PROFILE: PERFUME, MEDICINAL, TANGY, GREEN PLUMS, SWEET POTATO

ORIGIN: MOC CHAU, SON LA, VIETNAM

HARVEST: OCTOBER 2026

We have been lucky enough to snaffle several cases of GABA oolong tea destined for Japan from our favourite master tea maker in Moc Chau. It is a first ever GABA tea for us.

Produced from bud and one leaf of Thanh Tam (Qing Xin) cultivar, GABA Oolong is a fascinating tea. Lightly oxidised, the brewed tea produces a light gold liquor with a tangy stone fruit profile. The initial aroma sensation is of medicinal perfume – a combination of cherry cough drops and vintage scent embracing floral, fruit and tart. Some picked out sweet osmanthus blossoms and tangy, fermented peel. In the mouth, the tea is sweet and smooth - hints of root vegetables - with low bitterness and softened astringency. After the second or third brews, the preserved creamy, floral notes of oolong take over from the tarter GABA influence.        

If you are unfamiliar with GABA, it stands for gamma-aminobutyric acid. All tea leaves contain small amounts of GABA, but GABA tea undergoes modified processing to deliver many times the normal GABA content. This is achieved by subjecting leaves to anaerobic stress in an oxygen free environment along the processing cycle – either by flushing with nitrogen or sealing in a vacuum. This step alternates with periods of traditional oxidation over 48 hours to reach the desired levels of oxidation and GABA.  

GABA teas often prompt multiple health claims including reduced anxiety and lower blood pressure. In truth, GABA struggles to cross the blood-brain barrier and related studies involve far greater doses of GABA than found in several cups of tea. That aside the tea’s smoothness does encourage a curious, welcoming sense of calm.