees are below the tea, so no possibility of run off fertilizers….
Sun Moon Lake is known for an altogether different Taiwan tea few people know about: Red Tea, or Hongcha. Originally, the local varietal was just called Shan Cha or Mountain Tea. Then, Assam varietals were planted over 100 years ago believing it would put Taiwan on the map in the world stage of tea, back then. Now, things have gone full circle: new varietals invented by the Taiwanese Research Institutes called Ruby 18, and the much improved Ruby 21, are now made into fully oxidized red/ black teas with distinct characters that reflect the Taiwanese terroir…
The Station Master, as he was called, was in the process of evaluating some samples sent in by different farmers from some outlying farms. The purpose was to obtain feedback, to get the Station Master’s opinion on what they need to do to improve. Was the wilting done properly? Etc.
The tasting standard was rigorous. 6 minutes steeping time, 6 minutes more before smelling the leaves, then 6 more minutes before tasting the cooled tea.
The main function of the research institute? State of the art machinery to test for pesticide residue, about 251 different ones. Spot checking the farmers. Fining derelict farmers 15,000 Taiwanese dollars per offense.
The ‘new’ varietal is Ruby 18, and 19 and 20 are for wulong development. Ruby 18 is for black tea (hong cha), and 80% oxidized. The tea is malty, with burnt sugar aroma. A bit woody, a bit harsh. Not quite the gongfu black tea I am used to, not quite ready for prime time, in my humble opinion….