2021 harvest
A Ruby 18 with heft. The mouthfeel of this tea sets it apart from other Ruby 18s I’ve had. Thick and fluffy with a big character of dark, varnished wood and some savory malted barley. Restrained tones complement the bold, woody flavor; black cherry rounds out the bottom and Ruby 18 wintergreen mintiness comes through in the top. Mild honeyed malt aftertaste. Tannins are prominent after swallowing, leaving the mouth very dry, but with that sensation comes a penetrating calm felt deep within my body that causes my eyelids to droop in warm intoxication.
This tea is quite the contrast to the cheekier and fruitier character of other Ruby 18 reds out there. Those are easier for me to appreciate with lighter body and bolder cherry and wintergreen character. But this is pleasant in its own way. The tea has power over me, rather than me having power over the tea. It feels nice to drink on a wet December morning, squishing around the backyard while taking care of my tea plants.
Above was gongfu preparation, with multiple short steeps (15 to 25 seconds) to mitigate the tannins. Would recommend this way over western.
Flavors: Cherry, Dark Wood, Drying, Forest Floor, Honey, Malt, Malty, Savory, Tannic, Thick, Varnish, Wintergreen, Woody
Preparation
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You’re growing tea plants?! That is so cool!!
I’m still so happy that you’re growing tea plants, derk!
It sounds like I might have made the right decision not to purchase this tea in our group order. Wishing your tea plants well!
I am, Nattie (and me, too, tea-sipper!). I don’t have an official count but somewhere between 70 and 100 first-year plants from seed, a few older from a local nursery and 1 clone from a tea farm in Alabama. It’s a slow process to start a tea farm when you don’t yet have land to plant on a large scale :P
That is very, very cool! I wish you all the best with your tea farm, I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
You’re growing tea plants?! That is so cool!!
I’m still so happy that you’re growing tea plants, derk!
It sounds like I might have made the right decision not to purchase this tea in our group order. Wishing your tea plants well!
I am, Nattie (and me, too, tea-sipper!). I don’t have an official count but somewhere between 70 and 100 first-year plants from seed, a few older from a local nursery and 1 clone from a tea farm in Alabama. It’s a slow process to start a tea farm when you don’t yet have land to plant on a large scale :P
That is very, very cool! I wish you all the best with your tea farm, I can’t wait to hear how it goes!