Do a tea tasting

“At the end of the workshop, we participated in a taste test where all of us were asked to adjudge a couple of teas on certain parameters. Armed with a now seemingly calibrated nose and palate, and an elaborate, laminated flavor wheel, I was ready to dive into every cup and emerge an expert. Half and hour later, I’d barely managed to scratch the ‘e’ of expert. I felt foolish, at my inability to pick roses when everybody else could – who can miss roses, for crying out loud.”

“My attention was drawn back to the present by the soft clink of a ceramic cup placed before me. The teacup featured blue and white square patterns that reminded me of delftware, except the blue was much more vibrant. He poured from the kettle, and I could feel a gentle energy as the liquid flowed into the cup. Wrapping my hands around it, I felt the warmth spread through my palms, and I watched as steam evaporated into the air. [...] As I sipped leisurely, I noticed woodsy and earthy flavors with lingering hints of dark caramel. Karen detected a lighter, sweeter flavor with citrusy and floral notes. Doug mentioned tasting notes reminiscent of oak or whiskey.”

“We tasted over 30 teas from all over the world – from Darjeeling first flush and Assam summer blacks to Chinese Long Jing and Japanese Sencha. We evaluated each for its aroma, taste intensities, and texture. We tasted teas prepared using three different kinds of water to see the effect of minerality on tea. We discussed attributes like complexity, balance, and harmony and worried over astringency – how much is too much and is it really just another kind of bitter?”