Just like wine connoisseurs, tea aficionados appreciate the differences in flavor and quality which vary from season to season and from region to region.? Other tea-drinkers prefer the consistency of a blend, such as and English Breakfast or Ceylon Blend. However we like our tea, the quality has to be evaluated. This is done by professional tea tasters in a very structured way by examining the dry and infused leaf, the color and aroma of the liquor and finally the taste of the infusion.

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To prepare the teas, the dry leaves are laid in containers in rows on the tasting bench. The taster weighs a specific amount of each tea and places it in a special small brewing vessel. Sometimes this is a lidded mug (Gaiwan) or a small porcelain teapot. The brewing vessels are always white so that the color of the infusion is easier to assess. Boiling water for black teas, and slightly cooler water for green and white teas, ? is poured over the leaves which are than allowed to steep for 3-6 minutes depending on the varietal. After the steeping, the infusion is poured into tasting bowls and the infused leave is collected on the lid of the brewing mug.? Like a wine taster, the tea taster slurps the tea into his mouth which is quite a noisy affair, but necessary because the tea needs to hit all taste buds to unfold its character.

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Tea tasters taste hundreds of samples of different teas from different estates regions and seasons every day. In fact, it takes a long time to become a professional in this art. At least five years of training are needed before becoming a tea master, however even after many decades of tasting, these tea masters will tell you that they are still learning.

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While we don’t offer tea master training, if you are interested in learning about the many nuances in aroma and flavor of orthodox teas, sign up for one of our tea classes and learn the art of cupping tea.