SPRING HARVEST 2025 REVEAL
Hi everyone!
The spring harvest has finally arrived! I know many of you have been patiently waiting—we hit some unexpected delays at customs, but it was worth the wait. I've been diving deep into cupping sessions with these teas, and I'm genuinely excited to share what I've been drinking. Each one has such a distinct personality and flavor profile that I keep discovering new favorites. Shipping kicks off tomorrow (6/12), so you'll have them in your hands soon.
On a personal note, I recently had the chance to meet some BANGtea drinkers in person, and hearing your stories about how these teas have become your favorites made me so happy! I consume more of these teas than anything else on a daily basis– they are so delicious! I hope in the future to share more of the tea making process and my time at the farms so that you too can continue appreciating what has become my obsession 😆.
What’s next in the BANGtea world? We have more exciting collaborations coming up this year. To get a sense for how our teas can be used creatively, take a look at what these tastemakers have already dreamed up:
Oolong Garibaldi by MoreSavoryEats
Red Oolong Ice Cream with Loquat Drizzle by SmallEatsVancouver
Berry Milk Oolong Jelly by Yun Hai
GABA Oolong Dark Chocolate Bar by Formosa Chocolates
Stay tuned for more!
- Sam
🍵 spring tea collection
This year it’s all about classics. Three classics to be exact. I’m very proud to continue working with our tea farmers to develop these teas for you. They’re a mixture of personal experiments gone very well (double red oolong) and two tea masters’ personal processing styles (green oolong & black oolong). The spring harvest always brings teas that are more fragrant, robust in profile and depth, and truly top notch. Each of these three oolongs have incredibly distinct flavor profiles and processing methods. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
🥬 Unroasted green oolong
Always the most floral season of the year in Shanlinxi, our unroasted green oolong will activate your salivary glands with its umami, savory broth. Top notes are a fragrant floral bouquet. You’ll notice right away this oolong has a mouth-coating tingly effect that is downright delicious. This oolong is lightly oxidized, unroasted, and tastes fresh, crisp, and green – just like the beautiful spring day on which it was picked from the mountain top and immediately brought to processing.
Tasting notes: artichoke, heart of palm, lily
🍫 Black oolong
A classic that should be in every tea drinker's collection. This black oolong is soothing, comforting and delicious. Spring harvest always brings out the brighter, lighter notes of this style, with this year reminding us of butternut squash and light honey. You’ll notice these flavors at higher temperatures, with the cacao presenting as the broth cools. If you’ve never had our black oolong before, you should expect an incredibly smooth brew – I always like to equate it to the creamiest, juiciest black tea you’ll ever drink. To produce this oolong we pair heavy oxidation with a 15 hour roast.
Tasting notes: cacao, butternut squash, honey
⛽🍻double red oolong
Our double red oolong was our first experimental tea. It was created in collaboration with our Master Tea Maker in Shanlinxi, who refines it to our specifications once a year. Honoring classic charcoal-roasted oolongs, we achieve our desired flavor profile by precision roasting this oolong in an oven over multiple sessions for 60 hours. Similar to the famed tieguanyin, this oolong can be aged for decades with proper care.
This year's batch offers notes of toasted grains notes with hints of tropical fruitiness and a starchy finish. Due to the heavy roast, the flavor extraction comes in phases as the leaves open up in hot water. The aroma is bold, the broth is smooth, and the aftertaste lingers well after you've finished drinking.
For those who enjoy extended tea sessions, this oolong doesn't reveal its full character until the third steeping and continues to develop through seven or more infusions. To experience the full spectrum of flavors, multiple steeps using a gaiwan work best, though it also makes a tasty tea when brewed grandpa style. Coffee drinkers often gravitate toward this oolong's bold, expressive character.
Tasting notes: toasted grains, walnut, grilled guava