"In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea;
I see all of nature represented in its green color. Closing my eyes I
find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I find these become a part of me." --- Sohilsu Sen, Grand Master XIV of the Urasenke School of TeaIt takes 5 years to train as a tea taster. While there are very specific methods for tasting and a language for describing tea, a taster's country of origin and the preferences of his/her particular market will influence their ratings. The tasting process is as follows:
There is an extensive vocabulary used by tea tasters to describe every nuance of a tea. The main characteristics to consider are:
PREPARATION Agony of the Leaves: Opening of the leaves as hot water is added Creaming Down: Film formed when milk rises to the top as a result of a reaction between the tannin content and the caffeine Standing Up: Throughout testing, tea keeps its color and flavor
DRY LEAF Bakey: Overcooked and brittle leaves Blistery: Swollen and hollow leaves Bloom: A carefully sorted, well processed leaf with a sheen to it Bold: Leaf particles that do not match the particular grade - too large Brownish: Generally a negative description of a tea that has been poorly harvested or roasted. (Black denotes a well roasted tea.) Chunky: Broken-leaf tea with very large fragments Curly: Appearance of some whole leaf, as opposed to wiry. Flaky: Leaf that is fragile and flat due to poor processing technique Flush: The new growth at the end of a branch or shoot. Also refers to the harvest time - first flush is early, second flush is in late spring, etc. Golden Tip: The orange colored tip expected on black tea Make: Well made and sized true to grade Neat: Well graded, good "make" Self-Drinking: Unblended tea Tippy Teas: Tea harvested from young leaves; has golden buds. Well Twisted: Well made whole leaf grades Wiry: Well twisted, thin-leaved tea. As opposed to curly.AROMA Biscuity: Pleasant aroma of a good Assam Flat: Does not have the expected pungency and has very little aroma; opposite of brisk Nose: Aroma of the tea Pungent: Sharp and astringent, but not bitter Tarry: Smoky aroma
LIQUOR/COLOR Bright: Sparkling reddish or coppery look to the brew. A tea that is not bright is called Dull. Colory: Bright, pleasant brew Coppery: Bright, reddish colored brew expected from a good black tea Cream: Precipitate that occurs when the tea cools Green: Tea that has not been withered or rolled correctly resulting in a greenish brew Muddy: Infusion that is dull in appearance; not bright
FLAVOR Burnt: Tea that has been brewed at too high a temperature Character: A positive trait that allows a taster to identify the tea's origin Coarse: Has an unpleasant taste from poor quality leaves or improper roasting Earthy: Musty taste from improper storage Full: Hearty, colorful and strong tea with nice pungency Gone Off: Moldy tea or tea that has been stored too long Harsh: Bitter tea resulting from poor leaf quality Malty: Thick mouth-feel. Desirable. Rasping: Coarse and harsh flavor Stewed: Negative quality. Caused by poor firing and air flow during production Tannin Content: Component of tea that gives it its characteristic astringency Weedy: Taste like hay due to poor production. Sometimes called woody. Israel, Andrea - Taking Tea: The Essential Guide to Brewing, Serving, and Entertaining with Teas from Around the World - 1987 - Weidenfeld & Nicolson: New York, NY Stella, Alain, Nadine Beautheac, et al. - The Book of Tea - 1992 - Flammarion: Paris and New York KAM, Copyright 2007 Last update January 2011 |
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Tasting Terms |