South Korea Seogwang Sencha Organic (591)

A pleasant surprise for the price, this everyday green is still a special occasion brew making it all the more worth trying. The lovely long and thin deep green rolled leaves are reminiscent of the fine Japanes Gyokuro or Kabusechas… but this is like their heftier boisterous younger brother. What it lacks in subtle refinement it makes up for with intensity, uniqueness and boldness. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a clumsy tea… quite the opposite – The nose opens with what I can only compare to the scents one finds in a tropical greenhouse or conservatory… very much like warm green growth and subtle sweet earth (think old ferns, palms and banana trees). Balanced, full and buttery with classic green flavors of cut grass and vegetation with some interesting notes of greenhouse and a very delightful raspberry fruitiness and mint give way to a very slight bit of tannic bite which helps the finish linger for an unexpectedly long time. Not at all what I expected and I was pleasantly surprised!

NOTE: I did some experimenting with this tea since it was new to me and different. The package recommended brewing at 194F degrees, which is very high for green tea, but the steeping time is only 2 minutes. The first time I made this tea I ignored this and brewed for about 4 minutes at 160F… it was alright, a little weak. I tried the 194F for about 2 minutes the next time and it was fantastic! Also, DO NOT OVER-Brew this tea or the very mild astringency will become unpleasant and bitter.