This traditional Korean style tea has a long history that goes back to the 7th century during the rule of the Shilla Dynasty in Korea.
This tea was produced in eight steps. The first step involves the hand picking of this tea, in the clean and serene Jiri Mountain valley at a wild tea plantation just outside Hadong on the 10th of May, 2008. Secondly, the tea is dried in a large, gas-fired aluminum cauldron for 20 minutes. This acts to partially stop its oxidization. Next, the tea is removed from the cauldron and is placed on a rough, fibrous rush mat where it is violently rolled by hand. At this step the leaves break a little giving way to a reaction between tea and air. Then the tea is shade dried where it is exposed to the open air of the mountain valley for 48 hours. Next, the tea is separated and weighed into 100 gram piles. Then the leaves are steamed to soften them. When the leaves are supple they are pressed into cakes. Finally, they are left to dry in a warm room for 3-5 days.
If this tea tastes anything like last years, it will undoubtedly be an interesting session. The proprietor and producer of this tea, Mr. Kim, suggests traditional Korean style gong fu brewing, 2 grams of tea for intervals of 30-40 seconds or 3 grams of tea for 10-20 seconds. He claims that this tea will acquire its best taste in 3-5 years.
The tasting notes are as follows...
What? No notes? Why?
Well, due to peaking interest (see this link to Toki's adventures in Korea) one has decided to offer thanks to some of the other blogers out there whose blogs one regularly takes great pleasure in reading and learning from.
Three 100g cakes were broken in to threes (that's nine 33 g samples), packaged in the traditional Korean way in rice paper, and then mailed away.
One apologizes in advance to those who were missed, they will be first on the list next time one sends goodies out.
One looks forward to reading the notes on your blogs of this rare Korean tea.
Peace
Link to Marshal'Ns tasting notes
Link to Alex's (Another Tea Blog) tasting notes
Link to Bret's (Tea Near) tasting notes
Link to Stephane's (Tea Masters) tasting notes
Taken from http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/
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