Formosa Sun Moon Lake Black Loose Leaf Tea Unique Rare Special Taiwan

Taiwan, formally Formosa, is famous for Oolong teas but they also produce Black tea. This tea is produced from a hybrid cultivar, called Taiwan Cultivar No.18, It was produced by crossing Camelia formosensis, native to the Sun Moon Lake region and Camelia sinensis ‘Assamica’ originating from wild Burmese bushes, that were introduced by the Japanese in 1917. Apparently, 50 years of research went into making this unique tea bush. The man-made reservoir Sun Moon Lake sits at 700m and is surrounded by mountains. With lots of rain and a stable average temperature these hybrid bushes grow to make a rich, reddish amber brew that is soft, aromatic, and enjoyably sweet. After WWII and Japan surrendering Formosa, tea production declined, almost becoming forgotten, it was partially a response to the devastating earthquake in 1999, whose epicentre was close to Sun Moon lake, that tea production was rediscovered and economically encouraged.