A cooling menthol note opens each steep, then camphor and warm spice settle in behind it. Red Jade GABA stands apart — most versions lean fruity and soft, but Hong Yu (紅玉), a rare Taiwanese tea plant bred for bold aromatics, takes the cup somewhere cooler and sharper. The GABA process adds a calm that settles in alongside the flavor. What You'll Taste Think cool menthol over warm cinnamon bark, with honey sweetness sitting underneath. The liquor pours clear amber-gold with camphor and spice in the aroma, and the first sip lands crisp and minty with a smooth body that coats the mouth before later steeps shift toward dried longan and quiet warmth. Cool and warm in the same sip — that is Hong Yu’s signature, and the GABA process just smooths the edges. Where It Grows Red Jade GABA comes from the Yu family garden in Mingjian, Nantou — a township in central Taiwan at 350 meters where warm days and cool nights create conditions for GABA processing. The plant is Hong Yu (TTES 18), a variety developed by crossing a local Taiwanese wild tea with a Burmese assamica to produce something with unusual aromatic range. That cross gave it cooling mint and warm cinnamon, an aroma no other oolong shares. How It's Made After the May 2025 pick, the Yu family seals the fresh leaves in nitrogen instead of letting them wither in open air. Without oxygen, the plant's natural enzymes convert glutamic acid into GABA, an amino acid associated with calm. Sealing in nitrogen is what separates GABA oolong from a standard one, and skipping the roast keeps Hong Yu's mint-camphor character bright and forward. If you already enjoy GABA oolong and want something with more aromatic edge, Red Jade is the boldest in the collection. A 25-gram bag gives you about five sessions to explore how the mint and cinnamon develop. How to Brew Brew 5 grams in 100 ml of 85°C water for 30 seconds, then pour and resteep freely — five grams is about a tablespoon, and a 25-gram bag gives you roughly five sessions. Use water just off the boil and let it cool for a minute before the first pour. Hong Yu opens faster than most oolongs, so keep steeps short and add ten seconds each round as the leaves unfurl. FAQ How does the nitrogen process change the flavor? Sealing leaves in nitrogen instead of open air shifts the chemistry: glutamic acid converts to GABA, and the cup comes out smoother with less astringency. In Red Jade's case, the process softens what would otherwise be a sharp menthol edge, letting the mint and cinnamon layer evenly. Read more about GABA tea. How is Red Jade GABA different from Morning Dew GABA? Red Jade is cooler and spicier, with mint and camphor from the Hong Yu cultivar. Morning Dew GABA is softer and fruitier, leaning toward dried apricot and honey. Both are calming, but they take different flavor paths to get there. Does GABA oolong tea have caffeine? Yes, caffeine is present in all tea leaves. GABA oolong has a moderate amount, less than coffee or standard black tea. Many drinkers find the calming effect of GABA balances the caffeine, so the experience feels relaxing rather than jittery.
