Saw this at the NW tea fest and pounced on it, been wanting to try some Korean tea for a while now, :).
This is my first Harney & Sons tea, and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed by the quality, which is solidly upper middle of the road and reasonably priced at that. I disregarded the brewing instructions on the tin the first couple tries and gongfu’ed it, but I can firmly say now that this is a tea that is better westerned as the flavors come out more rounded and well balanced for it.
This is a beautiful green when brewed for five minutes at 170 F. It’s a pretty pale green when gongfu’ed too, but it looked nuclear under the blue lights of my kitchen in the tea press, quite awe inspiring, haha. It is more of a wheat-y yellow gold green in warm light (and after being exposed to the air for a bit), but still a pleasure to sip with a slick, buttery mouthfeel and a sweet, savory grassiness (not quite hay) to roll around and indulge in. There’s a bright aftertaste to this in the chest that I could see as floral, but I wouldn’t personally call it that.
Practically bombproof in regards to prep time as it has no bitterness and only a bit of astringency after a second steeping for over half an hour, I would recommend if you’re too busy to really make tea in the morning or at work, especially if you’re a fan of greens with a little more depth. The energy on this one is very lively and uplifting as well, I may stock up for that alone after I run out if I can confirm that is indeed the tea.
Flavors: Butter, Grass, Olive Oil, Sweet, Warm Grass
