| Aftertaste |
The "shadow taste" or "finish" that remains in the mouth after swallowing. |
| Aroma |
An attractive smell sometimes referred to as "nose" or "bouquet." High grown teas, such as Darjeeling and many oolongs, are prized for their distinctive aroma. When you taste a tea, make note of the quality and strength of the aroma. |
| Aromatic |
A pronounced, complex fragrance. |
| Astringency |
The lively, pungent quality that produces a drying sensation on your tongue or gums. Comparable to the dryness of wine. This is not to be confused with bitterness. |
| Balance |
A subjective term used in tea evaluation. A tea in which all aspects of flavor work together is said to be "in balance." |
| Big |
Robust or full-bodied in flavor and aroma. |
| Biscuity |
A pleasant taste resembling fresh baked bread. Sometimes found in Assam teas. |
| Bite |
An astringent or tangy quality. |
| Bitter |
A subjective tasting term referring to a sharp, acrid or unpleasant feeling on the taste buds along the sides of back of the tongue. If the bitterness is overwhelming and masks all other flavors, this can be a flaw in the tea itself or a result of over steeping/incorrect brewing. |
| Body |
The sensation of how the tea liquor feels in the mouth. This term refers to the viscosity, thickness, consistency, weight or texture. A tea is described as having light, medium or full body. A tea's body will vary according to type and region. |
| Bouquet |
The complex fragrance in fine or floral teas. |
| Bright |
A lively, aromatic, uplifting flavor. The tea's appearance can also be described as bright if the liquor looks lively, clear, luminous and sparkling rather than dull and flat. |
| Brisk |
A vivacious, slightly astringent taste as opposed to a flat or soft flavor. This describes the lively quality of an infusion. |
| Buttery |
A rich heaviness in the mouth. |
| Character |
The distinct qualities of the tea, often specific to the region where the tea was grown. |
| Chocolate |
A rich, deep, flavor reminiscent of chocolate. Found in some oolong and black teas. |
| Clarity |
A term for the absence of cloudiness in a tea's liquor. |
| Clean |
The quality of a thin, fresh flavor that finishes smooth and has nothing unfavorable about it. |
| Color |
The color of the tea's liquor. This varies depending on the type of tea. |
| Complex |
A multidimensional aroma or flavor profile. |
| Course |
An undesirable harsh, biting, bitter taste. This can either be a flaw in the tea or a result of over steeping or incorrect brewing. |
| Crisp |
A clean and fresh characteristic that is sometimes tart; not soft. |
| Deep |
Having layers of complexity or richness. |
| Delicate |
Restrained flavors that are neither strong nor intense. |
| Distinctive |
A tea that is markedly different from other teas and sets itself apart with refined character qualities. |
| Dry |
A tea that finishes parched or dehydrated in the mouth; not sweet. |
| Dull |
A liquor that lacks a lively, bright character in either taste or appearance. Flat or lackluster. |
| Earthy |
Describes an elemental character of some teas likened to the smell of damp, forest soil. This is a natural and desirable trait of tea from certain regions, or if it is unpleasant, it can indicate improper storage. |
| Elegant |
Gentle, well-rounded and smooth. |
| Even |
Uniform appearance and size of the leaves. |
| Flat |
Lifeless flavor that lacks briskness and body. Soft. This can be the result of tea that is old or has been stored improperly. |
| Flowery |
An exceptionally aromatic character suggestive of flowers such as jasmine, orchid or rose. This can either be a natural trait of the tealeaves themselves, or as a result of scenting or blending the tealeaves with flowers during production. Good Darjeelings and some oolongs have this trait. |
| Fresh |
An uplifting, lively, flavor. Opposite of stale |
| Fruity |
Flavor nuances similar to ripe fruit. Sometimes found in oolong and black teas. Tea can have flavor notes that suggest peaches, apples, pears, grapes, raisins, currants, figs and more. Also describes fruit flavored teas. |
| Full |
Tea possessing color, strength and body as opposed to being empty or thin. |
| Full-bodied |
