OP1 Ceylon Black Tea From Greenwood Tea Estate

Today, I will be focusing on the OP1 grade of black tea produced by the Greenwood Tea Estate, located in the Kandy region of Sri Lanka. For more information on the Greenwood Tea Estate, please read my previous review of the FBOPF EXSP Black Tea. You can also visit Greenwood Tea Estate on Facebook, and Instagram.

This OP1 grade black tea was grown at an altitude of 2,000 feet above sea level, qualifying this as a mid-altitude Ceylon tea.

Let’s get to the review…

Greenwood OP1 Ceylon Black Tea – Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have a uniform dark charcoal gray to black color, with a few stems having a dark copper color. The leaves are all medium size fragments, as expected with an OP1 grade. The leaves are hand-picked (orthodox) and machine rolled, giving a uniform appearance all around. The leaves are a proper size for the grade OP1, not being as large overall as OPA, or as small as BOP. There are very few bare stems in the mix. The aroma is very pleasant and not overpowering, with scents of roses, cherrywood, Ceylon cinnamon, and dried cranberries.

Nine grams of dry leaves were placed in an 18 ounce (530 ml) cast-iron tetsubin teapot, and infused with 200°F water for 3:00 minutes.

Greenwood OP1 Ceylon Black Tea – Liquid

The liquid has a bright, attractive orange-red color. The aroma has scents of Ceylon cinnamon, roses, and light malt. The body is medium, with a lively, layered texture, and a pleasant briskness. The taste has notes of Ceylon cinnamon, roses, touches of lemon and malt, and very light touch of forest floor. The aftertaste is sweet, with lingering notes of Ceylon cinnamon, which evolves into a gentle rose note as time persists.

Greenwood OP1 Ceylon Black Tea – Infused Leaves

The infused leaves have a uniform copper-brown color. The leaves are all medium sized, fairly uniform shaped fragments, with a few bare stems in the mix. The leaves have a soft, smooth, wet thin leather feel. The aroma carries the scents of roses, forest floor, and Ceylon cinnamon.

The OP1 Ceylon Black Tea from Greenwood Tea Estate is a good representation of the high quality black teas produced in the Kandy region of Sri Lanka. The presence of the Ceylon cinnamon aroma and taste is not surprising (but certainly welcome!), considering that Greenwood Estate also produces Ceylon cinnamon. I have come to love the softer, more luxurious taste of Ceylon cinnamon compared to the standard cinnamon (Chinese cinnamon) that we are used to in the U.S. This OP1 grade is a good every day drinking quality of tea. The strength of the flavor is mild enough to be enjoyed without milk or other additives, but is strong enough to be an effective morning tea. The same serving of leaves gives two good infusions. This could also make for an excellent iced tea.

Thank you very much to Greenwood Tea Estate for providing this sample of their OP1 grade Black Tea. Thank you to my readers for taking your time to learn about this product. Cheers!

Advertisement

Mixiang Hongcha Black Tea From Taiwan M’s Tea

Today, I will focus on the Mixiang Hongcha, also known as Honey Black Tea, from Taiwan M’s Tea.

This tea is generally made from the harvested leaves of TTES # 13 cultivar bushes (Tsuiyu), and are grown at around 500 meters altitude (1,600 feet) in Nantou County, Taiwan. The leaves are allowed to oxidize over 50%, then given a heavy roast. The Mixiang Hongcha is another of Taiwan’s bug bitten style of teas, so I expect to smell and taste honey in the tea. I am also interested in seeing how this tea will differ from the Ruby # 18 Black Tea that I reviewed recently.

Let’s get to the review…

Mixiang Hongcha Black Tea – Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have a mostly uniform charcoal-grey-black color, with a few dark red-brown areas, indicating that there is not full oxidation to the leaves. There are also a few small gold tips, and a few bare stems in the mix. The leaves are lightly rolled. The pluck varies from one small leaf and small bud to individual unbroken leaves with no stem attached. The mix consists mostly of large fragments and unbroken leaves. The heavy roast causes the leaves to crack fairly easily into coarse crumbs. The aroma has scents of anise, dry forest floor, honey, dried apples, and a touch of orchid.

Eight grams of dry leaves were placed in an 18 ounce cast-iron tetsubin teapot, and infused with 200°F water for 3:00 minutes.

Mixiang Hongcha Black Tea – Liquid

The liquid has a bright, radiant orange-red color. The aroma has scents of anise, apple, honey, and touches of malt and toasted grains. The body is full, with a layered, juicy texture. There is a pleasant, balanced astringency. The taste has notes of apple, honey, anise, and touches of malt and toasted grains. The aftertaste is sweet and mellow.

