As you may know, the best way to judge tea is through its taste. But there are more ways to describe tea than using just words like “yum,” “mmmm,” and “ahhh.”
The tea that you taste can be described as sour and sweet, to spicy and earthy. Most teas match the description; like creamy caramel or sweet lemon, which makes it easy to identify the taste before even tasting it.
Tea tasting is a skill that comes in handy when you want to buy a specific kind of tea – to sell or to drink.
I remember early last year when I attended my first ever tea tasting masterclass with tea brands Tetley and Laager to learn more about tea tasting, and how to prepare it. It was an exciting experience, yet overwhelming.
Master tea blender Jonathan Kelsey gave us a session about the sensory analysis of the beverage. What I love about tea is that there are so many varieties of tea available, and everything from varietal, region, harvest, drying methods, mixing, all of which contribute to the flavour - sort of like wine.
At the masterclass, Kelsey introduced us to different kinds of aromas and tastes, and all the many other things associated with tea tasting. Our first assignment was to agree on basic flavours - and as a first-timer - it wasn’t that easy.
Just like wine, tea also has its distinct tea tasting language, and so Adele du Toit, spokesperson for the SA Rooibos Council shares how you can differentiate between tastes, flavours, mouth-feel, and aromas.
- Astringency – dry, bitter taste, caused by tannin.
- Earthy – nature-inspired taste and aroma.
- Floral or flowery – floral taste or aroma.
- Fruit – rich in colour, dominantly sweet and fruity, but not overpowering.
- Spicy – strong spicy infusion.
- Balanced – where aromas succeed each other smoothly, highlighted by flavours and texture.
- Bite – tastes alive.
- Body – fullness, and strength.
- Crisp – yielding a clean, refreshing taste.
- Generous – rich in aromas.
- Hungry – lacking in cup quality.
- Intense – strong taste.
- Long in the mouth - aromas that leave a pleasant and lasting impression in the mouth after tasting.
- Nose – pleasant aroma.
- Pungent – astringent effect on the palate without bitterness.
- Silky – silky and smooth, almost oily taste.
- Sweet – slightly sweet flavour, with no astringency associated with sweet, vanilla-flavoured aromas.
- Woody – reminiscent of freshly-cut timber.
Here are other terms we have discovered.
- Sweet - a rich sugary taste sometimes without the presence of sugar but natural sweetness.
- Sour - having an acid or tart-like taste.
- Citrusy - having the flavour or smell of lemons, limes, or oranges. Tangy and tart taste.
- Creamy - having the rich taste or thick, smooth texture of cream or vanilla.