Nose Phase

Always smell it for a while before touching it with your lips. It is essential to bring the nose to the surface and learn to spin the cup briefly but effectively so that the movement of the liquid causes the evaporation of its aromatic elements.

These are subdivided into a collection of 'series' which experience and tasting with experts will help you master.

According to classical guidelines, the aromas are subdivided into these series:

• animal (leather, butter, …)
• floral (orchid, rose, jasmine, …)
• woodland (undergrowth, damp earth, mushroom, ...)
• vegetable (vegetables, asparagus, spinach, peas, ...)
• herbal (grass, hay, fresh plants, ...)
• fruit (apple, grape, peach, berries, exotic fruits, ...)
• balsamic (eucalyptus, liquorice, ...)
• wood (sandalwood, cedar, pine, resin, ...)
• spicy (pepper, cinnamon, ...)
• roasted (tobacco, caramel, cocoa, roasted, ...)
• marine (seawater, seaweed, iodine, ...)

Palate Phase

The taste depends on the stimulation of our so called ""taste buds"", which are situated preferably on our tongue, though some are situated on the palate; its sensitivity is variable.

Nerves (mainly facial) connected with the taste buds transmit impulses to the nerve centre located in the medulla (continuation of the marrow where the spine begins); from here, the impulses are transmitted to the upper and inner faces of the parietal lobe, closely related to the area of the brain associated with smell.

The nearly 10,000 taste buds that humans have are unevenly distributed over the upper side of the tongue, where they form spots sensitive to certain classes of chemical compounds that induce the sensations of taste. Generally speaking, the taste buds sensitive to sweet and salty flavours are concentrated at the tip of the tongue, those sensitive to acidity at the sides and those sensitive to bitterness at the back.

Food chemicals are dissolved in the moisture in the mouth and penetrate the taste buds through the pores in the surface of the tongue, where they come into contact with sensory cells. When a receptor is stimulated by one of the dissolved substances, it sends nerve impulses to the brain. The repeat frequency of the impulses indicates the intensity of the flavour.

What we commonly call ""taste"" is actually the ""flavour"", which results from the interaction of the senses of taste and smell. Other sensations we get from food, the pungent taste of a strong mint or the fizz of sparkling drinks, as well as the texture, temperature and presentation, are also part of the taste experience.

80% of what we perceive as taste is actually smell. Humans are able to distinguish about 20,000 different smells, each with 10 or more different degrees of intensity. The sense of smell is activated when smells reach the olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity via two pathways: inhalation through the nostrils and through the inner part of the mouth, when chewing and swallowing.

Visual Phase

Note the clarity and colour (intensity, hue, transparency). The appearance of the tea tells you much about it; its colour is the first contact, and its appearance should invite us to drink it. The colour intensity gives a more accurate picture of the body of the tea and its tannic structure. If the colour is strong, deep and concentrated, there is every chance that the tea is also strong and rich in tannic substances; on the other hand, if the colour is weak, the tea will probably have a light body and be shorter on the palate, which in no way rules out that it can be pleasant, rich, flawless and a perfect example of a specific typology.

Colour has many nuances that indicate the degree of oxidation of the tea or speak of production processes. The yellow-green colour of Japanese green teas is a result of their steaming process. However, Chinese greens that have undergone roasting acquire coppery shades and we talk about old gold, copper or pale yellow.

Limpidity measures the presence of suspended particles in a tea. Not to be confused with turbidity, this is a result of poor preservation, or of using old and broken leaves. If we analyse limpidity we determine whether a tea is bright, clean, transparent, matte, opaque, dirty, dull, cloudy, etc. Limpidity, transparency and brilliance are suitable qualities for white teas, green teas and oolongs. In the case of black and red teas we can find limpid teas that are not excessively transparent, because transparency depends on the intensity of their colour.

The colors of the tea

Tasting Glossary

Below, you will find detailed definitions of the tasting descriptors used in this manual. 

