How to Taste Tea Like a Pro

Set up a standardized brew

Professional tasters brew every tea the same way regardless of type — usually 2 grams of leaf in 5 oz (150 ml) of just-off-boil water for 5 minutes — so the comparison is fair rather than each tea being brewed to flatter it.

This method deliberately oversteeps delicate teas a little, which sounds counterintuitive, but it reveals flaws and true character that a gentler, more flattering brew might hide.

• Use 2 g of leaf per 5 oz (150 ml) of water for every tea, regardless of type.
• Brew all samples at a near-boiling temperature for 5 minutes.
• Strain into a separate cup and set the wet leaves aside to smell separately.
• Taste multiple teas side by side rather than one at a time from memory.

Look, smell, taste

Start with the dry leaf: note its color, shape and any aroma before water even touches it. After brewing, look at the liquor's color and clarity, then smell the wet leaves and the steam rising from the cup.

When you taste, let the tea coat your whole mouth rather than swallowing immediately — professional tasters often slurp to spread the liquid across the tongue and pull in aroma at the same time.

Building a flavor vocabulary

Instead of reaching for vague words like 'good' or 'strong', try naming specific categories: floral, vegetal, malty, roasted, fruity, mineral, woody. Comparing a tea against a common reference — grass, hay, toast, dried fruit — makes notes easier to remember later.

Keep a simple notebook or notes app entry for each tea you try, even just two or three words. Patterns become obvious after a dozen entries.

Don't forget the aftertaste

The finish, or aftertaste, is where a lot of tea quality shows up. A good tea often has a lingering sweetness or pleasant returning flavor a minute after swallowing, while a lower-quality one may just fade to flat or bitter.