Tasting Tea

by Adam Yusko

Whether we want to or not, every time we sit down with a cup of tea we compare it to every other tea we’ve ever tried, or at least the memorable ones. But our perceptions are flawed by a number of events, and sometimes I think people that write reviews often forget that our standards and tastes are not in a constant optimum state.

When I think of flawed perceptions a story often talked about in the world of whiskey comes to mind. A certain well respected whiskey reviewer upon first rating a Single Malt Scotch gave it an acceptable score. It just so happened that the reviewer decided to give it another go several months later, this time giving it an outstanding score. Now, I am sure when he first reviewed the Whiskey he thought it deserved the lower score, as that is what his mood and senses wanted to rate that whiskey at that time. But our perceptions can be flawed from time to time.

So what can this tell us about tea? I think tea is slightly easier to compare as it is easier to set up a side by side comparison with many different teas as there is no numbing from alcohol. So while I see nothing wrong with tasting teas individually, I recommend occasionally comparing different categories of tea side by side, to strengthen in your mind the different characteristics of the classes. But at the same time try similar teas to really assess what makes one different from the other with different grades, or processing methods.

Our tastes can change from day to day, but when comparing the two side to side, granted you just didn’t eat something too flavorful, a side by side comparison can be the best way to decide which you prefer. It is also an amazing way to strengthen your ability to detect the differences between the many types and grades of tea. So keep on trying new teas, and possibly set up a side by side comparison of a few.