Tea Flavor Descriptors

Aroma is the smell of the tea leaves

and liquor after infusion with
hot water. Taste and aroma are quite
similar and flavor descriptors often
relate well to both elements.

To evaluate aroma, after infusing

with water, smell the leaves by lifting
the lid of the steeping cup and
sniffing the infused leaves.

© Copyright 2013 International Tea Masters Association. All rights reserved.

Terms to Describe Wet Leaf Aroma
Flowery / Floral:
An exceptionally aromatic character suggestive
of flowers such as jasmine, orchid or rose.
This can either be a natural trait of the tea leaves
themselves, or as a result of scenting or blending
the tea leaves with flowers during production.
Floral descriptors include:
• Fresh Floral: fresh roses, orange blossom,
peony, geranium, hyacinth, freesia, lily of the
valley, lilac, narcissus, gardenia, roses, violets
• White flowers: jasmine, daisy, marguerite,
mimosa, wisteria, lily, chamomile, osmanthus
(a native Chinese species), orchid
• Exotic flowers: frangipani (the Temple tree of
Hawaii), orchid, Tahitian gardenia, magnolia,
ylang-ylang (from the cananga odorata
tree ), Rose absolute (Rosa damascena),
chrysanthemum, honeysuckle
Fruity:
Flavor nuances similar to ripe fruit. Sometimes
found in oolong and black teas. Also describes
fruit flavored teas.
• Orchid Fruits: pear, red apple, green apple,
boiled apple, quince, grape, plum, cherry,
grape, apricot, yellow peach, white peach
• Berries: strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant,
blackberry, black fruit, red fruit
• Exotic fruit: mango, passion fruit, lychee,
kiwi, melon, papaya, banana
• Citrus fruit: zest, lemon, orange, mandarin Butter, Dairy Produce:
orange, bergamot orange, lime
Fresh butter, melted butter, cream, milk,
• Cooked fruit: prune, dates, fruit jam, stewed condensed milk
fruit, fig, raisin, currant, cherry stone, stewed
pear, baked apple, dried apricot, candied
orange peel Sweet, Vanilla:
Vanilla sugar, honey, wax, pollen, burnt honey,
• Nuts: green almonds, bitter almonds,
vanilla
chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, horse
chestnuts, toasted nuts, peanuts, toasted
peanuts, peanut skin, olives, toasted rice
Rich:
Chocolate, cocoa, mocha, sweetened chestnut
Vegetal / Herbaceous: puree, frangipane, caramelized apple, caramel,
jam, caramel, syrup, malt
• Fresh herbaceous: green stems, privet, freshly
mown grass, sap, sorrel, watercress, cultivated
mushrooms,daisies, alfalfa,pine, damp pine
needles, rosemary, green pepper Earthy:
Damp soil, cellar, mushroom, mold, dust, stony,
• Aromatic herbs: basil, mint, bay leaves, wet earth after a storm, peat, saltpetre, damp
coriander, sage, dill leaves, moss, patchouli
• Cooked vegetable: artichoke, asparagus,
spinach, French beans, zucchini, cooked
Woody:
vegetables, grilled vegetables, raw
vegetables,cabbage, cooked broccoli, steamed • Waxed wood, dry wood, damp wood, sawdust,
squash, grilled squash, caramelised carrot, cedar,sandalwood, vetiver (a relative of lemon
grilled sweet potato, cauliflower grass), balsa wood, pine, arnica
• Dried herbaceous: hay, wicker, straw, tobacco, • Woody with gamy notes: holly, blackcurrant
malty leaves
Spicy notes:
• Mild spices: cinnamon, licorice, vanilla, anise,
nutmeg, coriander, thyme
• Hot spices: clove, cardamom, pepper, ginger
Terms to Describe
Wet Leaf Aroma...
Burnt
• Roasting coffee
• Breadcrumbs, bread crusts, brioche
• Toasted hazelnuts, peanuts, popcorn
• Smoked, tobacco, charcoal, ashes,
toasted bread
Mineral
Metallic, hot metal, silica, flint
Marine
• Shellfish: winkles, mussels, oysters, whelks
• Crustaceans: crab, velvet crab, crab claws
• Fish: salmon meat, fish skin, raw fish,
steamed fish, grilled fish
• Others: iodine, seaweed, kelp
Gamy
• Leather, saddlery, horse
• Big cat, musk, damp wool, sweat
• Manure, stable, tannery, menagerie
