Country of Origin: South Korea
Leaf Appearance: small, dark green
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 160 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: pale gold
There’s a few categories of tea that I’ve been meaning to explore further and South Korean green teas are one of them. HANKOOK TEA actually directly manages the operation of their own tea estate. That level of control is always appreciated by tea drinkers. I may also be in love with their adorable chubby bird mascot. He should definitely make more appearances!
This tea was delicate and sweet with a somewhat creamy mouth-feel. Vegetal notes ended in a slightly floral finish. There was some salinity but nowhere near what you would find in Japanese green tea. It makes me wonder if this tea was steamed at all in its processing. The brewing directions gave a wide range, 150-170 degrees and 2-3 minutes. After some playing around it was obvious that cooler, shorter brews yielded a sweeter brew. If you prefer more astringency then feel free to go towards the higher end of the spectrum. On some days, I think I would prefer their Teuksun because it wasn’t as sensitive and it has a bit more body to grab on to but, this more subtle offering was a real treat on a hot summer day.
Gamnong Green Tea sample provided by Hankook Tea.