Review: Shui Tea’s Black Ruby Tea

© 2010 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.
The Subject: Black Ruby Tea from Shui Tea.


Rating:

Water temperature: 200° F (per package label)

Steeping time: 4 minutes (per package label)

Tea type: Black
Scents, flavorings, etc.: N/A
Aroma, dry: Fruity in a natural way
Aroma in the cup, plain: Light nut-brown liquid, fragrant
Taste, plain: Nutty, smoky-fruity, not bitter, no aftertaste
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A

2nd Infusion: Slightly milder

Chilled: N/A

Comments:
Unlike most teas now on the market that are grown from carefully cultivated tea bushes (Camellia Sinensis), the package label states that this one is from a hybrid cultivation of wild tea plants.

Our taste experience doesn’t quite match what the package label says (that’s why we include a photo of it here, so you can see for yourself). But that doesn’t matter to us. In fact, we prefer not to have expectations laid out for us when trying a new tea so we don’t end up disliking or downgrading it for not matching those expectations.

In the case of this tea, we found the flavors and aromas to surpass what was on the label, and thus we had a tea experience that surpassed our expectations. No, we didn’t detect cinnamon, which was a very good thing, since neither hubby nor I can tolerate cinnamon in tea anymore (part of the development of our tea palate) since it tends to be a very strong taste. We also avoid mint in tea, whether the flavor is one that has been added or is naturally occurring, and were happy that we detected no such flavor in this tea.

What we did detect: fruity-smoky aroma in the dry leaves and in the liquid, a slight nutty flavor as the liquid reached various taste sensors on our tongues, and floral notes that developed after several mouthfuls. We did not detect any bitterness or unpleasant aftertaste.

I usually like my black teas with milk and sweetener but wouldn’t dare treat such a complexly flavored tea as this in such a disrespectful manner.

We did three infusions of this tea at the water temperature and for the time specified on the tea package. Such instructions are greatly appreciated, by the way. Sure there are general guidelines for how to steep various tea types, but special teas like this one can have special requirements to get the best liquid from them.

One drawback: the 3rd infusion was rather weak. One option would be to do three infusions and then combine the liquid from each. A good way to get the most out of your teas.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.