Today we explore the basics of
tasting tea. While “cupping” tea is an essential tool used by tea professionals
to evaluate the relative merits of specific teas, it can also be an enjoyable
activity for the casual or serious tea drinker. Here is a simple ritual that
you can use anytime to enhance your sensory appreciation of tea. It is
important to keep in mind that tasting tea isn’t solely about taste; it
involves all the senses: sight, smell, taste and touch.
Setting Up
Choose the tea. If you taste a group of teas, we recommend that you sample
no more than 3 teas at a time to avoid overloading the palate. Feel free to
choose similar teas (i.e. all green teas) or teas of different types. If you
choose the latter, it’s a good idea to taste the teas in order of intensity
(i.e. white, green, oolong, black).
Set up your tools. You will need a small ceramic teapot (we recommend a
Chinese Gaiwan) that holds about 6-8 ounces, a tasting cup and a small bowl to
contain the dry leaf. Place a couple tablespoons of loose tea in the bowl.
Prepare the tea. Place approximately 3 grams of leaf (about 1 teaspoon for
small dense leaves and 1 tablespoon for large bulkier leaves) into the teapot
and pour in water of the appropriate temperature. Steep for the desired time
and then strain the liquor into the tasting cup. Retain the infused leaves in
the teapot.
Tea Appreciation
Here are several areas to evaluate:
Dry Leaf Appearance. Examine the dry leaf.
High-quality tea will have a leaf shape that is relatively uniform in size and
shape. Notice the style of the leaf: flat, needle-shaped, flower-like, tightly
twisted, curly, tightly rolled, etc. Notice the color of the leaf. It should be
glossy, not dull. Examine the presence of tips, or leaf buds, in the tea. High quality
Chinese teas will have leaves as well as buds. Excessive stalk and stem, as
well as incomplete leaves, are not as desirable.
Cup Aroma. Smell the aroma by inhaling it deeply two or three times. A
good-quality tea should have a full, clean aroma without any stale or rancid
smell. Note the aroma characteristics – is it floral, fruity, woodsy, earthy,
fresh? Generally, oolong and black teas will have more aroma than green teas,
due to their longer oxidation.
Cup Color. The color of the brewed tea will vary depending on the type
of tea, but it should be clear and bright.
Flavor. To experience the full taste of the tea, you will want to
slurp it loudly. This ensures that the tea is sprayed over the entire tongue
and into the back of the mouth. Having slurped the tea, swish it around in your
mouth. Swallow and take note of the taste and the texture. Good tea should have
a smooth, fresh taste that lingers on the palate. Desirable flavors will depend
on the type of tea being tasted. You may note the marine and fresh grass taste
of Japanese Sencha, the honey and ripe peach flavor of Bai Hao Oolong, or roasted
vegetable notes of Chinese Dragon Well.
Wet
Leaf Appearance.
Pick up some of the infused leaves from the teapot and put them on a clean
plate. Note the size, color and texture of the leaves. An examination of the
wet leaf can tell a lot about how and when the leaf was picked, as well as how
carefully it was processed. Taking
oolong tea as an example, a complete, whole leaf indicates a handpicked tea
while a shredded or torn leaf may indicate a machine-picked leaf.
So,
that’s it! Try to keep a written record of all your tasting experiences. And
remember that the more teas you taste and the more you focus all your senses on
the tasting experience, the better you will become at appreciating all that a
tea can offer.