Ink Jade, often known as "Dark Jade," is one of the most precious types of jade in the world. And this tea, our latest GABA tea selection, is like it, and it is deliciously precious.
  
Made from a now very rare "Cui Yu" varietal, the name of which literally means "Green Jade".  This GABA tea offers a completely different character from other GABA teas. Since Taiwan Sourcing's mission is to discover and preserve the diversity of Taiwanese tea, we are offering three teas that were being made from the Cui Yu varietal. Cui Yu was a varietal cultivated starting at the end of the last century, but eventually fell into dis-favor by most Taiwanese tea farmers.  As a result, Cui Yu is a varietal rarely found in the modern market.
 
Using the Cui Yu varietal to produce GABA has resulted in a unique. It is surprisingly strong, meanwhile it is also comfortably soothing to the body. With a proper heavy roasting, the "Green Jade" has transformed into a even better jade kind - "Ink Jade" that is powerful enough to be a talisman for your teapot or mug. 
 
GABA stands for Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, and the content of this tea is aournd 400 mg per 100 grams which is higher than most of the GABA tea in the market.  Through a series of research, Japanese scholar Omori Masashi ( 大森 正司 ) confirmed it has a very powerful antihypertensive effect thanks to its extremely high content of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) compared to other teas. The GABA content adds a thick layer of baked sweet potato taste to the tea and is proven to offer the drinker a soothing or relaxing feeling.  GABA processing (which involves shade growing and then nitrogen sparging) which was developed by the Japanese and later perfected by the Taiwanese.  The result is a tea that tastes great, at once stimulating and soothing to the nervous system.
 
 
Harvest: Winter 2017 / 冬 貳零壹柒
Varietal: Cui Yu /  翠玉
Elevation: 1000 M / 壹仟 公尺 
Region:  Alishan / 阿里山 
Fermentation Level:  30% / 分之 卅
Roast Level:  5 / 伍 分
 
  
<img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0841/7723/files/lucy_avatar_7623016e-50d8-404b-95b2-560e78d3e1e4_thumb.jpg?14982201858604367614"> It's like drinking baked sweet potato!  Yummy... so sweet and thick,  and all without a strong roast taste.  The roast taste is there but it's very nice and does not get in the way of all the sweet yammy goodness.  The bottom of the cup aroma is just out of this world.  Very satisfying in taste, aroma and feeling.  What an experience!
 
<img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0841/7723/files/ken_large_thumb.jpg?541906650290190523"> Alluring dark roasted vapors rise beautifully out of the preheated vessel. After a few steeps the leaves have more of a baked brussel sprouts and even roasted bitter melon aroma. The mouth feel is thick and has the gaba sour-sweet aftertaste we all love. It steeps over and over with solid full bodied flavor. The roast is strong but not overpowering to my palate or taste. The effect of the gaba came on after about 10-15 minutes and was really enjoyable.
 
<img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0841/7723/files/DSC04639-2_large_d306c107-93a4-4d83-9eba-3fc15f3939bc_thumb.jpg?541906650290190523"> This tea is like a glass of good thick stout to an old dog's experience. A tea that opens up an old dog's sleepy eyes once again for its super unique taste. But an old dog's eyes did not open for too long after this tea, because this Cui Yu, a new varietal being made into GABA, also has that strong soothing effect like all our previous GABA  teas. An old dog think that stout-like roasted barley taste came from the special varietal it used, which make this tea a specially unique one to an old dog's experience.

Alishan "Ink Jade" Dark Roasted GABA Oolong Tea - Winter 2017

oolong tea by Taiwan Sourcing

25 grams

$7.00

Out of stock

75 grams

$20.00

Out of stock

150 grams

$38.00

Out of stock