• Cat urine, indole (chemical present in
some plant oils and tar)
• Truffle
• Cooked red meat, roast beef,
steamed chicken, grilled chicken
Smoked
Bacon, tar, hydrocarbons
Terms to Describe Taste
Astringent: The dry taste left by teas high in
unoxidized polyphenols
Bakey: An over-fired liquor
Brassy: An unpleasant, bitter metallic taste
indicating improper withering of the leaf
Brisk: A vivacious, slightly astringent taste as
opposed to a flat or soft flavor. This describes
the lively quality of an infusion. Results from
good manufacture
Bright: A lively, aromatic, uplifting flavor
Burnt: Extreme over-firing
Buttery: A rich heaviness in the mouth
Character: The distinct qualities of the tea, often
specific to the region where the tea was grown.
It is an attractive taste when describing flavors
representative of a specific origin
Chocolate: A rich, deep, flavor reminiscent of
chocolate. Found in some oolong and black teas
Citrus: Describes tea with subtle citrus fruit
undertones
Crisp: A clean and fresh characteristic that is
sometimes tart; not soft
Deep: Having layers of complexity or richness
Delicate: Restrained flavors that are neither
strong nor intense
Distinctive: A tea that is markedly different
from other teas and sets itself apart with refined
character qualities
Dry: A tea that finishes parched or dehydrated
in the mouth; not sweet. May indicate slight
over-firing
Earthy: Describes an elemental character of some
teas likened to the smell of damp, forest soil.
This is a natural and desirable trait of tea from
certain regions, or if it is unpleasant, it can indicate
improper storage
Elegant: Gentle, well-rounded and smooth
Flat: Unfresh (usually due to age), or poor withering
and rolling
Flavor: A most desirable extension of “character”
caused by slow growth at high elevations and
comparatively rare
Fine: A tea of exceptional taste and quality
Fruity: Can be due to over-fermentation and/or
bacterial infection before firing. An over-ripe taste
Full: A good combination of strength and colour
Gone Off: A flat or old tea. Often denotes a high
moisture content (resulting from under firing)
Grassy: An herbaceous aroma or flavor suggestive
of alfalfa or grass
Green / Raw: An immature character. Often due to
under fermentation (and sometimes under-wither)
Terms to Describe Taste...
Harmonious: A perfectly balanced flavor in terms
of all of its components
Harsh: A negative characteristic describing a bitter,
unpleasant or offensive taste sensation. A taste
generally related to under-withered leaf
High-Fired: Over-fired but not bakey (or burnt)
Herbaceous: An herbal aroma or flavor reminiscent
of herbs, leaves or plants
Honey: A sweet aftertaste or a silky, nectar-like
texture
Jasmine: Tea that has floral notes of jasmine,
usually a result of added jasmine flowers or a
traditional scenting process during production
Length: A long-lingering taste that remains in
the mouth after swallowing a sip of tea
Light: Indicating a thin character, in terms of
texture and weight on the tongue
Lively: Pleasingly vibrant in astringency and
briskness
Malty: A desirable, hearty malted barley taste
found often in Assam tea
Metallic: An unfavourable trait used to describe
a coppery tang in black tea
Mellow: Tea leaves which have matured well,
producing a harmonious, well-balanced,
smooth flavor
Muscatel: Rich flavor like that of muscat grapes.
This is an exceptional characteristic found in high
quality Darjeeling tea
Nutmeg: A characteristic often associated with
Darjeeling teas that is mild in the first flush and
more pronounced in the second flush
Nutty: Attribute of some teas (such as some
pan-fired green teas or certain black and oolong
teas) that suggests the roasted aroma of hazelnuts,
almonds, roasted nuts, etc
Orchid: A taste nuance (sometimes found in high
quality oolong or green teas) that resembles the
