Tea Review: Sun Moon Lake Hong Yun Black Tea (Wang Family Tea)

Sun Moon Lake Hóng Yùn Black Tea

Wang Family Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake, Yúchí Township
Product Description: 

Like its older sibling Red Jade （紅玉）, Red Rhyme（紅韻） is a hybrid cultivar created by the Tea Research and Extension Station. Red Rhyme is a crossbreed of the Chinese Keemum variety of black tea with the Indian Kyang variety. It was formally given the name “Red Rhyme” in 2008, which poetically captures the beautiful fragrance that Red Rhyme emits. Our No.21 Red Rhyme is tightly twisted into a strip shape, possesses a light black color with dark brown stems, and emits a subtly sweet floral aroma. The first round of brewing reveals why this tea was given the poetic name of Red Rhyme; the aroma this tea produces is as unique, as it is beautiful. The initial aroma our Red Rhyme emits is that of perfectly ripe grapefruit. The second round of brewing further enhances the ripe grapefruit aroma by introducing a light sweetness. The liquor of our Red Rhyme should give you a wonderful soft aftertaste of fruit, and a lubricated feeling in your mouth and throat. The third round is mellow, sweet, very fruity, and further showcases the beautiful grapefruit characteristic of our Red Rhyme. No other black tea is as refreshing as our Red Rhyme.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2-5 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes reminiscent of nuts, sweet dark brown bread, and seasoned wood.

The liquor is bright copper red with a sweet and tart aroma of baked fruit.  The taste has notes reminiscent of baked fruit and dark brown bread, and hints of nuts and molasses with a long finish.

This was tasty throughout three infusions with an especially pleasant almost fruity finish.  While the best flavor was in the first infusion, subsequent infusions continued to be enjoyable with longer steeping times.   

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.

Tea Review: Shanlin Xi Small Leaf Black Tea (Wang Family Tea)

Shānlín Xī Small Leaf Black Tea
Wang Family Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan, Shānlín Xī
Product Description: Not provided.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of dark brown bread and sweet oats.

The liquor is copper orange with aroma notes of flowers, citrus, brown bread, green vine, and baked squash.  The taste is floral, sweet, and almost malty with no notable astringency and a floral finish.

While the aroma suggested this tea might be at least moderately astringent, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case with a 2 minute steep.  The floral notes remained prominent throughout three infusions with the other notes stepping back after each infusion.  This tea was quite nice when brewed western style, though it really seemed to shine when prepared gongfu-style (more leaf, smaller brewing vessel).

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review

Tea Review: Sun Moon Lake Assam Black Tea (Wang Family Tea)

Sun Moon Lake Assam Black Tea

Wang Family Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake, Yúchí Township
Product Description:

Assam black tea in Taiwan traces its roots back to Taiwan’s period of Japanese occupation. In 1936, at the base of mount Maolan and on the banks of Sun Moon Lake, the Japanese established the Yuchi Black Tea Laboratory. Assam seeds from India were sourced to develop a black tea industry in Taiwan. During this period, black tea from Yuchi was ranked as the highest grade of black tea at the London Tea Auction, receiving the ultimate distinction of being offered to the Emperor of Japan as a gift, and becoming the first Taiwanese black tea to be sought after in the international market.Our Assam Black Tea is tightly twisted into a strip shape, it possesses a black color, and has a strong maltose aroma. The first round of brewing reveals a light, milk aroma, a robust but not overpowering flavor, and a beautiful honey-amber colored liquor. The second round introduces a light maltose sweetness that rapidly builds on the finish. The third round kicks the previously mentioned notes into overdrive. The flavor is robust with a comforting, deep maltose sweetness; the milk aroma from before is also enhanced by the growing presence of maltose. We believe that this is the perfect showcase for what a good Taiwanese Assam can be: A robust character that is perfectly balanced by comforting sweetness.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has light notes of fruit, seasoned wood, and oats.

The bright copper red infusion has a slightly sweet aroma of baked fruit and yams, malt, and green vine. The taste is mildly astringent and sweet with notes similar to baked fruit.  

The flavor and aroma held up very well throughout three infusions, becoming notably sweeter by the third.  While I enjoyed the results from a 2 minute infusion, a slightly longer steeping time will produce more robust results.  On a curious note, brewing with 190° F water for the same amount of time produced surprisingly similar results in flavor, aroma, and astringency.