Mixiang Hongcha Black Tea – Infused Leaves

The infused leaves have a dark forest green to dark brown color. The mix consists of large fragments, unbroken leaves, a few bare stems, and a few smaller buds. The leaves are fairly long and narrow. Most of the leaves are individually plucked, with no stem attached. The aroma has scents of apple, honey, anise, and malt.

The Mixiang Hongcha Black Tea from Taiwan M’s Tea is another example of the diversity and quality of specialty teas being made in Taiwan. This black tea is very different than the Ruby # 18 Black Tea that I reviewed recently, which is also from Taiwan. Both black teas are remarkable in their own rite. This Mixiang Hongcha is sweeter, and has a touch of the malt aroma and flavor typical in black teas. The Ruby # 18 (Hongyu Hongcha) is spicy and herbal, dominated by notes of mint and licorice. The texture of this Mixiang Hongcha is another highlighter, having a layered and juicy texture, which reminds me of apple juice or apple cider. The mild astringency also adds another layer of taste. The scent of the infused leaves is also very pleasant and comforting.

Thank you to Taiwan M’s Tea for providing this sample of Mixiang Hongcha Black Tea! When this company has a functional website, I will try and remember to update these posts with pricing and links.

Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea From Fong Mong Tea

Today, I will be reviewing the Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea from Fong Mong Tea. You may purchase 100 grams of this tea for USD $26.99.

This Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea is sourced from the Sun Moon Lake area of Nantou County, Taiwan. The climate of Sun Moon Lake makes it ideal for growing some world-class teas. Ruby # 18 (TTES 18) is also the name of the cultivar of tea bushes that the leaves are hand-plucked from. See the map below to get an idea of the location of Sunmoon Lake.

Let’s get to the review.

Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea – Dry Leaves

The dry leaves have a uniform dark charcoal-black color (fully oxidized). The leaves appear to be medium to large size fragments. There are a few small bare stems in the mix, and no apparent buds. The leaves are lightly rolled. The aroma has scents of dried apricot, molasses, lavender, and a touch of pine. This is a very unique aroma, and I am looking forward to how it evolves in the cup.

Five grams of dry leaves were placed in a 250 ml (8.5 ounces) bizen-ware kyusu teapot, and infused with 200°F water for 1:00 minute.

Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea – Liquid

The tea liquid has a bright, clear, orange-red color. The aroma is very interesting, with scents of apricot, molasses, licorice, mint, and a touch of lavender and pine. The body is full, with a layered, complex texture, and a brisk character. The taste is complex and amazing, with dominant notes of licorice, mint, and pine, with less dominant notes of molasses and even coffee, and a light touch of lavender. The aftertaste carries the notes of licorice, pine, and a touch of the lavender, with a mentholated effect.

Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea – Infused Leaves

The infused leaves have a uniform copper-brown color. The leaves consist of all medium to large size leaf fragments. There are a few buds in the mix, as well as a few bare stems. The leaves have a thin, smooth wet leathery feel. Again, the aroma is the most noteworthy characteristic of the wet leaves. It has strong, deep scents of licorice and mint. I also pick up on a scent that I do not know how to describe any better than that of classic bubblegum. There are also lighter scents of lavender and pine. This is a very memorable aroma.

With all due respect to the many amazing teas I have reviewed this year, I have to be honest in saying that this Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea has really captured my attention, and burned itself into my organoleptic memory unlike other teas, specifically the taste of the liquid and the aroma of the infused leaves. The combination of herbal spiciness, sweetness, touch of floral and pine, and the brisk, layered character of the liquid is simply mind boggling. It had a flavor profile that was so clearly identifiable, and each flavor was so distinct from one another. This is a luxurious, rich tea that will certainly draw and hold the attention of whoever is lucky enough to experience it. I have had other Ruby # 18 black teas before, but none were as rich in flavor as this one from Fong Mong Tea. The aroma of the infused leaves is my second most noteworthy aspect of this tea. Again, with the licorice and mint sweet/spiciness, and the lighter touches of lavender and pine, and the “bubblegum” scent that I cannot shake from my memory. It was truly an awesome experience, and the highlight of my day.

Go to the link at the top of this page, and buy this tea. You can thank me later.

And thank you to Fong Mong Tea for supplying this sample of Hongyu Hongcha Ruby # 18 Black Tea. Cheers!