Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Tea Review: Ruby 18 (Shen Zen Tea)

Ruby 18
Shen Zen Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake
Product Description: Ruby 18 is a rare tea to be found in the US but a classic black tea in Taiwan.  Known for its extra dark leathery taste, Ruby 18 infuses a strong and complex flavor profile with a smooth finish of dark fruits such as raisins and prunes.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of seasoned wood, pepper, and honey.

The infusion is red amber with an aroma of cloves, prunes, and honey .  The taste is dark and rich with notes of cloves, prunes, and a hint of leather.

There's an unexpected spiciness to this tea that I associate with cloves and the leathery notes are mild and intriguing.  A second and third infusion produced flavorful results while developing a dryer finish.

This tea was purchased by me.




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