Cultivar: Taiwan Tea Experiment Station No 21, 紅韻, Hung Yun

Harvested by hand: August 22nd, 2022

Origin: Sun Moon Lake, Nantou county, Central Taiwan

Process: striped whole leaves, fully oxidized.

1. View

The dark dry leaves are long and whole. The brew has a very bright and clear red color. The open leaves have a uniform red color that indicates they were evenly oxidized.

2. Scents

The dry smells are intoxicating like a very feminine perfume. The scents of the brew display light notes of cinnamon, lemon and red fruits. It's a very elegant combination.

3. Taste

The taste of Hung Yun is much smoother than that of Hung Yu. The astringency is very much reduced. Thanks to its 1 year aging, there are no off tastes that you get from fresh productions. It's a complex, powerful and elegant red tea that can be enjoyed hot or cold (in summer).

Conclusion: the Hung Yun red tea (TTES No 21) was obtained by crossing Qimen (keemun) red tea with a big leaf tea from India (Kyang). The Taiwan Tea Extension Station announced the creation of this cultivar in 2008. This elegant red tea poses a real challenge for the farmers: the harvesting window for these leaves only lasts for 3 days. The period when the leaves are at their maturity peak is very short. If it's raining or if it's not possible to find pickers during these 3 days, then the season is ruined. This makes this tea even more precious!