Organic "Red Ruby" Black Tea

$6.25 USD

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Tasting notes

About these tasting notes

These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.

Dried mango Dark chocolate Warm cinnamon Wintergreen Fresh mint

Effects

About these effects

These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.

Mild euphoria Body relaxation Focus

Ruby Red - unlike any other black tea in the World

Ruby Red or Hong Yu (紅玉), TTES No. 18, is a truly distinctive Taiwanese black tea from the Sun Moon Lake region. The area’s humid climate and mineral-rich volcanic soils are ideal for this cultivar, which produces a flavor unlike almost any other black tea.

The first sip brings an unexpected combination of mint, cinnamon, camphor, spice, pineapple, and honey. These naturally occurring aromas come from highly-desirable plant compounds such as linalool, geraniol, and methyl salicylate, giving Hong Yu its remarkable character without any added flavoring. This is not your typical black tea—Hong Yu is a cultivar worth experiencing at least once for any serious tea connoisseur.

Notes from Staff: Wow! This tea knocked me out the first time I tried it. That natural minty-cinnamon character is incredible, and the more you drink it, the more flavors you start to notice. A very memorable black tea and an easy one to become obsessed with.

Most tea today is roasted using an electric method, because it is faster, cheaper, and requires less skill, thus making it more consistent. This tea was roasted the traditional way: by an artisan's hand, over charcoal embers, using low heat over the course of many days under careful supervision. It takes far more knowledge, fuel, and time than electric roasting, but it rewards the tea with deeper flavor and the ability to age gracefully for decades.

This tea's honeyed, fruit-forward character isn't an additive — it comes from insects. Leafhoppers feed only on gardens grown without pesticides, and their bites trigger the plant to release aromatic compounds no processing technique can fake. The tradeoff: bitten leaves are smaller and far less abundant, so gardens that allow this yield a fraction of a normal harvest.

Old Mountain Tea Guarantee

Our teas are guaranteed free from harmful chemicals. We source directly from small, clean family farms that take real pride in their work — no middlemen, no anonymous blends. Many of these teas are bug-bitten, and leafhoppers only feed on gardens grown without pesticides, so the leaf itself is living proof the garden is clean. Every tea is grown to organic standards and traceable to the farm that made it.

Read our full guarantee →

Rare Tea, Ruby Red TeaOrganic FarmsSmall Batch ProductionHand-harvested & ProcessedNo Added Flavors or Preservatives — Ever!Secure Checkout30-day Returns

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Origin & Terroir

Cultivar About this cultivar Ruby Red, or Hong Yu (紅玉), meaning “Red Jade,” is formally known as Taiwan Tea No. 18 (台茶18號) or TTES No. 18. Developed by Taiwan’s Tea Research and Extension Station, it was created by crossing native wild Taiwanese mountain tea (Camellia formosensis) with a large-leaf Assamica strain from Burma (Myanmar) and officially registered in 1999. Also called Hong Yu Hong Cha (紅玉紅茶), it is prized for its distinctive character and unusually low bitterness and astringency, making it excellent straight without milk or sugar. Its labor-intensive production and naturally low yields also make authentic Hong Yu a premium Taiwanese tea.: Hong Yu(紅玉), TTES Tai Cha No. 18 (台茶18號)
Status: Rare
Processing method: Black Tea(Hong Cha) (紅茶)
Charcoal roast level Why charcoal roasting costs more Roasted by hand over low charcoal embers across multiple sessions and days, far slower than electric roasting. It deepens flavor and lets the tea age well, which is why charcoal-roasted teas cost more.: (20% · Low)

Region: Dayan Village, Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 2026(Organic)
Elevation: 580 meters
Climate: Misty, Cool, Temperate
Oxidation level What oxidation level means Oxidation is what turns green tea into oolong or black tea — as leaves are bruised and rested, enzymes react with oxygen and deepen their color and flavor. Green tea sees almost none; oolong ranges widely; black tea is oxidized fully.: (85% · High)
Picking style Why picking style matters Hand-plucking means workers select each bud and leaf by touch, one at a time — far slower and more expensive than machine harvesting, but gentler on the leaf. As labor costs rise, fewer gardens still pick this way, making hand-plucked tea increasingly rare.: Hand Plucked
Bug-bitten level Why bug-bitten tea costs more These leaves were bitten by tiny leafhoppers, which only feed on pesticide-free gardens. Their bites trigger the plant's natural defenses, producing honeyed, fruity notes — but damaged leaves mean a much smaller harvest.: (65% · Medium-High)