Boseong Ujeon Hongcha

Boseong Ujeon Hongcha black tea is the very first picking of the season from an organic tea plantation run by the Choi family. Young wiry leaves produce a dark amber liquor with a nutty aroma. The delicately fruity taste has complex creamy and woody notes with a tangy edge.

Brewing guide: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 3 minutes

£5.00£17.50

(10-50g)

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Origin:Boseong County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea
Elevation:160m
Cultivar:Native Korean Cultivar
Harvest time:Early April 2021
Sourcing:Direct from the Choi family

Description

Boseong Ujeon Hongcha (보성군 우전 홍차) is an organic black tea from the Choi family plantation located in the famous Boseong County of South Jeolla Province. The early spring Ujeon (우전) grade is hand picked in April and is the rare very first flush of the season. The timing is before Gok-u (곡우), a solar term that normally falls on or around 20 April. Often transliterated as Woojeon, Ujeon is also known as a pre-rain tea. It produces a delicately fruity refined taste with intriguing woody and tangy notes. This tea has full organic certification, was picked in April 2021 and is sourced by us directly from the Choi family.

You may be interested in other teas we currently offer from the Choi Family Garden.

The Choi family plantation produces some classic teas that all have their own unique characters but maintain a distinctive ‘Korean’ taste. The family has owned this plantation for 3 generations and the tea making knowledge passes down from one generation to the next. They take great care in growing and producing their organic teas that showcase wonderful traditional Korean tea flavours. The Choi family also run tea making workshops for local schools, passing down their tea knowledge and promoting local agricultural work. Most children of farmers around the area are keen on moving to big cities for study and work, so their work is essential in ensuring the future of Korean tea.

Boseong Tea Plantation, South Jeolla Province, South Korea 3
The Choi family plantation, Boseong, South Korea

Korean teas are distinguished by having a clear classification system of flushes. The first flush Ujeon (우전) is the most prized one, which is the ‘pre-rain’ picking of the tea leaves. This is followed by Sejak (세작) ‘thin sparrow’, Jungjak (중작) ‘medium sparrow’ and Daejak (대작) ‘big sparrow’ flushes. Finally the Yeopcha (엽차) grade is the last picking of the season representing a coarse grade that is suitable for everyday drinking. The earlier the harvest, the more expensive the tea is. Earlier harvests also have more intense characteristics and heavily feature dominant green, savoury and umami flavours. These features translate positively to black tea, offering a particularly refined flavour profile.

This Boseong Ujeon Hongcha has wiry dark leaves that are finely selected and processed by hand. It produces a dark amber liquor with a slightly nutty aroma reminiscent of almonds. The smooth flavour is finely balanced, having a variety of notes that include fruity, malty, woody and creamy flavours. There is a note of stewed fruits and prunes that adds to the largely fruity impression. The overall taste is light and clean, something that progresses onto the aftertaste. The finish is lightly malty and sweet with just a touch of tannins at the very end, lending it a mouthwatering quality.

It is best brewed at 90c for 3 minutes and can be re-brewed multiple times. For best results, brew gongfu style in your favourite tea ware.