Tea tastings

[Xavier]

How would you taste two or more teas to compare them?

I have two teas that are really alike and I would like to compare them but I am lacking a proper method to do so.

Any suggestion?

[bram]

What about drinking them side by side, made the same way? Same kind of teapot, same timing, weight etc.

You might want to consider to make them extra strong as the professionals do in tea tastings.

Depending on the type and my inventory I would say Gaiwans or small teapots.

[Xavier]

Thanks @bram. I saw the way the professionals do it (in pictures) but I am nott really sure how to do it.

[bram]

While I was in Paris in 2011 I bought a tasting cup set at Le Palais des Thes. But I have not used it yet. Time goes too fast and is too full.

 

The following links might be helpful:

http://www.wtea.com/about-tea_tasting.aspx
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/teaandtisanebasics/a/HowtoTasteTea.htm

 

 

[Xavier]

Thanks.

[Warren Peltier]

As @bram said above – compare side-by-side: same-type steeping vessel, same-type equipment, water temperature, water source, same-type tasting cup, same amount of tea. Use boiling water (no mater what type of tea), steep for 5 minutes.

But first examine dry leaf, side-by-side, comparing differences, completeness, etc.

Steep the tea. Immediately pour out all liquor into bowls. Examine infusion color. Sniff lid of brewing vessel, as well as brewed leaves. Sip tea to evaluate its weaknesses as compared to each other.  The purpose of a traditional tea tasting is to brink out the weaknesses in tea – to compare teas on their relative weaknesses. This type of test works best, when you are comparing the same type of tea made with same processing method. For this type of comparison, you might want to make a chart, giving marks for dry-leaf appearance, infusion color, taste, aroma, aftertaste, etc.

If the teas are dissimilar (different tea type – like different varieties of black tea) – the same can also be done, to compare distinctiveness between teas. For this type of comparison, you might want to make a chart noting individual characteristics for each type of tea, especially the identifying characteristics.

The only problem though, is that those are not the normal conditions under which you would enjoy tea – they’re artificially imposed – to bring out deficiencies. Tea drinkers could also try brewing tea under normal conditions, comparing side-by-side, while trying to brew the most enjoyable cup of tea possible – then comparing which one was most enjoyable – based on fragrance, taste, aftertaste, etc. Usually when we have friendly tea tastings, that’s how our tea friends like to do it – each brings a few samples of their best tea (of same type) – which we compare against each other’s. But these types of tastings are often very biased when we speak of the tea’s provenance, which company made it, the price we paid (or percieved value), and all the other hype.  Of course, the stingier one is with their tea, tho more others will desire it.

 

 

 

[Xavier]

@tea-author thanks for your advice

[Author]

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