Tteokcha Wisdom

Tea Type: Dark Tea (Fermented Tea)

Vintage: 2022 

Tea Region: Jiri Mountain, Hadong, South Korea

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Transluscent, amber mahogany coloured liquor.  
• Aroma:  Fruity, leathery, woody, cacao nibs and dried hay. 
• Flavour: Really elegant and fine concoction of flavours - sweet, ripe fruits (apricot, quince), leathery and woody.
• Mouthfeel: Absolutely mellow, smooth and rounded liquor with velvety mouthfeel. Great balance between sweetness and acidity. Lingering fruity finish. 

Brewing Guidance 

• Measure 1g of tea per 100ml water. Boil water to 90℃. Steep for 4-5 minutes. 

Tips for Tea Connoisseurs

Tteokcha is an ancient tea cake, a type of fermented dark tea, dating back to the 5th century in the Korean tea history. 

Made from entirely hand-picked, wild tea bush leaves, organically grown on the slopes of Jiri Mountain, Hadong (i.e. the oldest tea plantation in South Korea, boasting its long standing history of tea for more than a millennium and is also known for quality artisan green tea production in Korea), our Tteokcha Wisdom offers a rare opportunity for puerh and dark tea connoisseurs to taste fermented tea from South Korea. 

There are variations for the production methods of Korean fermented tea - some Korean dark tea is made by steaming and pounding tea leaves while some Korean dark tea is made following the production method of raw and cooked puerh (sheng and shou puerh) tea in Yunnan Province, China. 

The production method of our Tteokcha Wisdom is even more special, as the maocha (the unfinished mother tea to make the tea cake) is not green tea, but 80% oxidised black tea, commonly known as "Balhyocha" in South Korea. Once tea leaves are hand-harvested in Spring, it is first made into Balhyocha (i.e. maocha) and then kept until November when the weather gets cold and dry. This maocha is then weighed into 100g, wrapped in linen cloth, shaped into a ball shape and briefly steamed. Once tea shape has been formed, the linen cloth is taken out and the tea is kept in a cold, dry room for natural, fermentation process to take place.  

Once tea is brewed, you will be astonished by its finesse and mellowness. The liquor feels so smooth and rounded, while the three dominant flavours in this tea - fruity, leathery and woody - are in such an elegant and harmonious balance, almost making us feel like we're tasting a fine whisky. A fantastic example of an absolutely fine Korean dark tea. We also recommend this tea for aged white tea lovers. 

Tteokcha Wisdom, made from tea leaves grown with care and love and masterfully crafted by our great tea master, Mr. Lee, the first tea farmer who initiated organic tea farming in Hadong, is a highly rare and original tea that is a must add for dark tea connoisseurs. 

Naturally grown without pesticide and chemical fertilizer.