Ruby Black Tea

Gongfu!

I’ve been really into Taiwanese teas lately, and Ruby-18 was one of the first styles of black tea I truly fell in love with, so it’s been especially nice surrounding myself with them as of late. This is an exceptionally smooth and full-bodied one that practically feels like it’s dripping with that hallmark refreshing and ever so slightly cooling wintergreen note. It makes for such a round, mouth-coating brewing experience with carefully interlocked notes of sweet malty breads, candied yams, lush but darkly sweet red fruits, and just a hint of carob after the initial wintergreen passes. I do very much love though that, because of the lightly cooling menthol finish, you really get this sort of “wintergreen sandwich” that bookends the sip. I’ve purchased from Cha Gloriette the last few years, though usually oolongs. This is the first black tea of theirs to make it home with me, and I am nothing short of impressed!

Also, I know I’ve had a lot of TO Tea Fest posts lately, but I’m really committed to sipping my way through everything I picked up, which was, frankly, a lot! So thank y’all for coming along on the post-festival tea review journey!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGT6vb8yrsT/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHtkrEwk8ps&ab_channel=ToneTreeMusic

Long story short… I just finished five years with Davidstea. During that time, I had two kids and drank so much davidstea, that my cupboard is about 99% them now. COVID meant that my store was one of the ones that got shutdown so now I’m mostly at home, which is ok… but if COVID continues the way that it looks like it’s going to, then I guess it’s a good thing I am. I might have to homeschool my 4 and 5 yr olds.

Fun positive that happened during COVID… I finished writing a novel!!! 73,000 (ish) words. (About 280 pages). I’m so happy!! I’m trying to write a second novel but it’s been tough going. Maybe in the new year.

I definitely wasn’t expecting the tea to taste like that… lol I got this one probably 3 years ago at the Toronto Tea Festival, and I’m FINALLY trying it.

It reminds me of Nepal Black from Davidstea, but is definitely stronger. It has a strong tobacco taste to it and I’m getting some straw like the other reviewer here. I feel like I’m getting a hint of floral too.

This tea is pretty smooth, which I like. Really no bitterness or astringency either, which again I like. I don’t like when teas leave my mouth dry. This one definitely doesn’t do that.

My sample of this one was a teabag, so really only one cup of this to try. I think I would get this one again, but only when my tea collection goes way down.

Almost a year ago now, I got some teas from Cha Gloriette at the 2019 Toronto Tea Festival. This is one of them. It has a standard Ruby 18 scent with some sawdust, milk chocolate, and peat notes on top. Wet leaf aroma is then more like tomato vine, molasses, eucalyptus, and tobacco. The taste of this tea is not super distinctive, but it is well balanced with a strong sweetness and notes of vanilla, wood, and cashew nuts. The texture is very nice overall, even though the body is actually quite light. It has an oily mouthfeel with a light astringency to it.