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“Formosa Ruby 18 Black. Adagio—Masters. Harvest: April 2025. Lot no. 97389. F.B. 09/2030. Prepared 2.5g of the beautiful, long, spindly black leaves as directed: Western style in a stainless...” Read full tasting note
“Got this little packet of Formosa Ruby 18 (July 28) as part of the “Week of July 27” sample box from Adagio. I’m on the second steep, and have not detected any of the flavors described by the...” Read full tasting note
A very fine version of the Ruby 18, otherwise known as Red Jade, it is intense with surprising licorice notes. The long, dark leggy leaves, contain some lovely buds. The licorice cup also has a cooling menthol effect. There are notes of spice, a hint of caramel, and a whisper of toasted vanilla bean. The dry finish completes what is a very interesting, dynamic experience. In a word, excellent.
Ruby #18 is a unique cultivar from Taiwan, and a relatively new invention, only surfacing in the late twentieth century after over fifty years of research. A cross between a wild Formosa tea plant and an Assam from Burma, it was developed specifically with the intent to make phenomenal black tea.
This tea contains a high level of caffeine | Steep at 212° for 2-3 minutes.
Adagio Teas has become one of the most popular destinations for tea online. Its products are available online at www.adagio.com and in many gourmet and health food stores.
Formosa Ruby 18 Black. Adagio—Masters.
Harvest: April 2025. Lot no. 97389. F.B. 09/2030.
Prepared 2.5g of the beautiful, long, spindly black leaves as directed: Western style in a stainless steel micropore infusion basket, with 8 oz boiling alpine spring water for 2 minutes.
The dry leaf aroma was jammy with a note of black walnut. Once steeped, this Ruby 18 was quite good, having the malty, raisin, and stewed stonefruit flavors I expected. Smooth and non-astringent, but there was also a bit of cardboard box flavor. Perhaps I’ll drop the water temp by 10°F in my next session. Decent, but I’ve had better batches of black made with this famous Taiwanese hybrid. This was my first Ruby 18 from Adagio—Masters, so perhaps other lots are better. Recommended, with a rating of 85.
Flavors: Black Walnut, Cardboard, Jam, Malt, Raisins, Smooth, Stewed Fruit
Got this little packet of Formosa Ruby 18 (July 28) as part of the “Week of July 27” sample box from Adagio. I’m on the second steep, and have not detected any of the flavors described by the company’s notes. (By the way—those notes are verbatim the ones from Masters Teas—at least they are the same ones posted on the Formosa Ruby 18 from Masters Teas. Which came first? As hard to know as the chicken/egg question, in my book.)
I find it a smooth, readily drinkable black tea. Now I detect a mere hint of smokiness, but that’s all. The finish seemed tannic, dry when drinking from the first steep, but the finish now, after the second steep is gentler, not as dry. Brisk on the first steep, mellow on the second.
I find this quite an enjoyable cup, and appreciate the chance to have tried it. I recommend it for a tea that would be a good cup, day in, day out.
Flavors: Tannic, Tea, Warm
Masters Teas is also Adagio, it’s just a separate site where they sell their higher end single origin teas.
I tried to order Adagio’s Formosa Ruby 18 Black when I placed my first order with them, only to have it removed as ‘sold out’ and with a message to try again in September. I suppose I’ll need to assemble another order now before it sells out again!
Thank you, Cameron, for having cleared up the mystery of why the tasting notes provided by Adagio were the same as the ones from Masters. And the sample size will be returning in September, but if one’s willing to pop for an ounce & a half size, it’s available now at $29 (April, 2024 harvest). With that price, I’m guessing the sample size in September would be the same tiny size as the one I received: a couple teaspoons? Perhaps I should have measured it out, but I just dumped the packet into my small teapot. I’ll say this—they were nicely sized leaf sections, much larger than those normally found in teabags. After steeping they reminded me a bit of bats’ wings!
I confirm the “sample” packet size is 11 grams (0.4 oz.)
