Professional Tasting
Professional tea tasters use a very specific process and very specific tools.
For starters:- Teas are cupped in ceramic cupping sets.
As a professional taster you will always use extra leaf, water that is too hot, and steep the tea for longer than is recommended.
EXAMPLE:- Recommendation for a Green tea
2g of tea for 6 ounces of water at 180F steeped for 2 minutes,
A taster may use 3g of tea for 4 ounces of boiling water and steep it for five minutes!
Goal:- to pull every bit of aroma, flavor and nuance from the leaf.
While the resulting brew may or may not taste good, a trained palate can better identify both positive and negative characteristics when cupping tea in this extreme fashion. Different tasters may vary slightly in their approach, but the most important part is uniformity.
Casual Tasting :- A casual tea drinker may wish to take a simpler, more pleasurable approach. In this case the brewing equipment may vary, but it is still important to choose wisely.
Color and leaf size are important factors to judge teas on, so using plain white or clear glass cups and pots are best.
Whether you decide to take the professional or casual approach, you'll also need an accurate teaspoon or scale.
When making tea to enjoy, a little miscalculation is acceptable.
When preparing tea as a taster, though, precision is of the utmost importance. Try to pick teas that are of a similar variety and grade .
teas clearly labeled will avoid confusion when conclusions are reached.
Steep all teas under the same conditions (same amount of time, water temperature and volume).
Even if you usually take your tea with milk, lemon or sugar, please leave these out, as they will mask the more subtle nuances that will help differentiate the quality. You want only the true flavor of the tea during a tasting.
Now to the process itself. If you don't know what to look for during a tea tasting you'll be as lost as a fish dropped in the wrong ocean.
Step 1: Inspect the dry leaf Look for uniform leaf size; occurrence of stem, twigs or excessive particulate; characteristic rolling, curling or open leaf; proper color; proper "gloss" (appropriate on some teas e.g. Japanese steamed Greens); and aroma.
Step 2: Steep Measure the leaf, add water at the appropriate temperature, and steep for the appropriate time.
Step 3: Pour If you're using a cupping set, tip the cup (with lid intact) onto it's side and set it into the bowl. It should rest comfortably and allow the tea to pour out. If you're using other equipment, remove the filter or pour out the tea to stop the steeping process.
Step 4: Analyze the wet leaf While the tea cools slightly, take the opportunity to take in the aroma and appearance of the wet leaf. One of the advantages of the cupping set is that you can slightly open the lid and inhale the aroma in concentrated form. This is a critical (and joyous) part of the cupping process. A seasoned taster can tell a great deal from the aroma rising from the wet leaf. You should also take this opportunity to inspect the leaf now that it has opened. Look for uniformity of leaf size and proper color
Step 5: Analyze the liquor Tea tasters refer to brewed tea as the liquor, and this is your opportunity to inspect the liquor.
First, check the aroma.
Second, inspect the color.
Third, taste.
If cupping alone, slurp directly from the cup.
If you are cupping with friends or customers, you may use a large spoon to pull out your sample of the liquor.
A professional taster will suck the liquor in quickly (and loudly) attempting to "spray" the tea into the mouth, striking all areas of the tongue as well as the bottom of the nasal cavity
Enjoy to become a Good taster of Tea........
