Jeju Sejak

Around Christmas, my sister gave me an old sample of Sejak tea from Upton that she had never opened, and it quickly became one of my favorite green teas. Since it is not currently available from Upton, I decided to try Harney’s Jeju Sejak as a replacement. I saved a couple of tsp of the Upton Sejak so I could compare, and this morning I made the two side-by-side.

Initial thoughts: The leaves look very similar, though the Upton leaves were slightly darker, less green, and more broken. This could all be because the sample was 5 years old, of course, but it was still interesting to note. The flavor profile was also similar – mild, not overly astringent, with a slight sweetness. Again, probably due to age, the Harney Sejak had a stronger, more assertive flavor. It was far sweeter, almost a sweet corn aroma going on. I liked it, though to be honest I think I enjoyed the flavor of the Upton Sejak better. I enjoyed its milder flavor. I think I can grow to like this one just as well, but my initial thought was that it was just a tiny bit too sweet-smelling for a green tea.

Apparently I didn’t really take notes on this one when I tried it, but I do recall it being fairly sencha-like in its flavor profile. Sweet and vegetal in aroma and probably similar in flavor. I remember it being enjoyable enough, but despite the cost, I will often reach for a shaded green before a daily drinker sencha-style green.

Backlog

Bitter, astringent, and grassy…Pretty sub-par. I was expecting this to be moderately fair, but it wasn’t my cup of tea (ba da boom crash).

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.