Fall Harvest 2023 Reveal

Hey everyone,

Welcome back! I hope y'all had a great summer. Here at BANGtea I've been busy cooking up a number of surprises... the first of which I'm excited to share with you today!

Get your hot water ready because three (3) new oolongs are available and gosh, they are tasty.
-Sam

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⛅ weather report
Nothing notable to report, no large typhoons impacted harvest - it was a pretty regular fall season. Instead of talking about the weather for a bit, I thought we could take a dive into some lightweight tea science!

A brief overview of Polyphenols and Amino Acids… and why it relates to Fall harvest

Each season produces oolongs with wildly different characteristics. Drink enough green oolong from season to season and you’ll start noticing the differences! While there are many variables that influence the final flavor of a tea, there are two essential compounds in the tea-leaf chemistry that we pay attention to when making oolongs; polyphenols and amino acids. Weather dependent, these two compounds are present in varying quantities during each season and affect the taste and character of the finished tea.

Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found in leaves from the camellia sinensis plant that offer numerous health benefits like acting as an anti-inflammatory and promoting cardiovascular health. They also play a pivotal role in shaping the tea leaf’s transformation process. 

In the tea world, we pay attention to these levels as they are indicative of a tea leaf’s "willingness" or suitability to be transformed into tea. It’s worth noting that camellia sinensis cultivars with high polyphenol content are often ideal candidates for transforming raw tea leaves into a finished oolong (e.g. qingxin, jinxuan, and many others that are predominantly grown in Taiwan). But why? These compounds contribute to the tea's complex flavor profile, floral notes, and the ability to withstand the rigorous oolong processing methods, which include withering, rolling, oxidizing, and roasting. Typically the summer and fall harvests possess the highest polyphenol levels, making them some of the most nutrient-rich oolongs you can consume!

Amino acids are responsible for the bitterness of your brew. Warm weather during summer & fall increases the amino acid content in raw tea leaves. As a result, the oolongs produced during these seasons have a more bold and bitter taste. This is precisely why many tea drinkers favor spring and winter harvests that have lower amino acid levels and yield more delicate, smoother oolongs.

So which tea should I try? Well, it’s up to you! Fall teas are not recognized as the most impressive teas of the year, however they are incredibly nutritious… and I think delicious . For years I’ve been advocating for more folks to drink Fall oolongs. They are a sleeper hit if you like a strong, bold brew. I usually start my morning with our Fall green oolong to wake up & then shift into the Winter harvest green oolong my afternoon pick-me-up.

🍵 fall tea collection
This year we produced two teas during the Fall harvest that occurred at the tail end of August/beginning of September. Both are intense (read the blurb on amino acids & polyphenols to learn why), both are tasty, and I think you’ll enjoy them in different ways!

🥬 unroasted green oolong
This year’s Fall green oolong is delicious. With a thick broth, it’s easy to brew lightly or more bold. The overall profile is savory – a bit broth-like, with just the slightest dryness and tingly feeling on the tongue allowing you to continue enjoying the flavor long after you’ve finished your cup! Not too floral like a Spring oolong and not too smooth like a Winter oolong, this Fall unroasted green oolong is just right.
Tasting notes: Kale, edamame, mountain herbs || Shop Now

☕ red oolong
This oolong is bold and has some serious zip! Based on your brewing method, our red oolong is always a chameleon – let it steep for a long time and you’ll have an intense brew, excellent for iced tea or a cold brew. If you prefer shorter steeps, you’ll be able to experience more depth and nuance of flavor, bringing out its nutty and fruitiness. If you’re curious about red oolongs, we’ve modeled ours off the Dong Ding style that is grown in the nearby famous growing region. Consider this a twist on a classic, grown at a higher elevation and equally delicious. If you’re a coffee drinker, you may love our red oolongs long, lingering aftertaste and mild astringency.
Tasting notes: Pecan, coffee grounds, red plum || Shop Now

🍠 Spring pt.2 GABA oolong
After a long wait, GABA is back in stock! Thanks so much to everyone for being so patient. This GABA was produced back during the 2023 spring harvest, however in order to sell tea in Taiwan under the GABA name, the tea must first undergo testing to certify it meets the minimum threshold of GABA content (150mg/100g leaves). Good news yet again, our GABA content for the 2023 harvest has achieved a concentration of 193mg/100g leaves. 

The leaves have undergone an extended 3-day anaerobic fermentation process and are finished with a 4-hour roast. The broth is thick, sweet, and reminds us of a sweet potato or baked apple. The mouthfeel is juicy; the tea overall reminds us of a baked fruit pie without much crust. If you’ve been a fan of our GABA in the past, you’ll want to try this year’s batch. For us, the 2023 spring harvest batch has exemplified our ideal GABA in taste & body.

Tasting notes: Sweet potato, brown sugar, baked apple || Shop Now

Fall Harvest 2022 Reveal

Hi all,

Happy first days of Fall!

I'm wishing you excellent sweater weather and all the pumpkin spice your heart can handle. This past weekend I made my first batch of pumpkin jam from my favorite spot in Boston, Sofra. I make this pumpkin jam every year and put it in black tea or coffee, on toast, in pastries, with pork chops... really it goes with anything. It cooks up super fast and everyone will think you're fancy. Enjoy!

More importantly, we have new teas to discuss. Let's get down to it!

weather report
Leading up to harvest temperatures were pretty consistently in the high 70s to low 90s and happened to be slightly cooler than the 2021 season. Fall harvest overlaps with the tail-end of Taiwan's typhoon season that runs from May through September. If you're in Taiwan during these months you'll often experience short, intense bursts of rain, sometimes daily. Thankfully, leading up to harvest we had decent weather and were able to complete processing before a Category 5 typhoon formed near Taiwan on August 30th.

Fall tea collection
This season we've produced two (2) oolongs for your supreme enjoyment. I say this every time Fall harvest comes around: if you're not drinking it, you're missing out. These oolongs will be your dependable "house" brews for daily drinking.

unroasted green oolong
A diamond in the rough! This year's Fall harvest has brought us a deliciously juicy green oolong that is mild, but not as ethereal or delicate as a baozhong style. In a blind taste test, you might think this tea was grown and picked in the Winter. It lacks the slight bitterness that we usually experience in a standard Fall harvest green oolong, but I'm not complaining! If you're new to oolongs this would be a great start to your journey. If you drink a lot of oolongs, your wallet will thank you for this price point.

tasting notes: Zucchini, asian pear, watercress || shop unroasted green oolong

red oolong
If you've been fortunate enough to spend time in Taiwan, the aroma and taste of this oolong will take you right back to a hot summer day wandering around Taipei drinking an iced, lightly roasted oolong. This red oolong oozes a classic flavor reminiscent of a light roast Dong Ding and is decidedly the younger sibling to our double red. This oolong has a juicy, smooth broth with the roast lingering towards the finish. I'd place the sweetness closer to a burnt marshmallow or brown sugar. I love it!

tasting notes: Apricot, burnt marshmallow, walnut || shop red oolong

Ready to stock up on some of the new teas? Head to the store & as always, reach out to me if you have any questions!

<3
-Sam