What is special about Taiwanese Black Tea?

Are you a black tea drinker interested to see what Taiwanese Black Teas are like, and what makes them special? How does Taiwanese Black Tea compare to other teas on the market? For example Indian teas are often considered strong and astringent, while Chinese teas tend to be sweeter and with cocoa or caramel notes. What does Taiwan have to offer that differs from what’s on the market?

Answer 

There is a relatively (compared with India and China) small, yet distinctly varied spectrum of  black teas that are renowned in Taiwan. Given that Assam tea has been cultivated here for the last 100 years or so, we have an interesting combination of Chinese and Indian style black teas to choose from.

Recently, the most popular types of black tea from Taiwan are Red Jade #18, Taiwan Mountain Tea, and Oolong varietals that are being processed as black tea.
Red Jade and Mountain tea are more akin to the astringent, Indian types. Red brews a rich, full-bodied tea with subtle hints of clove, cinnamon and mint in its complex composition. The character of Red Jade is unique among black teas, while still possessing a classic black tea quality.

The Oolongs that are made into black tea are especially smooth and tend to be sweeter on the palate. In addition to these, there are also some unique types that verge on being Oolongs, such as Shui Xian Tea, and Red Oolong.