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Visual description
When dry – these are large flagella twisted maroon leaves with thin cuttings. The fragrance is intense, berry and has menthol hints. The infusion has a transparent, dark apricot colour.
Taste and aroma
The brewed tea has a refined, polyphonic, spicy-berry flavour with pine, mint, cinnamon and citrus notes.
The aroma is fresh and subtle, with notes of mint and berry.
The taste is juicy, silky, sweet, with a bright citric sourness and minty coolness. It transforms into a long, refreshing aftertaste.
General information
"Hong Yu'' or "Red Axe-stone" is one of the Taiwan Tea Experimental Station (TTES) breeding cultivars, originally appeared during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century under the number TTES18 (hybrid of Indian assamica and authentic Taiwanese variety Qing Xin).
The Japanese had been associated with a great future with this tea: the plan was to make it competitive to Indian counterparts and produce it in large volumes. This variety used to be really outstanding, with an original, memorable bouquet with hints of menthol, camphor and cinnamon tree. Today the main fields (about 10 000 ha) of this variety (also known as “Red Jade'' or “Red Axe-stone”, or “Ruby-18”) are located in the Yuchi district (Nantou county) in the hills around the Lake Ri Yue Tang at the altitude of 700-1000 m. above sea.
Brewing suggestions. Brew the tea with hot boiling water (95°C) in a gaiwan or a teapot for Taiwanese oolong made of porous clay. The proportion is 5 g per 100 ml. The first infusion should last for 8-10 seconds. After that just rinse water through teapot or gaiwan, increasing the exposure of each next infusion. You can repeat this brewing method up to approximately 12 times.
