THE most complex and unique black tea I have tasted to date. Perfecting my steeping time and dry leaf ratio, still can not believe what difference in opinion I have have from the first time I tried this one. I highly recommend Gongfu steeping this guy as I mentioned it is even more complex than most oolongs I have had and that is quite a feat.
7g dry leaf 100mL gaiwan
Boiled 500 ml of water and just used the same water without reheating for all brews
Quick rinse (as long as it takes me to scoop out impurity bubbles)
1st (<60 sec)
sweet raisin, slight dry spicy cinnamon bite and menthol after taste
2nd(100 sec)
sweet spice is the dominant taste with the cooling menthol also becoming more noticeable
3rd(120 sec)
Wintergreen coming through into the foreground strong, spice fades out and sweetness of a dried date lingers in the background
4th(2 min)
Playful minty brisk bite with a smooth finish
Tai Cha #18 is quite an experience I am excited to try other garden’s Red Ruby and hats off to the Taiwan Tea Institute for this varietal.
Flavors: Anise, Cinnamon, Dates, Licorice, Plum
Not sure why it cuts off my review guess I exceeded character length but long story short Tai cha #18 is an experience everyone should have