Indicates strong character or mouth feel. |
| Grassy |
A bright, strong flavor and aroma reminiscent of fresh-cut grass, herbs or vegetables. A desirable trait found in steamed green teas. |
| Hard |
Tea that has a penetrating and strength or sharp flavor (sometimes desirable). |
| Harmonious |
A perfectly balanced flavor in terms of all of its components. |
| Harsh |
A negative characteristic describing a bitter, unpleasant or offensive taste sensation. This can also describe an overabundance of one specific flavor. |
| Heavy |
Tea that possesses a thick, strong liquor with depth of color but is lacking in flavor or briskness. |
| Herbaceous |
An herbal aroma or flavor reminiscent of herbs, leaves or plants. |
| Honey |
A sweet aftertaste or a silky, nectar-like texture. |
| Jasmine |
Tea that has floral notes of jasmine, usually a result of added jasmine flowers or a traditional scenting process during production. |
| Length |
A long-lingering taste that remains in the mouth after swallowing a sip of tea. |
| Light |
Indicating a thin character, in terms of texture and weight on the tongue. |
| Malty |
A desirable, hearty malted barley taste found often in Assam tea. |
| Mellow |
Tea leaves which have matured well, producing a harmonious, well-balanced, smooth flavor. |
| Muscatel |
Rich flavor like that of muscat grapes. This is an exceptional characteristic found in high quality Darjeeling tea. |
| Nutmeg |
A characteristic often associated with Darjeeling teas that is mild in the first flush and more pronounced in the second flush. |
| Nutty |
Attribute of some teas (such as some pan-fired green teas or certain black and oolong teas) that suggests the roasted aroma of hazelnuts, almonds, roasted nuts, etc. |
| Pale |
Liquor that does not have depth of color, but may still have a nice flavor profile. Darjeeling is a good example of this, because its liquor is naturally lighter than other black teas. |
| Peppery |
Spicy texture on the tongue. |
| Pungent |
A bright liquor that has a pleasant, pronounced briskness and a desirable, strong, astringent flavor. This is a desirable quality, but must be well balanced. |
| Rich |
A pleasantly thick and mellow flavor. |
| Round |
A full, smooth-tasting flavor. |
| Short |
A too-brief taste or finish that ends abruptly after swallowing. |
| Silky |
A smooth, graceful texture quality. |
| Simple |
Flavors and aromas that have only a single layer of sensation; not complex. |
| Smokey |
Refers to the flavor a tea acquires from being "fired" (dried) over smokey flames, imparting a woodsy or smoked flavor. |
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| Spicy |
A fragrance or flavor reminiscent of spices like cinnamon, black pepper or clove. Can be a natural attribute of the tealeaves themselves, or a result of added spices in the case of blended teas. |
| Stale |
Tea that has an unpleasant, flat, lifeless or "off" taste because it is old or has been stored in damp conditions. |
| Sweet |
Free from excessive acidity. A pleasant flavor or aftertaste on the tip of the tongue; suggestive of honey, sugar or licorice root. |
| Tannin |
A natural substance found in plants that imparts a puckery mouth feel and produces the structure and texture in many teas. |
| Tart |
An intensely sharp sensation along the sides of the tongue. This can be a positive or negative trait depending on the type of tea and the intensity. For example, hibiscus leaves are prized for their natural, exceptionally tart flavor. |
| Thick |
Tea that has good body as opposed to being thin. Black teas often produce a thick liquor with a heavy, dense texture quality. |
| Thin |
Tea that lacks body. This is not necessarily a bad trait, as certain teas (such as Darjeeling or some white teas) are celebrated for their thin yet flavoury liquors. However, teas from Assam should never have a thin liquor. |
| Tippy |
Having a consistent amount of golden or silver color on the tips of the leaves, indicating fine plucking. |
| Vanilla |
Having a sweet flavor suggestive of vanilla beans or vanilla extract/flavor. |
| Weak |
A tea lacking in character. |
| Weedy |
A flavor suggestive of wet hay or straw. |
| Woodsy |
An aroma or flavor reminiscent of tree bark, cedar, pine or oak. |
