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Two black teas from Taiwan
July 2010

Ruby Black Tea, Winter Harvest 2009, Yuchich Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, from Norbu
'Buddha's Hand' Fo Shou Hon Cha by Imperial Teas of Lincoln

I have a definite phobia of black teas, from too many bitter experiences in the past.  I always liked the tea when I went to Asian restaurants, and as a non-coffee drinker, I'd often try a cup of tea when at a restaurant or meeting where everyone else was drinking coffee.  And when the choice was nothing or Twining's English Breakfast, I'd try the Twinings, and almost invariably be disappointed by the unhappy bitterness that resulted.  But then, I was given a sample of Yunnan Gold (the Xtra Fancy) from Chado, and that introduced me to a world of Chinese black teas that I could enjoy.  I've enjoyed Yunnan black tea from quite a few sources (that first one from Chado, Imperial Dian Hong from Norbu,  Yunnan Gold from Rishi, and Yunnan small gold buds from Tea Habitat) since then, but have still found the CTC Assam teas from most any source to be, well, unpalatable.

So, I got each of these teas as a free sample--one in a tea swap with another member of TeaChat, and one in an order from Norbu.  They looked nice, smelled good, and the first one I tried, the Black Ruby, was delicious, so I decided to try a formal tasting with the two of them.  And they were both quite nice.   After a first very timid set of dilute infusions, I redid a more typical strength set of infusions, and got a nicer fruitier tea from both, although I think the fruitiness was sharper and more interesting from the Ruby Black.  But when I spent a few minutes letting the teas cool as I was writing up my notes, they did start to get a bit bitter--an important lesson here, I think, is brew and drink before that can happen.  

I will be ordering some of the Ruby Black, and could recommend the Foshou too, if you're ordering from Imperial Teas.

Tasting setup

Round I (dilute):

Used 1 gram of tea in small 60 mL gaiwans (was afraid to do them too concentrated)
Infusions
First 2 1/2 minutes, 205°F/96°C (water cooled a bit as I was setting up)
2nd about 1 minute, 212°F/100°C

Round II:  got bolder, brewed 2.5 grams in the same gaiwans, and infused 3 minutes 1st time

Ruby Black Tea, Winter Harvest 2009, Yuchich Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, from Norbu

Dry Leaves:  black twists of intact leaves, scent is very similar, but perhaps a little sweeter

Round I (dilute)
Liquor, 1st infusion:  orange liquor, fruity (plummy) and sweet, no bitterness; 
Liquor, 2nd infusion:  sweet, fruity, some tart depths in first slurped sips

Round II (normal)
Liquor is deep red orange--ok, Ruby!,  sweet, fruity, complex, with some of that wine-like taste noted by Greg, but also a hint of bitter after it sat a bit before a second round of sips

Wet Leaves:  Good sized dark red/green leaves, more intact than the Buddha's hand

'Buddha's Hand' Fo Shou Hon Cha by Imperial Teas of Lincoln

Dry Leaves:  long dark twists of intact leaves with prominent stems, scent is like dried raisins or prunes--concentrated dried fruit

Round I (dilute)
Liquor, 1st infusion:  deep orange/red liquor, mild fruity--plummy--flavor, sweet, no bitterness
Liquor, 2nd infusion:  a little spicy, still sweet, fruity flavor decreasing

Round II (normal)
Liquor is deep orange red, not quite as 'ruby' as the black ruby,  sweet, complex, not as fruity or tart/winey as the Ruby black, and also turning a little bitter as I take the later sips and finish the infusion

Wet Leaves:   Dark red/green leaves, large pieces but not as intact as the Black Ruby, and not unrolling as much


Photos:

Left         'Buddha's Hand' Fo Shou Hon Cha by Imperial Teas of Lincoln
Right   Ruby Black Tea, Winter Harvest 2009, Yuchich Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, from Norb


dry leaves



infusions

wet leaves



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