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.

Tea Review: Sun Moon Lake Native Black Tea (Wang Family Tea)

Sun Moon Lake Native Black Tea
Wang Family Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake, Yúchí Township
Product Description:

Taiwanese Native Black Tea （台灣山茶）, also known as Cang Ya（藏芽 ) is a rare, indigenous variety that was first discovered in the mountainous area surrounding Sun Moon Lake. This is a true heirloom variety of Taiwanese tea. Cang Ya thrives in misty shrouded mountain forests. To this day, this unique tea is still produced in small quantities and handcrafted in the traditional way. When you drink Cang Ya, it is said that you can feel the vibrant atmosphere of the misty mountain forests that birthed this black tea. Our Cang Ya is tightly twisted into a strip shape, it possesses a black color with an undertone of dark brown, and a light aroma of roses. The first round of brewing produces a powerful berry (blue and black) aroma. The aroma also has hints of plum and grape in it. This fruit theme is continued in the mouth where a distinct fruit pectin sensation can be felt. The tea liquor is a crystal clear, bright golden-red. The second round of brewing sees an increase in sweetness, and furthers the distinct soft mouthfeel that this tea produces. The third round is truly fascinating. The flavors and aromas from the previous round become very prominent, but somehow they also retain their softness. To understand this, we must compare our Cang Ya to the terroir in which it was produced: You have both the strength of the mountains around Yuchi, and the softness of Sun Moon Lake. Furthering this theme, the aftertaste is reminiscent of the morning mist that often envelops Sun Moon Lake - refreshing, clean, and beautifully thick on the palate. Truly, no black tea better represents terroir than Cang Ya.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves have a savory and sweet aroma of brown bread and malt.  I was reminded distinctly of Grape Nuts breakfast cereal.

The liquor is copper orange with an aroma of baked squash, baked yams, green vine, and grapes.  The taste has almost no astringency with notes of roasted yam and squash, chestnuts, and snow peas with a long, sweet finish.

This tea was flavorful throughout three infusions with notes that hit all the right marks for my preferences and the flexibility to allow for variance in steeping time and water temperature.  It was quite interesting how the flavor profile changed with each infusion, becoming notably sweeter by the third infusion.  

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.

Tea Review: Sun Moon Lake Hongyu Black Tea (Wang Family Tea)

Sun Moon Lake Hóngyù Black Tea

Wang Family Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake, Yúchí Township
Product Description:

Red Jade （紅玉） is a hybrid of a Burmese large leaf variety bred with a native, wild growing variety from Taiwan. A cultivar created by the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES), the governmental body responsible for researching and promoting tea in Taiwan, Red Jade took over five decades to produce.

Our No.18 Red Jade is tightly twisted into a strip shape, has a dark black with hints of auburn color, and a distinct mint aroma laced with undercurrents of woodsiness. When brewed, the beauty of our Red Jade becomes even more apparent.  The Tea liquor is a crystal clear, warm dark red. This color can truly only be described as “Red Jade”. The first round of brewing yields a wonderfully aromatic cup. The unique mint aroma and taste of our Red Jade are on full display here.  Underneath the mint, you can detect a light aroma of cinnamon. The second round builds on this wonderful start. The mint and cinnamon flavors begin to deepen, and are joined by a light sugary sweetness that is reminiscent of ripe fruit. The third round is where this tea really shines.  The taste of mint, cinnamon, and sugar reach their zenith, and are further enhanced by an added aroma of exotic wood.

Temperature: 190-208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of sweet oats with a hint of cinnamon.

The bright red liquor has a minty aroma with a hint of cinnamon, mild astringency, and a long refreshing minty finish.

Steeping for only 1 minute at 208° F produced very nice results with full flavor just a hint of astringency.  For those who prefer something bolder, steeping for 2-3 minutes produced moderate to high astringency without overwhelming the minty notes.  By far my favorite results came from by steeping for 2 minutes in 190° F water.  The infusion had notes of mint, cinnamon and something that reminded me of dark brown bread with mild astringency and a refreshing minty finish. 

This tea was purchased on my behalf at the 2023 Northwest Tea Festival.