History
Developed by the Taiwanese government in 1999, this strain of tea is a hybrid between Burmese assamica and wild Taiwanese tea plants. It was created to meet the international popularity of Chinese teas while maintaining the genetic footprint of native Taiwanese teas.
Flavor
It has a flavor reminiscent of Assam tea, with some acidity and high maltiness, but with different undertones thanks to the Taiwanese genetics of the Hong Yu plant. While I think that the Assam flavor is more prevalent, I prefer this tea over Assam because of its slightly sweeter and cinnamon undertones, again thanks to the Taiwanese genetics. It is slightly less malty than Assam, and has a minty aftertaste that is very refreshing.
Brewing
This tea is best brewed in a Gongfu style with 4 to 5 grams of tea for about 100ml of water with 85°C to 90°C water, which is slightly colder than boiling, for about 10-15 seconds per steep. For a more western style brew, 2-3 grams of tea for 250ml of water with slightly colder than boiling, 90°C to 95°C, water should suffice.
My Thoughts
I love this tea, and it is my go to black tea. I find it to be essentially a more flavorful and complex version of Assam tea which also makes a good masala chai (somewhat of a hot take). I enjoy brewing this tea Gongfu in a clay pot. My first time trying this tea was at Té Company in Manhattan, and it paired beautifully with a Taiwanese moon cake. This tea is also a great introduction to black tea: it is more complex than assam but it still has an approachable flavor.