drank Black Ruby by Shui Tea
3225 tasting notes

Is it terribly wrong that I dreamt about tea last night? Specifically, I dreamt about THIS tea! I was sipping the cup and a flavor of raisins exploded with each sip. Fast forward to this morning – based on the description this is the very same tea I buy called Ruby #18, a tea I love! I was interested in how it might differ coming from a different distributor.

It differs greatly! I LOVE this! The aroma is magnificent – buy it for that alone if you wish. It smells dark and richly of…raisins or dried fruits, or deep dark fig jam. But the flavor is complex and interesting. I would not add anything to this. The description mentions cinnamon and mint. I don’t get cinnamon or mint, but perhaps the mint they refer to is a high lingering note and mouth tingle that I attribute more to a slight astringency or lingering light smoke. Magnificent! I feel very wise and somber drinking this. I think I may call my children “Grasshopper” today.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 15 sec
ashmanra

GASP! How could I? I forgot to say, “Thank you, Paul, for all these wonderful teas you sent!”

ashmanra

I got it! There was a flavor I couldn’t pin down, and it was molasses! Rich, deep, dark, sweet molasses!

Paul M Tracy

Glad you like this one- it’s a favorite. I get the deep figgy, jammy, molasses too and love that last little astringent “pop” that clears the way for the next sip.

ashmanra

Indeed! And it was driving me nuts until I finally realized molasses was the note I couldn’t quite pin down. This is really excellent tea – so interesting and complex.

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Comments

ashmanra

GASP! How could I? I forgot to say, “Thank you, Paul, for all these wonderful teas you sent!”

ashmanra

I got it! There was a flavor I couldn’t pin down, and it was molasses! Rich, deep, dark, sweet molasses!

Paul M Tracy

Glad you like this one- it’s a favorite. I get the deep figgy, jammy, molasses too and love that last little astringent “pop” that clears the way for the next sip.

ashmanra

Indeed! And it was driving me nuts until I finally realized molasses was the note I couldn’t quite pin down. This is really excellent tea – so interesting and complex.

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Bio

I am a music teacher, tutor, and former homeschool mom (25 years!) who started drinking loose leaf tea about fourteen years ago! My daughters and I have tea every day, and we are frequently joined by my students or friends for “tea time.” Now my hubby joins us, too. His tastes have evolved from Tetley with milk and sugar to mostly unadorned greens and oolongs.

We have learned so much history, geography, and culture in this journey.

My avatar is a mole in a teacup! Long story…

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North Carolina

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