Tea Tasting Terminology
By: Wendy Rasmussen and Ric Rhinehart
Tea Basics
John Wiley & Sons, 1999
In the world of tea tasting, experts use a variety of words to define the flavors and aromas they detect. Here is a short list of basic tea-tasting terms that are commonly expressed by professionals. Note: The word liquor as defined by tea tasters refers to the liquid remaining after removing the leaves from the water.
Bakey: Characteristic of an overfired black tea from which too much moisture has been removed.
Bright: A characteristic associated with good color; generally a signature characteristic of quality tea.
Brisk: Another characteristic of well-manufactured, quality tea. Brisk denotes a live quality associated with pungency.
Dull: Refers to the liquid's color; the opposite of bright. A dull tea produces a cloudy brew. May also denote a lack of brightness.
Flat: Applies to tea that is no longer fresh; tastes like it sounds.
Full: Describes a good combination of color and strength. May not indicate briskness, but denotes a round, smooth mouth-feel.
Hard: A pungent liquor related to greenness; accompanied by a harsh, bitter, rasping quality.
Harsh: Describes a tea that has been under withered, resulting in a very rough liquor.
Heavy: A thick, strong and darkly colored liquor with little life or briskness.
Light: Liquor that lacks color and strength. Often this tea will lack body and aroma.
Muscat: A flavor and aroma characteristic of fine Darjeelings, often associated with black currants.
Pungent: A bitter, harsh or rough characteristic that is felt among the gums rather than tasted on the tongue (see briskness).
Smoky: A characteristic flavor and aroma of some Chinese teas, especially Lapsang Souchong. May also be found in other teas, in which case it is quite undesirable and usually results from leaks around the dryer heating tubes during processing.
Stale: Faded aroma and a dead taste caused by excessive age and subsequent loss of quality.
Thin: Light liquor lacking any strong or desirable characteristics.
Weedy: Grassy or haylike taste related to under withering. May also refer to a woody taste. Green teas often have a vegetal aroma and flavor.
Winey: Relates to the aging of tea, which normally does not enhance flavor. in a fine Keemun or Darjeeling, however, aging may bring out a mellow characteristic.