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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.
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
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