Ruby 18 Origins Sample Set

$30.00

Size

Ruby 18 Origins Sample Set(100g of tea) Two Sets(200g of tea) Three Sets(300g of tea)

Quantity

Ruby 18 Origins

Sample The Tea Plants That Were Bred Together to Create This Classic Cultivar

Ruby 18 is quickly becoming one of the most famous black teas produced in Taiwan due to its unique and memorable flavor profile. Depending on the season and terroir, hints of mint, cinnamon, red fruit, spice, malt and the signature menthol-like mint greet those who are lucky enough to get their hands on this one-of-a-kind tea.

Unlike many other teas, the origins of the Ruby 18 Cultivar are actually very well known. Developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station in the late 1990s, the tea is the product of a mix between a Burmese Assamica Cultivar and native Camellia Formosensis tea plant. And as you will see with this set it is an example of 2 + 2 = 10!

On a recent sourcing trip to the area where Ruby 18 was first developed, the Sun Moon Lake Area, we stumbled across an organic farm that was growing all three of these plants side by side. We were offered the chance to try them together and it was so useful and fun that we decided to offer the same experience to all of you.

Included in this set are:

25g Sun Moon #8 Assamica
25g Sun Moon Wild Cultivar Black
50g Sun Moon Ruby 18 Black
An informational sheet about Ruby 18

Flavor profiles of the teas:

Sun Moon #8 Assamica Black: Creamy, strong and rich classic black-tea taste.
Sun Moon Wild Cultivar Black: Red Fruit, hints of spice, smooth half and fresh mushrooms if pushed hard with hot water!
Sun Moon Ruby 18 Black: Mint, spices, red fruit and strong black tea.

Elevation: 400m

Area: Yuchi, Nantou, Sun Moon Lake Area

Status: Certified Organic

Cultivar: Ruby 18, #8 Assamica, Camellia Formosensis

Oxidization: 100%

Season: Winter, 2023

Method: Hand picked, processed on site, very small batch

Recommend Brewing Style: 3-5g per 100ml, ~95C water(205f), 30, 30, 45 then add 5-10 seconds steeps in gaiwan. Lasts 4-6 steeps.

For stronger brews they can be brewed for up to a minute at a time but be careful not to make them too strong!

***Not recommended for western style brewing***

More than the sum of its parts

I normally enjoy a good organic malty Assam tea. When this one cools down a bit, there are floral notes similar to scented geranium that make it appealing. The wild cultivar tea does not taste as interesting to me as it does to Matt, at least not today, and that’s all right as we all taste different things. I suspect that it was included in the blending to ensure something that would grow well in Taiwan. But the tea that comes out of the combination veers quite a bit from the original flavors giving a pronounced wintergreen taste especially with subsequent steepings. Ruby #18 is one of my favorites, so it was with great delight that I was able to sample the parts and the finished product together. Thank you so much.

Excellent tea selections and interesting origin story

I found the Sun Moon Ruby 18 tea to be one of the best black teas I've ever tried. Furthermore, the breeding information and samples of the parent cultivars of SMR18 to be interesting and tasty respectively. Well done.

Get fresh!

I thought red teas were not for me and bought the taster set out of playfulness. My curiosity got rewarded! Ruby 18 is so good. Malty and fresh. I usually dislike the licorice flavor but there it is subtle. I love the fresh sensation that remains in the mouth, the sign of a tea of very high quality. Well done MSTs!

I love this set

It's so cool to be able to get to know the parents of Ruby 18 cultivar, to discover the tastes of "mother" and "father" and to compare them to the amazing creation of the Ruby 18. The 3 teas coming from the same place?! It's so rare and cool. I would like such a set for all tea cultivars there is. :D
Interesting to compare the two different terroirs for the two different Ruby 18 teas too. I won't say more to not spoil it.

Wow, Ruby18 really lives up to the hype

Such an interesting tea, having the 2 parent varietals included to preface the first sip of Ruby18 was a wonderful experience.

Ruby 18 Origins Sample Set

Ruby 18 Origins

Sample The Tea Plants That Were Bred Together to Create This Classic Cultivar

Customer Reviews