I have been drinking a lot of Korean teas lately. While I was disappointed with few, the teas produced by SSangkye, Jukro and Hankook far exceeded my expectations. It is true that Korean teas are difficult to brew properly and they need to be really fresh to taste the fine notes that they have to offer, but once one learns, the experience can be truly remarkable. I have obtained the tea from Good Green Tea company http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/?mid=pt_gt.
The delivery was superfast and communication excellent. I will be certainly buying more from them considering that their selection of Korean teas is very large and with no shipping charges, much cheaper than from other vendors.
SSangkye Roasting Sejak is a very special tea. It is a green tea which has been roasted in a cast iron wok in white sandalwood charcoal giving it a distinct flavor and scent. Water temperature should be about 170-175F. The teapot has to be warm when placing the leaves. Two rounded teaspoons for 200 ml of water will give the best flavor. The steeps should not be longer than 25 seconds. The tea leaves should be fresh and fragrant smelling since the scent of Korean teas usually matches the taste.
After steeping the leaves for about 10 seconds, I could smell the fragrance of exotic woods and wild flowers. Sandalwood made its delicate appearance followed by a rich scent of myrrh. Another 10 seconds and the tea was ready to drink. The first tasting impression was that of sugar coated baked pears and raisins followed by malty roasted grains. Second steep was more woody, but as flavorful and sweet. The third steep was a bit chalky and bland; the tea already gave its best. While the tea ( like all good quality Korean teas) is expensive, it is well worth the price.
