Tea tasting terms

Professional tea tasters (brokers, agents, buyers) use numerous terms, expressions. Here are some of them...as presented at Relax, Sip & Enjoy

Body - The weight and qaulity of the tea on the tongue. Can be describedas wispy, light, medium, or full.

Brassy - Strong and bitter; caused by underwithering of black tea.

Bright - Lively, fresh, and high quality.

Brisk - Opposite of "flat"; pungent without being undesirably high in tannin content.

Burnt - An off flavor caused by overfiring.

Chocolaty - A desirable flavor quality of fine Darjeelings.

Coarse - Bitter or overly acid; attributable to improper processing.

Dull - Muddy looking; the opposite of "bright" or "brisk."

Earthy - May be inherent to the leaf, or caused by damp storage.

Flat - Off, stale taste; usually a property of old teas.

Full-bodied - An ideal combination of strength and color.

Green - When said of black tea, refers to immaturity of character due to underoxidation or underwithering.

Harsh - Very rough in flavor; associated with underwithered teas.

Heavy - Low in briskness and very full-bodied.

Light - Lacking strength and depth of color.

Malty - Subtle, underlying flavor; a desirable quality in Assam teas.

Mellow - Smooth, easy, pleasant.

Metallic - A sharp, coppery flavor.

Point - Used to describe a leaf with desirable brightness and acidity.

Pungent - Pleasantly astringent; a good combination or briskness, strength, and brightness.

Self-drinking - A tea that can be drunk alone, without blending with other leaves.

Smooth - Rounded in flavor, pleasant on the palate.

Soft - The opposite of "brisk"; caused by inefficient oxidation or firing.

Vegetative - Grassy flavor, a desirable characteristic of some green teas.