Ruisui Honey Red

Ruisui Honey Red | 瑞穗蜜香紅茶

 Tasting notes: Honey, baked fruit, aromatic
 Origin: Ruisui, Hualien, Taiwan
 Cultivar: 大葉烏龍 Daye Oolong
 Elevation: 300-800m
 Oxidation: ⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿

Ruisui Honey Red is a black tea from Ruisui in Taiwan with a distinctive honey aroma.  

The honey aroma is completely natural to the tea leaf. It comes from a self-defence chemical the plant releases when nibbled on by the tiny green tea leafhopper. A certain amount of leafhopper damage is allowed for "bug-bitten" teas to enhance the sweetness of the tea.

We source this tea from Mr & Mrs Gao, who were the first to experiment with bug-bitten black teas in 1999 at their Jia Ming Tea Farm in Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan.

This tea is less oxidised than most black teas. It is also freshly roasted, so if you wait two to four weeks, the roasted flavour will mellow out and the sweetness will be even more prominent. We find its distinctive honey aroma utterly charming—perfect for pairing with afternoon desserts and simply wonderful cold-brewed, too!

teaCLUB members get 10% off!