Country of Origin: Korea
Leaf Appearance: deep green, slightly rolled
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 1 minute
Water Temperature: 175 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: bright green
Many tea drinkers are surprised to hear that Korea grows tea because little is exported and they are not very well known. Needless to say, I pretty much did a happy dance when Teavana sent me a sample tin. The leaves almost resembled a Chinese green tea called Gua Pian. They had a very sweet aroma, even when dry. The taste was somewhat of a cross between the sweetness of Gua Pian and the deeply vegetal quality of sencha. I didn’t quite pick up the chestnut notes that they describe on the product page though. It stood up to several infusions and only developed bitterness if left to steep for too long. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. Much like the Golden Dragon Yellow Tea that I reviewed previously, Teavana seems to have stepped up their sourcing game lately. I am really curious how this tea was processed. The vegetal notes suggest that it might have been steamed like a typical Japanese green tea.
Jeju Island Green Tea sample provided by Teavana.