Origin country: taiwan; varietals: tres no. 8; production method: oxidized; profile: surprisingly taiwan has a long history of producing black teas that date back to the early 1920's when the region was under japanese rule. Yucich township, situated on the shores of the scenic sun moon lake of central taiwan, was chosen for its ideal climate and soil to grow assamica tea bushes. The japanese objective was to compete with the british commerce that dominated the market of black tea. They could not compete in the yield, but the quality of the taiwanese black teas garnered attention in new york and london. But by the end of wwii, black tea had virtually disappeared from the island. Through the recent revival of this heritage assam tea, its easy to understand why this tea was successful . The tres. No. 8 strand presents itself as a large, wonderfully curled and lustrous full leaf; with a fruity aroma that evokes stewed cherries and apricot jam. A warm, velvety body satisfies the palate and holds up well to milk. Brewing recipe: 5g tea | 195f water | 2-4 minute steep