Cupping Tea
Like coffee, cupping tea is an art. Cupping tea is usually only done by master tea blenders. Typically, tea is judged with the following in mind:
- appearance and smell of the dried leaf
- color and odor of a weak infusion
- the aroma, body and briskness of the infusion when tasted
Appearance and smell of the dried leaf
First, examine the dried leaf. Black tea should be dark (blackish-brown) and well twisted, which indicates a good wither. An open, flat leaf infuses quickly; a closely twisted leaf takes longer to infuse and will give a better second cup. In general, the leaf should be small, hard, well rolled, and uniform in appearance. The dry leaves can be squeezed to test the resilience of the leaf, which is an indication of young tea. This method of judging the quality of tea is only used for black teas. The appearance and smell of the dried leaf are not determining factors of quality in green and oolong teas.
Color and odor of a weak infusion
Next, examine a weak infusion of tea. If black or oolong tea has not been fermented long enough, the infusion will be conspicuously bright in color and the leaf will have a green tint. A dark green infusion indicates insufficient withering and over-fermentation. An infused tea with a green-yellow tint indicates pungency and a rich golden leaf signifies quality; a reddish leaf indicates a full rich liquor, while a dark leaf will produce a low-grade common tea. Perfect black tea will be full, rich, and thick looking in the cup, rich in color with a bright, sparkling appearance immediately after pouring. Oolong teas will turn cloudy or “cream down” as the tea cools.
A green tea that has a clear green-yellow of green-golden color in a weak infusion is a young, early picked leaf. A dull, lifeless dark yellow color denotes old or low-grade tea. The lighter the liquor, the younger the leaf and the better the tea is. Smell the weak infusion to get some indication of the character of the tea and to detect possible burning during firing.
Flavor characteristics of the drinking infusion
The final step is to taste the flavor of the tea infusion. Cupped tea is described in three main ways. The first is the briskness, the second is the body, and the third is the aroma.
According to Mike Harney, a master tea taster of Harney and Sons Tea Company, the drinker of the tea should ask the following questions.
Briskness: Does your mouth pucker?
Body: Does the tea fill your mouth?
Aroma: Does the tea have a robust aroma?
Answering these questions will give an indication of the quality of the tea. Above all else, the importance of tasting the tea is to make sure that the drinker enjoys the beverage. As long as the tea is wonderful to drink, nothing else matters.