AMA Brewery Bost
AMA Brewery Bost Sparkling Pét-Nat Tea
AMA Bost is made with Rare Tea Company’s aromatic Jasmine Silver Needle tea. Grown in the Fujian province on China’s western coast, the Jasmine Silver Needle tea is so sought after that it was once exclusively reserved for the Chinese imperial family. This fragile white tea is made only from the first flush of camellia sinensis buds and shoots, plucked at their most tender in the spring. These buds are laid across bamboo trays and then covered with fragrant jasmine flowers. Through the night, the cool air and moisture gently infuses the aromas of the flowers into the tea. Every day, the tea is moved indoors, and pickers select fresh jasmine flowers that are just barely beginning to bloom, replacing them on the silver needle tea for a total of six nights. This process allows the tea to develop a gorgeous floral profile without the use of any added flavors or essential oils.
The tisane is sweetened and inoculated with a small amount of the previous kombucha, preparing it for the addition of the SCOBY. Once the SCOBY has been added, it is fermented for between one and three weeks. This fermentation is gently temperature-controlled to naturally discourage the production of alcohol. When it reaches the perfect balance of partial fermentation, the tea is bottled, moving it into its final phase of transformation.
As with traditional pétillant naturel, the bottle is the perfect environment to finish fermentation, turning remaining sugar into natural carbonation, that the aging process, in turn, develops into fine bubbles. While it does not ferment entirely dry, this bottle-conditioning produces a gastronomic beverage that is drier and with lower acidity than traditional kombuchas, with a Champagne-like texture ideal for food pairing.
AMA’s Bost is bottle-aged for at least six months at the brewery before being released into the market, with the ability to improve and evolve further in bottle for up to three years longer. The longer it ages, the smaller and more refined the bubble. Each fermentation batch produces approximately 280 bottles. Due to the finite nature of the origin-specific teas used and the unique aging process, production of each AMA cuvée is necessarily limited each year.
Flavor Profile – Intense with hints of honey, acacia and white flowers with a crisp yet unctuous mouthfeel. Pale sage color with elegant bubbles.
Usage – Serve in white wine glasses at traditional Champagne temperatures. Pairs with a variety of dishes from grains and artichokes to pork loin or duck. A great beverage for spicy food or to finish a meal. The miniscule AMA SCOBY present in each bottle can be served or removed.