Winter Harvest 2022 Reveal
Hi all,
Happy Winter Harvest!
But first, many of you will be glad to hear that we've restocked our Spring '22 Milk Oolong. I know it's a fan favorite -- y'all love your creamy, flowery oolongs... so it's back! Head on over to the shop to pick some up before I sell out again.
...and while I have you, give the gift of BANGtea this holiday season-- stock up for yourself and your most favorite people in this world!
<3
-Sam
🌤️ weather report
Winter harvest began mid-late October in Alishan with the farm over at Shanlinxi following shortly after. This season we have nothing super notable to report. The weather was good, we made it through typhoon season without any major storms. All is cheery on the tea growing front!
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🍵 Winter tea collection
I personally enjoy winter harvests the most for their richer, heavier broths and more vegetal flavors. For this winter season we've produced three (3) oolongs for your tastebuds to enjoy! Two classics and one new XXPERIMENTAL.
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🥬 unroasted green oolong
Yes. Please. This oolong is balanced, light and crisp. It has a juicy broth that lingers in the mouth, as opposed to a roasted green oolong that'll linger in your throat. It also tastes so incredibly clean, which is one of my favorite characteristics in Uncle's teas. Whenever I drink this oolong I have such an easy time imagining the tea plants clouded in fog, surrounded by evergreens and a bamboo forest.
If you're a green tea drinker or love green oolongs, this is such a smooth tea. It's truly a treat.
tasting notes: artichoke, mixed greens, spruce tips || shop unroasted green oolong
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🌰 black oolong
This year’s winter harvest black oolong is quite the contrast from spring. With a much thicker broth, we’re tasting more rich flavors like chestnut and dark honey, along with the usual chocolatey, cacao. We’re already anticipating drinking this one when the snow really starts piling up outside.
Our black oolong is always made using the jinxuan cultivar, a variant of the tea plant that was developed by the Taiwanese government to exhibit buttery, milky flavor. We love roasting this cultivar because it transforms into possibly one of the most smooth teas you’ll ever drink.
This tea is really a crowd pleaser-- newbies find this tea extremely approachable, while seasoned veterans love the delicious complexity the ever-so-slightly acidic broth delivers. Trust us, there is a reason this one is a bestseller!
tasting notes: chestnut, honey, cacao || shop black oolong
🍃 XXPERIMENTAL NO.6
I've been cooking this one up for a while now, but needed to be patient. I wanted to see what happens when we take my favorite winter harvest of a green oolong and attempt to make a cross between a baozhong and a white tea. The result? An ethereal, delicious tea.
For XXPERIMENTAL NO.6 we've created an unrolled, strip style green oolong using qingxin oolong leaves from our farm on Shanlinxi. Once harvested, the leaves underwent minimal oxidation and proceeded to the dryer. We processed them in a quasi-strip style with stems still intact to minimize enzymatic interactions that’d incite flavor change. During the drying process, we reduced temperatures to 80°C to ensure the leaves kept their lovely fragrance & flavor. While this green oolong may look like a hot mess, it has a delicate, light & refreshing broth! We chose to refrain from any additional roasting to keep the finished tea juicy on the palate.
Think of this tea as an unadulterated oolong with minimal interference all around.
shop XXPERIMENTAL
