4 BEANS COFFEEHOUSE

TEA Talk: Terms used to describe fluid of tea

Autumnal - A seasonal term applied to teas grown during the autumn.
Baked - Unpleasant taste caused by excessive temperatures during the firing process resulting in a loss of moisture.
Body – A liquor possessing fullness/richness and strength.
Brisk - A live taste in the liquor vs. flat or soft.
Burnt - An undesirable note in teas that have been exposed to excessive heat during the processing.
Character - An intangible quality in a tea that identifies its origin of growth.
Color - A measure of the depth of the tea's physical color. Based on season, growth, & grade factors.
Cream - The "cloudiness" one notices upon the cooling down of brewed tea. A bright color denotes quality.
Dry – Baked or high fired. Once again, a quality that denotes an over-processed tea.
Flat - Usually a symptom of old or improperly stored tea. The briskness of the brew is lacking.
Full - A term used to describe a full-bodied tea with color and strength.

DRY LEAF TERMS

Attractive - Quality made with uniform color and size leaf.
Bold - Pieces of leaf that are too big for the grade it's in.
Chunky - A tea that possesses large sized tips.
Cut - A method of leaf production that utilizes a "breaker" as opposed to a "roller".
Even - A grade of tea that is comprised of equal sized pieces of leaf.
Flaky - A flat, open leaf which has been improperly withered and rolled.
Golden Tip - A quality to look for in a tea. This denotes proper withering and rolling.
Grainy -Well made hard leaf.
Large - Pertaining to leaf grade/size. Applies to a leaf that is too large for its grade.
Make - To have "make" is a desirable quality to have if you're a tea. This means you have been properly processed.
Milled - This applies to tea that is cut and ground with a cutter machine. (Oh, the agony of the leaf!!)
Mixed - Teas that have other grades of teas added to them.
Neat - A desirable quality: a well made tea that has an attractive quality.
Ragged - Rough an un-even leaf.
Shotty - Well-made and rolled ......... usually applies to Orthodox teas.
Small - A grade of tea that has a smaller size leaf than it normally has.
Stalky - A by-product of sloppy plucking-excessive amount of tea plant stalk is visible.
Stylish - Neat with premium quality leaf apparent.
Twist - When referring to whole leaf teas, the leaf has a "rolled" appearance denoting careful processing.
Well-Made - All is well here!! Beautiful color of the leaf, even texture and size...

Terms used to describe the Infusion

Mould - This denotes an old improperly stored tea or one that has been exposed to moisture/water.
Musty - Also pertaining to mould
Old - Flavor/palette lost to age.
Pungent - Very brisk- this is GOOD
Strength - A "presence" of body in the mouth.
Thin - Teas lacking in body that have been over withered and/or inadequate fermentation.
Wild - An undesirable quality usually found in end-of- season teas. A harshness/thinness is apparent.
Bright - A cup with "liveliness"- as opposed to dull and lifeless.
Coppery - This term describes the color of the infused leaf- denotes quality.
Green - Typical of first flush- lacks depth. Generally an undesirable quality.
Dull - Lacking in sheen/lifeless. Something you don’t want