If you like oriental beauty, then GABA oolong may be the tea for you. It’s got that black tea-ish flavor which I don’t really care for. Actually reminds me of darjeeling, with a slight sourness and woodsy tobacco kind of flavor. Though I don’t normally use sweetener, I found a little honey helped take the edge off the tea.
As for its calming effects, I did feel this light almost giddy sensation afterwards followed by drowsiness. I don’t know if that was the GABA doing its thing or a placebo effect.
I’ve got my half-spent leaves cold steeping right now and am hoping it will taste better iced. Overall, this is not my cup of tea but I’m intrigued by the medicinal effects. I think underleafing and adding some spices along with sugar would help make this more palatable.
Flavors: Tobacco, Wood
I was actually going to ask in the forum about gabalong – Ive tried one ‘ancestor mt honey gabalong’ and it is one of my favourites. really tastes like honey and cooked sugar. so nice. I was wondering if that was a gabalong trait and I guess its not!
I picked some up with my Tea From Vietnam order because I’ve been looking for a Camelia sinensis for right before bed, since I generally dislike herbals. It doesn’t sound like I’m going to like it that much either, but if it gets me drowsy and I like it better than chamomile (yuck!) then it will do!
It does have a medicinal taste to it, but I can attest it put me to sleep faster than chamomile does!
http://steepster.com/teas/imperial-teas-of-lincoln/67616-ancestor-mt-honey-gabalong-oolong This stuff is delicious.