fragrance of fresh blooming orchids
Pine: An aroma suggestive of fresh-cut pine
Peppery: Spicy texture on the tongue
Plain: A liquor which is “clean” but lacking in the
desirable characteristics.
Port: A flavor found in some teas that is reminiscent
of the rich, sweet, grape flavors found in dessert
wines
Pungent: Astringent with a good combination of
briskness brightness and strength. Often presents
a bright liquor that has a pleasant, pronounced
flavor. This is a desirable quality, but must be
well balanced
Quality: Refers to “cup quality” and denotes
a combination of the most desirable liquoring
properties
Refined: Harmonious, elegant, and well-balanced
Rich: A pleasantly thick and mellow flavor
Round: A full, smooth-tasting flavor
Short: A too-brief taste or finish that ends abruptly
after swallowing
Silky: A smooth, graceful texture quality
Simple: Flavors and aromas that have only a single
layer of sensation; not complex
Smokey: Refers to the flavor a tea acquires from
being “fired” (dried) over smoky flames, imparting
a woodsy or smoked flavor
Smooth: Indicating lively character but little
pungency, not flat
Soft: The opposite of briskness and lacking
any “live” characteristic. Caused by inefficient
fermentation and/or firing
Spicy: A fragrance or flavor reminiscent of spices
like cinnamon, black pepper or clove. Can be a
natural attribute of the tea leaves themselves, or a
result of added spices in the case of blended teas
Stale: Tea that has not been stored properly or has
too long a shelf life may take on this flat, one-
dimensional papery flavor
Stewed: A soft liquor with an undesirable taste
caused by faulty firing at low temperatures and
often insufficient air flow
Terms to Describe Taste...
Sweet: The quality of a light, pleasing tea that
has nothing unfavorable or superior about it.
Free from excessive acidity. Usually considered
a pleasant flavor or aftertaste on the tip of
the tongue; suggestive of honey, sugar or
licqorice root
Strength: Substance in cup
Taints: A character or taste which is “foreign”
to tea
Tangy: An intensely piercing sweet and sour
impression along the sides of the tongue
Tannin: A natural substance found in plants that
imparts a puckery mouth feel and produces the
structure and texture in many teas
Tarry: A heavy, smoky aroma or flavor. Used to
describe certain Lapsang Souchong teas
Tart: An intensely sharp sensation along the sides
of the tongue. This can be a positive or negative
trait depending on the type of tea and the
intensity. For example, hibiscus leaves are prized
for their natural, exceptionally tart flavor
Thick: Tea that has good body as opposed to
being thin. Black teas often produce a thick liquor
with a heavy, dense texture quality
Thin: Tea that lacks body. This is not necessarily
a bad trait, as certain teas (such as Darjeeling or
some white teas) are celebrated for their thin yet
flavory liquors
Tippy: Having a consistent amount of golden or
silver colour on the tips of the leaves, indicating
fine plucking. Tips can also be added into some
designer blends
Toasty: The pleasant baked or bisquity aroma of
a well-fired tea. Used to describe fine Keemun
teas, some Darjeelings, or other high-fired teas
Vanilla: Having a sweet flavor suggestive of
vanilla beans or vanilla extract/flavor
Vegetal: A vegetative aroma or flavor suggestive
of seaweed, herbs, or grass. Used to describe
most green teas
Vigorous: A firm, flavor-forward quality
Weak: A tea lacking in strength and character
Weedy: A flavor suggestive of wet grass or straw,
often related to under-withering
Winey: A mellow, complex character developed
by mature Darjeelings and Chinese black teas.
Having the mature, fruity essence of a fine red
wine
Woody: An aroma or flavor reminiscent of tree
bark, cedar, pine or oak
Yeasty: An aroma or flavor suggestive of baked
bread