| Tea Tasting |
A Tasting Guide – The Elements of Leaf, Aroma, Liquor and Flavor
Traditional tea tasting focuses on the appearance of the leaf, the aroma both
before and after steeping, the color of the resulting infusion or liquor and the
tea’s taste or flavor:
Leaf: Examining the leaf is telling. Is it twisted, rolled or a natural, flat leaf?
This and whether it’s broken or whole will affect the taste and body
Aroma: Smell the leaves before steeping. Do they smell grassy, smoky or
sweet? Once infused, inhale the aroma deeply and enjoy the bouquet. Does
the smell appeal to you and whet your taste buds for sipping? Is it citrusy,
flowery, toasty or fruity? A tea’s nose can reveal not only quality but subtle
flavors that the mouth might overlook
Liquor: The color of infused tea or liquor can vary in color. Look at the
consistency of its color, and appearance of the liquid in a white cup. Depth of
color will denote proper brewing time
Taste: After slightly cooling, slurp your tea to make sure the full flavor
spreads out all over your tongue. Does the tea make a strong impression?
Assess whether it has a full, medium or light or round body. Is it smooth?
Does the flavor leave a lasting and memorable finish or dissipate after
swallowing? Note elements of its flavor traits – is it malty or vegetal? How the
tea feels in your mouth is important too. High quality tea exhibits briskness.
Instead of flat tasting, briskness refers to the astringent or dry tasting affect
tea has on tongue. This astringency is an important aspect to tea, giving it a
refreshing feeling
Tasting Terms
An entire language exists for describing a tea’s characteristics. We list below
some of the more commonly used terms:
Astringency: A lively and mouth drying affect on the tongue. Not bitter, but
a clean and refreshing quality
Balance: Various characteristics of the tea, including body, flavor and finish
all come together to perfect the cup
Biscuity: A freshly-baked bread smell present in some black tea like Assam
Body: The tactile aspect of tea’s weight and feeling in the mouth. Teas range
from full to light bodied
Bright: A bright liquor color or a lively, clear flavor
Brisk: The mouth-puckering and lively bite found in high quality tea versus
dullness
Character: A tea’s signature attributes depending upon origin whether its
country or region
Citrusy: A citrus fruit flavor like an orange or lemon
Complex: A tea with depth and subtle flavor or aroma combinations
Finish: The lasting taste on your tongue after swallowing the tea
Fruity: A flavor characteristic of fruit, whether it be apple, peaches or Muscat
Flat: Dull tea lacking freshness
Flowery: A floral nose or flavor associated with high grade teas
Malty: A sweet, malt flavor
Muscat: Often used to describe high quality Darjeelings – the aromas and
flavors of the Muscat grape
Pungent: Astringent with balanced elements of briskness, brightness and
strength
Self-drinking: Refers to tea with complex flavor profile that does not need
additional flavoring such as milk or sugar
Smooth: Round bodied, fine drinking teas
Strength: Refers to the intensity of flavor, color and aroma
Smoky: A smoky wood aroma or flavor
Toasty: A toasted biscuit like aroma
Vegetal: A characteristic of green teas that might include grassy, herby or
marine flavors.
Food Pairing
Like wine, tea pairs well with food. As you learn to appreciate the
characteristics of different teas you can also begin to explore pairing them
with food.
Food pairing is not a science and individuals will have subjective opinions.
The key to food pairing is to break down the flavor profile of a particular tea
and match that to complementary food flavors. For example, pair up a rich
Yunnan tea with chocolate or a roasted Hojicha with spicy and nutty foods.
You will find that tea is versatile and any given type can be paired with a
variety of foods, ranging from spicy to sweet. If you let your palate be your
guide, you will discover the perfect balance of tea and food pairings.
