A TEA TASTER'S GLOSSARY
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LIGHT:

Not to be confused with delicate. A light tea lacks body and aroma related to thin.

LIVELY:

See brisk, flashy.

MALTY:

A character associated with, and a desirable quality of Assam teas.

MATURE: 

Used to describe fully fermented black teas; see full. Not related to actual age; should not be confused with mellow.

MELLOW:

The desirable qualities a black tea may take on with a certain amount of age, few teas develop with age. See winey.

METALLIC:

An undesirable coppery tang found in some black teas.

MUSCAT:

Common description of the aroma and flavor of some fine Darjeeling's..

NEW:

Term used to describe recently picked and processed tea.

PLAIN:

Characteristic of the liquor of light or thin tea.

POINT:

A tea has point if it has some desirable quality, such as liveliness, briskness, or fine fragrance.

PUNGENT:

An astringent puckery sensation given to the gums; it is a quality of the liquor and not a flavor. Also called bite. Pungency gives tea bitter, harsh, rough character.

RAW:

See green, hard.

RICH:

Sometimes said of a full, mature tea, but it suggests an opulence of flavor as well, see winey.

ROUND:

See Full

SAPPY:

Full, juicy liquor; brisk.

SELF-DRINKING:

Said of a tea that possesses all the requisites of quality and thus does not need blending. Self-drinking teas can come from a variety of origins.

SMOKEY:

A desirable characteristic fragrance and flavor of some China teas, especially Lapsang Souchong, which varies from faint to strong. Also found in other teas due to faulty manufacture.

SMOOTH:

See full.

STALE:

A tea that has lost most of its quality through excessive age.Stale teas have faded aromas and a characteristic dead, papery taste.

STRENGTH:

Thick, concentrated liquors with pungency. In black teas also colory and creamy.

SWEET: A light, pleasant tea of no great character or quality.
TAINTED:

A tea with strange foreign aromas and flavors, usually because of molds or storage with odoriferous substances. See gone off.

TARRY:

Pronounced, heavy smoky aroma and taste as in Lapsang, Souchong.

THICKNESS: See Body, Strength.
THIN: A weak dilute tea, usually because of poor leaf.
TOASTY:

A term sometimes used to describe the Aroma of fine Kerman, ` occasional Darjeeling's, and sometimes other highly fired teas.

VEGETATIVE:

Green teas of ten have distinct vegetative aromas and flavor from new mown hay to sea weedy to delicately herbaceous.

WINEY:

A fine Darjeeling or keemun properly kept six months to a year or more may take on a mellow, winey character.

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