Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company
Tea Description:
This tea embodies the qualities of top-quality black tea and fine oolong tea. Also known as “Ruby Red”, this is another high quality tea from Mrs. Lee’s farm above Sun-Moon Lake. Extremely rare to find this tea in this quality! Whole leaves, hand-picked and processed by Farmer Lee himself and his lovely wife. This varietal is unique to Taiwan. This crop is sweet smelling, delicate and smooth!
A combination of the best characteristics from the robust, rich Assam tea together with the best characteristics of a fine Taiwanese Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I wish to thank Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company for a sample of this tea. Truth be told I enjoy trying any tea with the word Jade in it, partially because I have a best friend called Jade but also because it is my middle name. I’ve had a few Jade black tea’s from Taiwan before so I know roughly what to expect, but that still does not stop me being excited to try it. Also this tea is from above Sun-Moon Lake which is awesome!
The loose leaves are mostly whole and look twisted and crisp to the touch. Dark brown in colour. I must note there are also some sticks present amid the leaves. They have a wooden, dry scent with a touch of sweet smoke.
Steeping Parameters: 5g of leaf – Boiling Water – 320ml Vessel – Time 4 minutes
Once steeped the resulting tea liquid is golden, red/brown (similar to a scotch) and bares a thick sweet wood scent with mild dryness.
Flavour is not as strong as the scent but the first few sips reveal a wooden character that dances on my tongue and becomes sweet through the after taste. The sweetness is honeyed, not overly strong but beautiful and pure; it just trickles elegantly down my throat, coating my mouth with sweetness.
A few sips more have an increase of dryness with a touch of leather and smoke. On the whole the strength is still medium and though there are some strong sounding flavours they are not thick nor too much ie. A nice balance of combinational notes.
At this point I’m halfway down the cup and I am still finding the sweetness very pleasant, it has not lessened in any way; though the dryness is more apparent.
Now with a few mouthfuls left there is an added sour quality to a thickening strength but throughout it has been a wonderful steep.
Final thoughts: I believe this is one of the best Jade Taiwan tea’s that I have had the pleasure of trying. It was flavourful, a nice strength and even as it cools it had wonderful characteristics. The leaves after steep are still whole and show what wonderful quality this tea truly is, it says top quality in the listing and after trying I truly believe it. Very wonderful and a tea that I thoroughly recommend.
Happy Steeping Everyone!
Red Jade Black Tea from Oollo Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Oollo Tea
Tea Description:
A perfect marriage between Burma Ashamu and Taiwanese wild tea. The long twisted whole leaves give distinct smooth raisin, date and cinnamon infusions with traces of peppermint.
Origin
Varietal: Taiwan No. 18
Curator: Yoshi Lo
Location: Yuchi, Nantou, Taiwan
Elevation: 800m
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Red Jade Black Tea from Oollo Tea has already been reviewed by Anne here at Sororitea Sisters but some teas are worth reviewing more than once. This is one of those teas and I agree with Anne thoughts as to how AWESOME this tea is. The following are my additional thoughts on this tea.
As for the aroma it’s one I truly adore in a black tea. It’s toasty and date or raisin like. The aroma matches the first sip of the cuppa, too. I can certainly pick up on the raisin notes and paired with the dark, rich, carmelly notes it’s unlike anything I have ever tasted. The end sip of the pipping-hot tea is a mish-mash of heavy, dark black tea flavors and a sugary syrupy type taste all in one. Keep in mind there are NO flavors added to this tea! This flavor is all from the leaf! It’s all natural!
As I continue to sip the post-infused liquor cools with the room temperature – unassisted – and I notice the end sip morphs into something of a minty aftertaste that is very refreshing and welcomed.
No this isn’t ‘tea voodoo’ – folks – it’s just a mighty-fine tea that has levels and levels of complexity and for that I will appreciate it until the end of time. This is a marvelously-fantastic Red Jade Black Tea that should be celebrated at every turn!
