Ruby 18
A Taiwanese black tea from a cultivar bred by crossing Burmese assamica with a native Taiwanese wild tea, released in 1999. Its signature is a distinct mint-and-cinnamon aroma that occurs naturally in the leaf and appears in no other tea, which makes it one of the most identifiable teas in existence.
Character
Smooth and honeyed with an unmistakable mint-and-cinnamon lift that is entirely natural to the cultivar. Once tasted it is impossible to confuse with any other black tea.
- Flavour
- Spice, Sweet, Woody
- Aroma
- Honeyed
- Mouthfeel
- Full bodied, Smooth
- Complexity
- Layered
- Notes
- mint, cinnamon, sassafras, dark honey
- Aftertaste
- Cooling and sweet, with a distinct menthol edge.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- Taiwan
- Oxidation
- Fully oxidised
- Harvest
- Summer
- Processing
- Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying
History
Released by Taiwan’s Tea Research and Extension Station in 1999 after decades of breeding, crossing Burmese assamica with wild Taiwanese mountain tea. It is the reason Taiwanese black tea became distinctive rather than derivative, and its menthol note is genetic rather than added.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1–1.5 g/100 ml · 88–93 °C · 1 authored infusion
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
4–5 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 5 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the mint note is an added flavouring
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Hong Shui oolong
Two Taiwanese teas built on honeyed depth rather than florals, one black and one heavily oxidised oolong.
- Wakoucha
Japanese and Taiwanese black tea, both from countries better known for other categories. Ruby 18's menthol note is genetic; wakoucha is usually Yabukita processed as black tea and tastes quite different.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Aged Shou Mei
Shares 5 descriptors with Ruby 18: sweet, woody, full bodied, smooth and honeyed.
- Aged white tea cake
Shares 5 descriptors with Ruby 18: sweet, woody, full bodied, smooth and honeyed.
- Moonlight White
Shares 5 descriptors with Ruby 18: sweet, woody, full bodied, smooth and honeyed.
- Yiwu sheng pu-erh
Shares 5 descriptors with Ruby 18: sweet, woody, smooth, full bodied and honeyed.
- Aged Baozhong
Shares 4 descriptors with Ruby 18: sweet, woody, full bodied and smooth.
- Aged Gong Mei
Shares 4 descriptors with Ruby 18: sweet, woody, full bodied and smooth.