Lexicon of Tea Tasting

A sharp tea, a biting liquor, an opulent scent ... Demystify the imaginary language of tea using our lexicon of tasting. An excellent way to enrich your vocabulary and put the right words to describe your favourite teas.

AMPLE: Round texture, generous liquid, quite long in the mouth. (Gaba Cha)
AROMATIC: Rich in aroma, very fragrant. (Dong Ding Mr Chang)
ASTRINGENT: Pungent, hard or full-bodied character, creates a drying feeling in the mouth.
BITING: Describes a feeling of astringency that is acidic and strong. (Pu Er 2016 Yiwu Sheng Tai)
BODY: Describes a texture that has presence and coats the mouth.
BOLD: Possessing a well-defined, instantly discernible character.
BRISK: Possessing great liveliness with a touch of acidity.
COMPLEX: Very rich in aromas with many subtle qualities. (Rou Gui Da Wang)
DELICATE: Light, refined.
FRESH: A liquid that gives a feeling of freshness, sometimes a little acidic. (Anji Bai Cha)
FULL: Quality of a liquid that fills the mouth and has persistence. (Népal Jun Chiyabari automnal)
FULLBODIED: Possessing body.
GENEROUS: Supported by a rich, aromatic intensity.
HEADY: Rich and complex.
HEAVY: Fragrance that is felt in the back of the mouth, dense.
INTENSE: Strong, powerful presence.
LIGHT: Supple and without body.
LONG: With a long finish; the quality of a wellstructured liquid.
MILD: Silky, supple, velvety, not astringent, sometimes associated with sweet. (Du Yun Hong Cha)
OPULENT: Rich, round, heady fragrance. (Mei Zhan Zhen)
PERSISTENCE: Describes an aroma that is long in the mouth (aftertaste).
POWERFUL: With a lot of strength, fullbodied.
PUNGENT: Creating a feeling of astringency that is harsh and coarse.
RAW: A slightly acidic liquid.
REFINED: Possessing delicacy and subtlety.
ROBUST: A strong constitution with a lot of body, powerful.
ROUGH: A liquid that is too astringent and is unpleasant.
ROUND: Describes a supple, silky, slightly tannic liquid that fills the mouth. (Sun Moon Lake T-18)
RUNNY: A supple, smooth liquid with little body. (Tai Ping Hou Kui)
SHARP: Brisk, slightly acidic character, narrow and incisive; may be delicate or robust.
SHORT: Possessing aromas or savors that quickly fade.
SILKY: Describes a liquid with a supple texture.
SMOOTH: Light texture without roughness.
STRUCTURED: Well-structured tannic liquid, full and strong, fullbodied but not coarse.
SUBTLE: Refined and complex.
SUSTAINED: An aroma with a persistent presence.
TANNIC: Describes a well-structured liquid that creates a pleasant feeling of astringency.
UNCTUOUS: Thick, mellow, very round texture. (Ali Shan)
VELVETY: With a thickness reminiscent of velvet. (Kabusecha Tamakado)
VIGOROUS: Slightly acidic character without softness.
WARM: Round, comforting liquid with no acidity. (Bai Hao)
WATERY: With a texture like water.
YOUNG: Describes a rather green character, immature, sometimes a little acidic.