Tea tasting is an art that requires expertise and time to perfect. At Ringtons, we have spent over 115 years perfecting our techniques for assessing the appearance, aroma and flavour of all teas, so that we can ultimately appreciate their quality and value. Here’s a deeper look at what goes into our tea tasting processes and why we take it very seriously to make sure you get the perfect cup, every time.
Understanding the Tea Tasting Process
In many ways, tea tasting is similar to wine tasting; it's complex, sensory-driven, and rooted in tradition.
Teas are set up using special crockery designed for controlled tea tastings. Dry leaves are accurately weighed into uniform cups before carefully boiled water is added to each in equal measure.
Lids are placed onto the cups to help retain temperature with each tea brewed for the same time before the liquors are decanted into bowls to taste from. The now-infused leaves are presented on the lids of the cups for assessment.
Once ready, each batch can be evaluated, starting with the appearance of the leaves, then the aroma, then the flavour. Our tasters delve into each bowl of freshly brewed tea with a tasting spoon and then, usually with an almighty sluuuurp, draw the tea onto their palates to assess what it has to offer.
Photo: A well-used tea tasting spoon that has been at Ringtons for decades and helped to sample many thousands of teas!
Tea tasting is key to many critical steps we undertake as we strive to bring our customers exceptional tea. From working with our tea producers in origin to blend creation and quality control, tea tasting is fundamental.
Do you think you could be a tea taster?