How to Review Teas

I want to review teas the same way but I am not sure what I should be looking for. For example: here is a list of things I try to write on.

1) Smell of the tea before and after steeping (try to give good notes)
2) Look of the leaves before and after steeping
3) Taste of the tea (what flavors come out when I drink it)
4) How it feels in my mouth (does it go down smooth)
5) Is there a lingering flavor and if so is it good

Are these normal things to look for when reviewing a tea? What do you look for when you review a tea?

4 Replies

I try to do 1, 3, and 5, plus I note the temp and time steeped as I find I prefer certain teas at different temps. I also note #2 if it really stands out and #4 if it’s extraordinarily different. Sometimes I also note the color of the liquor.

With that being said, I don’t believe I’m the best reviewer and others who are more experienced at it probably do all of your list. I love when I read complete reviews like the areas you’ve mentioned, in addition to noting how subsequent steeps turn out.

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LeafJoy said

That list looks pretty good to me. Another thing I like to consider is how the flavor changes as the tea goes through multiple steepings, and how it compares to similar teas of the same type as you build your repertoire.

A good resource is: http://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Guide-Tea/dp/1594201382

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Cofftea said

These are all great things and things that I look for. I always note the liquor color. I also think noting steeping parameters as QuiltGuppy. Reviewing teas can be challenging because different people like different things when it comes to tea so I do not find subjective, opinion based reviews helpful. Rather, I write all my reviews from an objective, fact based perspective. I know what I like in a tea so I don’t want to take someone else’s word for it that it is, or is not, a “good tea”. I would rather read a review and learn if it is congruent to the product description. This is why, if you follow me, you’ll see tea ratings with low scores that get a good review (from the accuracy standpoint) or alternatively get a high score even though I really think it misses the mark. I will, as an after thought, comment on if/why I liked the tea, but most of the review and the rating itself is entirely based on what the tea is, rather than what I think of it.

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Caitlin said

I think these are all great ways to rate tea. I usually do 1, 2 and 3. Sometimes I talk about accuracy because that can be different from my personal preference. Sometimes I try to say you will probably like this tea if you like such and such.

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