Tea 101: Leaf, Grade & Evaluation Terminology

An extensive glossary of terms is available to the taster to define the many subtleties of sight, smell and taste. Many of the definitions can be confusing to the uninitiated, due in part to the fact that some of the words overlap in meaning, while others have taken on a new significance, peculiar to the jargon of the trade. Furthermore, there are different sets of terms to describe black teas, green teas and oolong teas and these are further subdivided into lexical sets that differentiate the characteristics of dry leaf, infused leaf and liquor. Tasting is chiefly concerned with comparing teas. The value of knowing the language of the industry lies in the need not only to compare teas in a single tasting session, but also to be able to refer back to earlier flushes or crops.
Following is a selection of terms used in the qualitative assessment of teas by tea tasters and producers. It is in no way exhaustive.

General Terms
Before the tea reaches the cupper's table, certain processes, growing areas or seasons have already begun to affect the flavor of the made tea. Knowing how these can alter the flavor of the finished product is important in evaluation to determine similar quality to expected standards.

Assam
A tea district in north-eastern India known for teas with heavy liquors.
Autumnal
A seasonal term applied to teas picked and processed in the late summer/early fall that possess varying degrees of flavor.
Black Tea
Tea that has been allowed to oxidize as opposed to green tea: also describes color.
Ceylon
Former name of Sri Lanka. Still used when referring to tea grown on the island.
Congou
A general term used to describe all whole leaf black teas from northern China.
Darjeeling
Delicately flavored teas grown in the district of the same name in northern India. Elevations are 2,500 to 6,500 feet.
Dimbula
A tea district in Sri Lanka
Earl Grey
A black tea scented with oil of bergamot.
English Breakfast
A blend of tea usually from Assam, Sri Lanka, Yunnan or Keemun which produces a hearty taste and holds up well to milk.
Estate
Land or property holding, perhaps made up of more than one garden under the same management or ownership.
Firing
The method of drying or removing moisture in tea. Firing also heats the enzymes in the leaf and halts the oxidation. Panfired, basket fired and oven drying are all examples of this process.
Flush
Young tea leaf shoots, new growth that appears at the tip of each branch or shoot. There can be several flushes in a season. The term can also refer to the various harvests – thus first flush is the early, spring plucking. Second flush is plucked in late spring/early summer and so on.
Formosa
Former name of Taiwan. Still used when referring to tea grown on the island.
Garden
Used interchangeably with "plantation" in some tea growing countries but usually referring to an estate.
Green Tea
Tea that has not been allowed to oxidize during production.
Gyokuro
Japanese for "Pearl Dew". A high-quality tea made by a special process from shaded bushes in the district around Uji, Japan.
High Tea
A traditional mid-day service which includes light snacks, typically cookies and small pastries.
Hyson
Chinese for "flourishing spring." A make of China green tea; in the eighteenth century the name was also applied to the tea drink. "Young Hyson" is a type of China tea made from an early spring picking.
Nilgiri
A tea district in south India.
Nuwara Eliya
A tea district in Sri Lanka.
Oolong Tea
Type of manufacture with some oxidation. Falls between green and black teas.
Oxidation
The process of enzymes naturally found in tea in the production of oolong and black teas.
Self-Drinking
A tea of good balance or flavor not requiring blending.
Tea Taster
A judge of the cup quality and the leaf, this expert tests for quality at all stages of production, brokerage and shipping.
Tisane
An infusion of dried herbs or fruit pieces.
Uva
A tea district in Sri Lanka.

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Dry Leaf
The dry leaves with their great variety of style and color can be smelled to assess the "nose" of the tea, namely the presence of any pleasing aroma or distinctive fragrance. However, the emphasis on the evaluation of the dry leaf is predominantly on appearance. The degree of rolling; the texture of the made leaf; and the presence of stalks, fiber, dust and tips all provide important clues to the tea taster as to the quality of the tea being examined.

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Attractive
Well made: uniform in color, size and texture.
Bloom
Indicates good manufacture and sorting. Good color with a sheen.
Bold
Pieces of leaf that are too big for a grade.
Broken
Broken by rolling or passing through a cutter.
Choppy
Chopped in a breaker mill or cutter rather than in the roller.
Chunky
Brokens that are larger: desirable feature when applied to tip.
Clean
Evenly sorted grade, free from quantities of other grades, stalk and fiber.
Common
Leaf with no style.
Curly
Opposite to wiry.
Cut
Synonymous with choppy.
Dusty
Leaf tea containing smaller particles.
Even
Consisting of pieces of roughly equal size.
Fibrous
Presence of excessive fiber.
Flaky
Flat, open, poorly made tea.
Golden Tip
Denotes color of tip.
Grey
Can indicate age or over-handling.
Irregular
Uneven blend of leaf grades.
Leafy
Tea containing larger leaves than normal.
Milled
Put through cutter or mill.
Musty
Excessive moisture content leading to formation of mold.
Neat
Good leaf of even appearance, conforms to relevant grade.
Open
Opposed to a twisted or rolled leaf.
Ragged
Poor grading and manufacture, uneven appearance of leaf.
Rough
Irregular and not well made.
Stalky
Presence of stem amongst leaf – should be minimal in primary grades.
Stylish
Superior appearance.
Tippy
High percentage of leaf bud resulting from a fine picking (two leaves and a bud) found in premium grades. Tip declines towards the end of the season.
Twist
Imparted during rolling.
Uneven
A blend containing uneven pieces.
Useful
Possessing good blending qualities.
Well-Made
Uniform in color, size and texture.
Wiry
Stylish, thin, well-twisted whole leaf.

