June 10, 2024
by Diana Rosen
Remember how that Mao Feng tasted ambrosial, that Lung Ching’s fragrance made you think of spring, those elegant leaves of your favorite Silver Needle danced in the glass?
Or, not sure?
It’s easy to think that the best teas you’ve savored are locked in your memory bank but sometimes we need a gentle nudge. A Tea Tasting Journal will give you all the specifics to remind you of teas you’d love to taste once more and, of course, how and where to order them again.
No need for a fancy journal, a simple (and inexpensive) 3x5 notebook is perfect, and fits into your pocket or purse to take with you whenever the opportunity to taste tea arises. You can draw in it, have fun with colored pens, and paste in receipts, tea package labels, and other ephemera. If you’re a spreadsheet maven, rock on, but the analog paper notebook is so easy to pass around the table to friends without any risks to phone or laptop.
As a gentle guide, here are some basics to include for each tea you taste:
TEA TYPE:
White
Yellow
Green
Oolong/Pouchong
Flavored
Raw Puerh
Ripe Puerh
Country of Origin and Grower, if known:
Season or Flush:
Cost:
Quantity:
Price:
DRY LEAF DESCRIPTION:
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Quantity:
2.5-3 grams per cup
Other
Water Temperature
Steeping Time:
Number of infusions:
Changes in flavor with each infuse, as appropriate:
BREWING VESSEL:
Glazed Iron Teapot
Ceramic Teapot and Infuser
Yixing Teapot
Guywan
IngenuiTea
VelociTEA Tea Maker
Mug and Infuser
BREWED LEAF DESCRIPTION:
FRAGRANCE and TASTE:
The following are the most common tea-tasting terms.
A full professional glossary might include a hundred or more terms, so consider this modest list a jumping-off point to create your own vocabulary. After all, the purpose of keeping a tea-tasting journal is to describe how your palate and nose react to each tea. Using your own words helps you compare and contrast tea-tasting experiences. Have fun!
Aftertaste – If a tea has an aftertaste, it should be pleasant, lingering in the mouth or throat, and tempt the taster to drink more. No aftertaste? Such teas are often described as having a clean finish.
Astringency – Sharp, almost biting, essence, sometimes considered a bitterness, usually caused by unoxidized polyphenols that linger on unpleasantly. However, in Darjeeling teas, astringency is considered a pleasant edge, something necessary in high-quality samples of Darjeelings.
Bite – A positive briskness in the tea, common to many Sri Lankan examples; desirable, especially in fully-oxidized blacks.
Body – Thin is a weakness in the texture; thick indicates strength and a pleasant fullness on the tongue.
Brassy – Indicates poor processing evidenced by a metallic taste on the palate.
Brisk – A taste that’s lively or crisp, having zing vs flatness or dullness.
Color –Part of the jewel-like beauty of a beautifully processed and brewed tea, colors range from nearly none to the palest green, gold, orange, or red to vibrant, dense versions of these same colors. A coveted, visual delight. Understanding that the taste of a tea is unrelated to the intensity or lack of color in the cup is important to note in your journal to remind you what a particular tea should look like the next time you brew it.
Dull – Tastes like nothing special, lacking the luxuriousness of the thick satiny taste of a full, rich cup or the clean briskness of a bright cup. Dullness may demonstrate poor firing or excessive unwanted moisture in the processed leaf.
Earthy – In most teas, this is considered a lacking due to inadequate storage, however, in puerhs, the earthier the better.
Finish – The final sensation, the last, lingering taste you experience after drinking a cup.
Flowery – Attributed to either flavor and fragrance or both. In some flavored teas, actual flowers are used (Jasmine, Rose, etc.) so expect those teas to match your idea of what the floral fragrance and flavor is to you.
Malty – A typical description of premier Assam blacks, maltiness is a positive nutty sweetness that adds body and flavor.
Muscatel – Attributed to Darjeeling teas, especially those processed black, this reflects the flavor of sweet, white Muscat grapes. Those unfamiliar with Muscat grapes should consider descriptions like the stone fruit essence or peaches or plums.
Silky – Like the fabric itself, a silky texture is smooth, soft, pleasantly unctuous to taste, and comfortable to swallow.
Soft –This is another term that can be negative (under-processed and lacking character) or positive (like a silkiness that is pleasant to swallow).
Smoky or Tarry – Like Lapsang Souchong, some teas are intentionally smoked over wood or other substances. Others may be over-oxidized. Either way, the smoky quality should be pleasant with no burnt or bakey edge.
Vegetal: An excellent green tea should offer a fresh taste and fragrance of lettuce, spinach, etc. Some green teas can also be described as having herbal, grassy, or even marine characteristics, all positive descriptors. Again, noting these elements of teas in your journal gives you an idea of what to expect next time you taste these particular teas.
We’d love to hear what words you add to your Tea Tasting Journal’s glossary!
