Country of Origin: Sout Korea
Leaf Appearance: very small, dark green
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 167 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain teapot
Liquor: greenish gold
Out of all of the teas that Tea Repertoire shared with me, I think I was most excited to try this one. Korean teas are something I’ve been wanting to explore more. Sejak is a type of green tea that is harvested from mid to late April. You might also see it called Jaksul, or sparrow’s tongue, because of the size and shape of the leaves. It consists mostly of young buds and barely opened leaves. This tea was wild-grown on the slopes of Mt. Jiri in Hadong.
Leaf
The dry leaves of this tea were incredibly small in size. It was obvious that great care had been taken during processing. They were a beautiful deep shade of green and had a pleasant nutty aroma. I purchased my first Korean tea set just before receiving this sample so the timing was perfect. I followed Tea Repertoire’s recommended parameters for this review. Brewing 3g at 167 degrees for 2 minutes turned out perfectly. However, I experimented quite a bit afterward and found this tea to be fairly flexible. It quickly became a favorite for me in my office tea stash for that reason.
Liquor
Sejak Tendresse brewed up a pale greenish gold. The taste was wonderfully delicate and sweet. The nutty aroma of the dry leaf came through in the cup as a toasty. It wasn’t firey or smokey at all though. Hints of sweet peas and an indistinct floral note in the background kept things feeling fresh and light. My second infusion was more herbaceous with a cooling quality that reminded me of rosemary. There was hardly any astringency.
Tea Repertoire compares this tea to Chinese greens like Dragonwell and Bi Lu Chun. I would definitely say that it meets that expectation and then some. This tea is a must-try if you are already a fan of those better-known teas. There are several other reviews from this company coming down the pipeline. I’ve been very impressed with their selection so far.
Have you ever tried Sejak Tendresse? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Sejak Tendresse sample provided for review by Tea Repertoire.
As with practically all the Tea Repertoire selection, I loved the taste of their Sejak Tendresse. My biggest surprise was getting so many infusions from a green tea. Eight brews in a session pretty easily, and room for another couple of brews if you’re reeeeally looking to push it. Impressive stuff!
That’s something I’ve noticed as well. You might pay more per gram but there’s a definitely a quality pay off there. This tea really stood up to more infusions than I would have expected.