It would be true to say that tasters are born and not made.
Darjeeling Tea tasting is a refined art, which necessarily encompasses a large number of variables. A taster’s palate and olfactory senses are finely sensitive and highly discriminatory.
An experienced taster can identify the garden, ambient conditions of the plucking day and can even suggest adjustments in the manufacturing process. A taster uses his sharp sense of sight, smell, touch and taste while judging the quality of the tea.
A taster must also have in-depth knowledge about the prevailing market conditions, consumer preferences and manufacturing techniques while evaluating the tea. These natural talents, however, have to be trained and developed through long years of practice before the palate is proficient enough to register the minute differences. This is particularly true for Darjeeling Tea Tasters as the quality of tea differs from invoice to invoice and being an exclusive tea, it has no yardstick to standardise against.
It is only an excellent cup that truly cheers and taste is perceptible only by the human palate. No wonder that this craft is viewed with a tinge of awe and wonderment.
Tasting Procedure
In the tasting procedure, pots and cups made of the finest china, kept spotlessly clean, are used; 2.5 gm of each tea is weighed into pots and water, which has just come to the boil, is poured over it. The pots are then covered with a lid and the tea is infused for either 5 or 6 minutes, depending on the individual taster’s preference. The liquor is poured out into a cup and the tea is ready for tasting. The colour and evenness of the infusion, as also its nose, are an index to the intrinsic value of the brew. This examination takes place in a well-lit room away from direct sunlight, shade and shadow. Light from the north, which is steady and uniform, is ideal.
The scrutiny of the leaf and infusion over, the taster turns his attention to the liquor and takes a sip from the cup, rolls it in his mouth and spits it out. In that split second, the palate registers the taste - flavour, briskness, strength and any faults and flaws are recorded and the taster is ready with his judgement.
Darjeeling flavour is best appreciated on it’s own. However, it is always necessary to adjust the quantity of tea used per cup, approximately 2 gms., or half a teaspoon according to type, size and preference. Fine-tuning in terms of brewing time (3 to 6 minutes) is often rewarding.
The Tea Taster’s Terminology:
To the uninitiated, a conversation between Darjeeling Tea professionals can be a mystifying experience.
The taster’s terminology could refer to either dry tea, the infused leaf, or the liquor in cup.
Dry Tea
Stylish:
A neat, well twisted, evenly sized, wiry leaf appearance.
Tippy:
The unopened buds on the tea bush are transformed into silvery particles called Tips, which provide an attractive appearance in the made tea.
Bloom:
Silken sheen/lustre on the tea, resulting from a fine pubescence on the leaf surface.
Colour:
Relating to hue on dry tea i.e. greyish/greenish in the spring flush, purplish/brown in the summer and blackish brown in the autumn flush.
IInfused Leaf
Bright:
Lively bright colour, as opposed to dull. The hue varies from a delicate lime green in spring flush to a bright copper/purple in second flush and onwards to a pale brown in autumn.
Nose/Point:
The fragrance exuded by the infused leaf, also termed as aroma or bouquet, which can be evocative of certain flowers, fruits or muscatel character.
Even:
Uniformity of colour and size of the infused particles.
Cupped Liquor
Colour:
Self explanatory, varying from pale lemon to a rich amber with the season. Cups may be said to have varying degrees of visual brightness, depth and body.
Flavour:
A fragrance, a complex and pleasing taste and aftertaste with attributes of aroma, bouquet and point.
Taste:
Personal to each Darjeeling Tea lover, viz mellow, smooth, round, delicate, mature, sweet, lively, dry, brisk and so on. |
