Have you ever heard tea tasting notes that made you think, What are they talking about? They can seem poetic and fantastical at times that it can be hard to wrap your mind around. The good news is that understanding a few key concepts can help you to communicate your experience with tea in a whole new way. In this post, I’m sharing the most common tasting notes and what they really mean, some of the science behind tasting, as well as ways to develop your tasting vocabulary.
The Science Behind Taste Perception
The primary tastes in tea are bitter, sweet, and umami. The taste buds on our tongues contain taste receptor cells that are connected to nerves. Receptors for each type of taste are scattered through the tongue but parts of the tongue can be more sensitive to certain tastes. The back of the tongue is particularly sensitive to bitterness.
When chemicals from what we consume bind to taste receptor cells, a signal is transmitted to the brain stem and gustatory cortex. It is then sent to the limbic system, a major contributor to emotional response and memory formation, as well as the cerebral cortex. These work together to help us interpret what we are tasting and how it makes us feel.
Most of what we think of as taste actually comes from smell. There are two different ways that our bodies perceive this. Orthonasal olfaction happens when we inhale the scent through our nose before food or drink enters our mouth. Retronasal olfaction is a combination of taste and smell that occurs once the food or drink is in your mouth.
In addition to the taste buds on the tongue, aroma molecules are sent from the mouth to the nose through the nasopharynx. You’ll often see professional tea, coffee, and wine tasters slurp. They do this to aerate the tea in their mouth because it releases more of those compounds.
Categories of Tea Tasting Notes
Tea Tasting notes can generally be broken down into a few basic categories. If you can’t get super granular yet, zooming out to a general category can be helpful. Remember that taste is subjective and there’s no such thing as a wrong tasting note. As you become more experienced with describing what you taste in tea, you’ll find it easier to make your notes more specific.
Herbaceous
Think fresh-cut grass, crisp snow peas, or even seaweed. Vegetal is another word that you’ll see used frequently. Herbaceous notes in tea are usually associated with green tea but can also be found in lightly oxidized oolongs.
Floral
There is a range of floral notes that can be found in tea. Lavender and rose are common but some teas naturally taste like jasmine or orange blossoms. I smell the different flowers when I get a bouquet so that I can make a mental catalog of them.
Fruity
Fruity notes in teas can be further broken down into citrus, berries, or stone fruit. Oolongs are among the fruitiest teas, especially those from the Phoenix Mountains, but can also be found in other categories.
Sweet
Sweet notes in tea include honey, vanilla, and caramel. Roasted teas tend to have more of these notes because of the Maillard reaction. Bug-bitten teas like Dong Fang Mei Rein will have notes of honey. Nutty notes also fall under this category.
Spicy
Some teas will naturally have a spicy quality that brings to mind baking spices like cloves or cinnamon (and I’m not talking about chai!). Rou Gui, a popular variety of Wuyi oolong, is named after cinnamon bark because of its distinctive aroma.
Earthy
Tobacco, wood, smoke, and wet earth are the notes that might be used to describe earthy teas. Shou puerh and other types of heicha are probably the best examples. Earthy can be among the most polarizing tasting notes as they aren’t for everyone.
Other Common Descriptors for Tea
There are some descriptors used for tea that you might be less familiar with.
Astringent – dry, puckery mouth-feel
Camphor – woody, medicinal, menthol-like
Mineral – slightly metallic and earthy, like wet stones
Muscatel – sweet, grape-like flavor most commonly associated with Darjeeling.
Petrichor – earthy scent of rain on dry soil
Developing Your Tasting Vocabulary
The most important thing to keep in mind is that taste is subjective and it is also greatly influenced by our past experiences. There is no such thing as an incorrect tasting note. Slow down and focus your senses on everything you see, smell, and taste in the cup. Try to take small slurpy sips rather than big gulps. This is part of why small cups are often used in gongfu-style brewing.
Take tea tasting notes in whatever way works best for you. This will help you to process your thoughts as well as give you something to refer back to in the future. Some people like to use a formal tasting journal, others a fancy notebook. I use Google Keep because it lets me access my notes from mobile or desktop. It also makes them searchable, which is helpful for me when reviewing tea.
Be an adventurous and intentional taster/smaller. The more sensory memories you have, the easier it will be to describe what you taste in tea. Smell the veggies when you’re preparing them for dinner. What do the trees on your walk to work smell like? Compare and contrast similar things, like fresh-cut grass vs hay. As a lifelong picky eater, I found this aspect the most challenging. I’m happy to say that years of tea tasting have helped expand my palate in many ways.
Resources For Further Learning
Learn as you go — It can be helpful to refer to a book on tea every time you try something new. Rather than reading cover to cover, flip to the section about the general type of tea you are drinking for a quick little deep dive. This is especially helpful at the beginning of your tea journey because it helps you to learn what that type of tea should taste like.
- Tea: A Nerd’s Eye View by Virginia Utermohlen Lovelace MD
- Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties by Kevin Gascoyne, Francois Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais, and Hugo Americi
- Jane Pettigrew’s World of Tea: Discovering Producing Regions and their Teas by Jane Pettigrew
Flavor wheels — There isn’t a standard flavor wheel for tea, but you can find examples from a variety of sources. It can help to have something visual to get you thinking about what you are tasting in the cup. I also find looking at tasting wheels for other beverages like coffee and wine helpful. I even have a Pinterest board where I collect them for future reference.
Read tea reviews — I highly recommend reading reviews that others have written of the specific tea you are drinking. Just search the tea’s name in quotes on Google. The one caveat is to wait until after making tasting notes of your own first. The power of suggestion can make your brain fill in the blanks before you can determine what your senses are telling you.
What is the most unique tasting note that you’ve experienced in tea? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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