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Infused Leaf
Analyzing the infused leaf allows the taster to set certain impressions of the tea before tasting. The most important part of a taster's palate is a sense of smell. Infused leaf can impart smells indicating problems in production or storage or the presence of certain regional characteristics.

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Aroma
Pleasing "nose" or "bouquet" given off from the rising steam, allowing the taster to assess quality and flavor. The "perfume" of the wet leaf expresses the freshness of the leaf. Premium teas have a thoroughly pronounced aroma.
Black Currant
An aroma emitted by black currants: found in some Darjeelings.
Bright
Lively as opposed to dull.
Coppery
Desirably bright, copper colored leaf, denoting a well manufactured tea of good quality.
Dark
Resulting from either poor quality leaf or bad manufacture often at firing stage.
Dull
Leaves have poor color, lacking any brightness. This is often ascribed to poor manufacture; too much moisture during the firing stage or over oxidation.
Even
Uniform color.
Mixed
Leaf particles showing color variations from uneven treatment during withering and oxidation.

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Liquor Taste
Impressions of the quality of the tea that were obtained during the examination of the dry and infused leaf are either confirmed or dispelled during a tasting session - the most revealing stage of tea assessment.

Aroma
Denotes the presence of one of a range of desirable fragrant smells. The analysis of aroma is the most vital aspect of tasting or enjoying tea.
Astringency
The pallet registers a dry, harshness or coarseness compared to a soft mellowness. The unoxidized or natural polyphenols present in tea account for the "puckering" sensation which in turn activate the salivary glands, giving tea its reputation as a thirst quencher; they also account for the bitterness.
Bakey
Caused by high temperatures during firing.
Biscuity
Pleasant characteristic. Toasty or taste of fresh baked bread.
Body
Similar to thickness. Denotes the heaviness, fullness and strength of the liquor on the tongue. Ascribable to the presence of thearubigins.
Brassy
Metallic taste.
Bright
The ability of the liquor to reflect light from the surface, varying from mirror-like to total lack of reflection. Reflective quality is imparted to tea by the presence of theaflavins.
Brisk
Opposed to flat or soft.
Burnt
Subjected to extremely high temperatures during firing.
Character
Desirable quality: also permits recognition of origin.
Clean
Lacking in character but no unpleasant taint or taste.
Contamination
Foreign taste.
Creamy
Precipitate obtained after cooling.
Dry
Slightly over-fired.
Dull
Not bright, nor lively or brisk.
Earthy
Taste due to storage under damp conditions.
Fine
Exceptional quality and flavor.
Flat
Lifeless: lacking briskness.
Full
Possessing color: strength and substance.
Fully Fired
Slightly over-fired.
Grassy
Teas without physical or chemical wither.
Green/Greenish
Raw almost vegetive taste. Can refer to early first flush in black teas.
Hard
Penetrating and desirable strength.
Harshness
Raw characteristic – high firing or under-withering creates an astringent taste.
Heavy
Thick without briskness.
Light
Lacking depth of color.
Malty
Desirable character/a thick, creamy mouth-feel.
Mellow
Well matured: opposed to raw.
Metallic
Bitter metallic taste.
Moldy
Gone off through age or damaged by water.
Muscatel
Reminiscent of vineyards: characteristic found in exceptional Darjeelings.
Musty
Suspicion of mold.
Pale
Lacking color except in "green" teas where liquors should be pale.
Papery
Paper taint with dry, flat character. Sometimes associated with age.
Point
Most desirable brightness and acidity creating a fresh "sparkle" on the tongue.
Pointy
Having good point.
Pungent
Ideal combination of briskness, brightness, strength and flavor.
Quality
Essential characteristic of good tea.
Rich
Mellow liquor, abundant in quality and thickness.
Round
Full smooth liquor.
Scorched
Associated with dryness.
Smoky
A sharp, acrid or smoky taste.
Soft
Opposite of brisk.
Spicy
Character suggestive of spices.
Strong
Can be a bold, heavy cup or sharp, powerful character.
Taint
Foreign characteristic.
Thickness
A description of viscosity, ranging from light, almost watery to a heavy, juice consistency.
Thin
Lacking body or thickness.
Tired
Flat through age. Stale.
Toasty
Caused by over-firing.
Woody
Sawdust-like character. Usually associated with old tea.