• Bitterness: unpleasant roughness due to excess acids.
• Fruity: Tea containing the scent of ripe, fresh grapes. Also applies to the discovery of other fruits.
• Exhausted: has lost its aromatic characteristics, its finesse, its fruity tones; feels flat and depressed.
• Sour: very pronounced acid taste combined with bitterness, characteristic of certain citrus fruit such as grapefruit.
• Woody: aromatic nuance referring to the odorous trees of some forests. (cedar, sandalwood, etc.)
• Bitter: the bitter tasting substances belonging to the family of phenolic compounds or polyphenols. Its bitter taste is generally accompanied by astringency and it is difficult to separate these two sensations.
• Dull: dull, insipid, lacking liveliness.
• Aromatic: fragrant tea, rich in aromas and tastes.
• Rough: Tea with a strong presence of tannins, which produces a tactile sensation in the mouth.
• Astringent: dry feeling not to be confused with bitterness. Perceived mainly in the gums (giving the impression that the mucosa contracts)
• Velvety: silky, smooth, mellow, caressing the palate.
• Vinegary: acetic, spoiled.
• Balsamic: pungent flavour characteristic of many medicinal plants (eucalyptus, peppermint, liquorice, etc.)
• Soft: term used to define weak tea, without personality or lacking character.
• Bright: visual impression produced by a tea of perfect clarity with crystalline reflections.
• Caramelized: name for the smells and flavours of the caramelization of sugar.
• Fleshy: dense, thick Tea that fills your mouth.
• Cedar: term used to describe the somewhat scented aroma of this softwood.
• Short: remaining very little time on the palate. Not necessarily poor quality.
• Raw: lacking ripeness and with pronounced acidity.
• Body: weight and volume of the tea in the mouth. Set of tactile sensations.
• Weak: badly defined Tea, poor.
• Thin: description of a tea which lacks flavour. Lacking body.
• Delicate: lacking robustness, but pleasant.
• Dense: Tea with a robust, thick body and great consistency. Voluminous.
• Unbalanced: lacking harmony in flavour and aroma.
• Hard: description of a tea squeezed between its components, with excess tannin or acidity.
• Balanced: description applied to harmonious teas, with a balance between all its components.
• Spicy: aroma and flavour of spices, spicy sensations.
• Thick: full-bodied, strong, with a powerful, dense colour.
• Floral: with the scent of flowers. Can be of flowers in general or specific flowers: rose, jasmine etc.
• Fresh: young tea retaining its vitality and acidity.
• Gross: a somewhat vulgar tea. Robust and with high colour.
• Herbal: sensation perceived in the nose and mouth; tea reminiscent of freshly cut grass.
• Young: term used to describe teas from spring harvests.
• Long: that makes an impression that lingers in the mouth. Positive feature.
• Light: that does not weigh in the mouth. Lightweight.
• Limpid: transparent.
• Clean: no strange or unpleasant odours.
• Ripe: Teas belonging to harvests following the spring. Evolved flavours.
• Malty: with aromas like roasted barley (malt), used in the manufacture of beer and whiskey.
• Mellow: mild, pleasant, without sharp edges or stridency.
• Metallic: defective property in which the taste of the tea is reminiscent of metal. May or may not be caused by undesirable contact with metal elements.
• Mineral: flavour coming to tea from the mineral content of the farmland. Not to be confused with earthy.
• Mould: undesirable flavour caused by leaf defects or poor storage.
• Opaque: expression exemplifying a dull tea. In nose and mouth, weak, lacking interest.
• Rusty: that due to contact with oxygen, has lost its taste qualities and changed colour.
• Pasty: which adheres to the palate.
• Penetrating: powerful, with strong aromas.
• Round: well balanced, ripe, harmonious, palatable, without sharp edges.
• Refreshing: with pleasant, thirst-quenching acidity.
• Resinous: aroma derived from wood, with higher alcohol content.
• Robust: term used to describe a tea with consistency. With force, body, roundness.
• Dry: sharp. Lacking force and freshness.
• Silky: with a firm texture, but soft on the palate.
• Smooth: silky, velvety, mellow, with a nice touch.
• Tannic: astringent due to excessive presence of tannins.
• Tannins: natural substance in tea with a tanning action.
• Earthy: reminiscent of earth. Aroma between newly wet earth and dust.
• Roasted: the sensation between sweet and toasted of caramelized sugar.
• Cloudy: opaque appearance of tea.
• Veiled: not clean.
• Green: describes black tea which has had insufficient oxidation.
• Old: overripe. Lacking freshness.