Most Popular Tea Tasting Terms in Darjeeling

Whether you are drinking Darjeeling tea or Assam blends, there are certain common tea-tasting terms. Do you know them? Avid tea lovers always have some terms in their vocabulary understanding which helps in knowing the flavor and nature of tea.

A Little Glossary Containing Tea Tasting Terms   

1. Acidic – Tart and sour taste of tea

1. Astringent – Pungent sensation caused by tannins in tea lingering in our mouth

1. Aroma – Odor produced while brewing tea  

• Body – Tactile nature of the weight of tea. It could be full, medium or light. It is often called fullness.

• Bakey – It is an unpleasant characteristic obtained in tea liquor when the blend is heated at high temperature.

• Bite – It is a desirable trait found in tea that is lively and brisk

• Bright – Refreshing flavor of a tea

• Biscuity – It is a strong trait of blends usually used for describing premium Assam blends

• Character – Signature element of a blend. It can be its flavor or origin

• Coppery – It describes the color of a tea liquor

• Clean – It means pure flavor of tea without any off-tastes

• Creaming Down – Top quality blends that turn cloudy

• Flowery – Floral scent or flavor mostly found in high quality tea

• Finish – It is the final taste of tea that lingers on the tongue after drinking it

• Muscatel – This is a typical flavor of Darjeeling blends. the characteristic flavor like that of grapes  

• Malty – This is a distinct feature of Assam teas. It is the sweet malt flavor of Assam black blends

• Soft – A tea with timid flavor

• Smooth – A fine drinking experience of round-bodied teas

• Thick – Tea having substance in it

• Woody – It is the term that describes a particular flavor of tea

• Vegetal – It is the characteristic feature of green blends. It refers to the taste that is marine, herby or grassy

A Short Glossary of Different Varieties of Teas

• Autumnal – Liquor obtained from teas growing in autumn season.
• Assam – Strong flavored black teas originating Assam
• Blend – A mixture of two or more variants of teas from different origin
• Black tea – The most common variety of tea that is completely oxidized.
• Ceylon teas – Blends cultivated in Sri Lanka.
• Broken Orange Pekoe – It is the size of tea leaves consisting of tips and small leaves.
• CTC – It designates the process of making Assam black tea.
• Chai – It is a black tea preparation with milk.
• Darjeeling – Premium quality blends harvested in Darjeeling.
• English Breakfast – A type of tea
• Golden Tip – A Feature in blends because of good harvesting.
• Oolong – A variety of tea which is partially withered fermented and oxidized.

So, now you have an idea about the different terms used in tea industry.