Formosa Ruby 18 Black Tea, 50g

Description

TTES #18 (紅玉紅茶, Hóng Yù Hóng Chá) — Ruby Red Tea

Taiwanese wild tea (Camellia formosensis or Camellia sinensis f. formosensis), is actively used as a basis for breeding new tea cultivars. This is indeed true, with one small caveat — at present in Taiwan, only one variety of tea tree, a direct descendant of the Taiwanese wild tea, has been developed to industrial condition and is widely used. But this single cultivar is enough to fully close the question of the economic value of the Taiwanese endemic.

This direct descendant is TTES #18 (TTES No.18, TTES-18) — the cultivar of the tea bush better known under its commercial name Ruby, from which Taiwanese Ruby Red Tea is made.

Classic Ruby Black Tea
Main notes: malt, honey, baked crust, light menthol.

Ruby Tea, also called Hong Yu Hong Cha (紅玉紅茶, Hóng Yù Hóng Chá) — often shortened in practice to Hong Yu Cha (紅玉茶) — and also known as Taiwan No.18, is without doubt the most famous Taiwanese black tea (in Chinese classification, “red tea”).

The success of this tea greatly shaped a new trend in Taiwanese black teas, organically connected with both the tea history of the island and modern developments of Taiwanese tea specialists. The same success also led to the fact that in relation to the tea itself (not to the cultivar), the name Ruby lost all specificity and is now often used, even without qualifiers, to denote all teas produced from TTES #18. And these teas, despite the clear production niche of the cultivar, are quite diverse.

The Legend of Ruby Red Tea

Born from Taiwan’s wild mountain tea and the noble assamica of Myanmar, Ruby Red Tea (TTES #18) is a masterpiece of modern tea craftsmanship. Officially registered in 1999 and named by public vote in 2003, it quickly rose to become the flagship of Taiwanese black tea.

Its deep crimson infusion reveals layers of malt, honey, and warm spices, finishing with a refreshing touch of mint — the signature of its wild heritage. Whether from the bold gardens of Nantou’s Sun Moon Lake or the elegant slopes of Hualien, Ruby Red embodies both power and grace. Like its name, it is a rare jewel: a tea that unites tradition, science, and nature into one unforgettable cup.