Taiwan Black Tea (Hong Cha)

First identify what you actually have, because Taiwan black spans Sun Moon Lake assamica, the bred Ruby 18 cultivar, and honey-fragrance blacks from bug-bitten oolong leaf, and each has its own signature. Ruby 18 should show its hallmark menthol-cinnamon-wintergreen note cleanly, without harshness; a muddy or flat version is poorly made. Honey blacks should carry a genuine ripe-honey sweetness from leafhopper-bitten leaf rather than added flavoring. Across all of them, look for tidy, well-twisted leaf and a smooth, sweet, low-astringency cup, since Taiwan's strength is craft and these teas are made with oolong-level attention. Whole-leaf presentation and a clean, defined aroma separate the good lots from generic Formosa black filler.

The historic heartland is the Sun Moon Lake (Riyuetan) area of Nantou county, where assamica was established during the Japanese colonial period in the early twentieth century. Ruby 18 (Tai Cha No. 18, also called Hong Yu) is a Taiwanese-bred cross of Burmese large-leaf assamica with native Taiwan wild tea, released by the government tea research station and known for its cooling menthol-cinnamon profile. Honey-fragrance blacks come from elsewhere on the island, made from oolong cultivars whose leaves have been bitten by leafhoppers, the same insect interaction behind Oriental Beauty.

Gongfu: 5 g per 100 ml, 90 to 95°C, around 15 to 20 seconds for the first steep, ascending; many of these reward several infusions. Western: 3 g per 200 ml, 90 to 95°C, 2.5 to 3 minutes. Ruby 18 in particular shows its mint-and-cinnamon character best just below boiling; pushing it with fully boiling water and a long steep brings out astringency that masks the cultivar note.

Everyday Taiwan black and Sun Moon Lake blends run roughly €15-30 (about $16-32) per 100 g. Single-cultivar Ruby 18 and honey blacks from named gardens reach €30-60 (about $32-65) per 100 g, with small high-mountain or competition lots higher.

Prices reviewed June 2026