Tea Tasting
BLACK
Bold with malty, earthy, and smoky undertones. Usually will be brisk and bright.
Usually steeped at 212 degrees, but may be done as low as 180 degrees, for 2-5 minutes.
Common: Early Grey, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast
OOLONG
Can be floral, nutty, creamy, or even mineral-forward. This is my favorite type of tea!
Usually steeped at 180-200 degrees for 2-5 minutes.
GREEN
Known for having sweet grassy, vegetal, or fresh notes.
Usually steeped at 160-180 degrees for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. It may be steeped 1-3 times.
Common: Matcha (Described as vegetal, umami, sweet, bitter, and smooth.)
HERBAL
This category has a wide range from peppermint's coolness to ginger's spice. Without the camellia sinensis plant's presence this category would actually not be true tea, but a tisane.
Usually steeped at 212 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
WHITE
Known to be delicate and nuanced, fruity and floral to sweet and earthy undertones.
Usually steeped at 160-170 degrees for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. It may be steeped 1-3 times.
Common: silver needle or white pekoe
PU-ERH
Considered to be earthy and robust or smooth, milder flavors that are received through fermentation and the aging process.
Usually steeped at 205-212 degrees for 25 seconds-90 seconds. It may be infused several times.
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Choose a tea from the above categories. (Please be aware that if you are eating food while drinking the tea they need to match in strength and profile. For instance, an assam black tea would complement the flavor of a steak and cleanse the pallet.)
Flavor Profiles:
*Fruity (certain black teas naturally taste like plums and peaches)
*Spicy (many Indian black teas contain cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, etc.
*Earthy (dark, oxidized teas like pu-Erh)
*Sweet (many teas are, even without added sugars)
*Vegetal (green teas, like sencha)
*Nutty (pan-fired green and oolong teas)
*Floral (jasmine, rose, and honeysuckle are common in oolongs and some black teas)
*Mineral (some oolong teas)
*Smoky (a type of black tea called lapsang souchong...)
*Oceanic (Japanese green tea like Gyokuro, reminiscent of seaweed)
02
Do you like fruity flavors? Which ones? Apple, apricot, banana, blackberry, blueberry, cantaloupe, cherry, citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit), coconut, currants, dates, dragon fruit, fig, grape, guava, honeydew, kiwi, lychee, mango, papaya, passion fruit, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, raspberry, strawberry, watermelon...
03
What spices do you like? Any of these: allspice, anise, basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, lemon verbena, lemongrass, licorice, mint (many types), nutmeg, rosemary, saffron, star anise, thyme, turmeric, vanilla bean ....
04
Do you like floral notes? Any of these: apple blossom, chamomile, cherry blossom, citrus blossom, chrysanthemum, coneflowers, elderflower, hibiscus, honeysuckle, lavender, jasmine, marigold, rose, violet....
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