Your Cart is Empty
“Heritage”, “Innovation” and “Self-improvement” are key values associated with Lee, who has been in love with tea for his whole life.
Having been born in a tea farming family, Lee left home to run a tea shop when he’s young. At that time, Shimen was a renowned tea region with its black tea served as a gift to the king in Japan. However, with the change of social structure and migration of labor to the city, the region’s once flourishing tea farms have gradually disappeared.
More than 10 years ago, Lee, the tea maker went back to his hometown and decided to replant the original and signature tea varietal from this area, In-Zi-Hon-Shin, with the belief to restore the glory of “Alibang Black Tea” (Alibang is the local name of that area).
Since his family's tea farm was left unattended for years, Lee spent 3 years on the replantation until the first harvest could be reaped. With the love for the land, he has adopted organic and eco-friendly planting methods to rebuild the farm.
He also grows different varieties of tea trees, such as Buddha's Hand. The tea leaves of Buddha's Hand are large and shaped like an oval, resembling the shape of a Buddha's hand. Some people also describe the unique aroma of this tea as having a scent of Buddha's Hand citrus.
This tea undergoes heavy oxidation and is roasted 3-4 times. The tea soup is mellow, smooth, and rich in flavor. When steeped for the first time, it carries a sweet aroma of chocolate, and upon subsequent steeping, it has a fruity and woody related aroma. The flavors are very long lasting.