tea taster
Professional leaf sampler
A tea taster is someone who professionally evaluates tea for quality, flavor, and consistency.
Like wine sommeliers, tea tasters develop refined palates to detect subtle variations in aroma, body, and finish.
They work for tea companies, auction houses, or as independent consultants, sampling hundreds of teas daily to grade shipments or create blends: The tea taster rejected the batch for its bitter aftertaste.
- cuppingSkin suction healing method
- steepRising at sharp angle
- infusionSteeping to extract essence
- loose leafPages without permanent binding
- palateOral cavity ceiling
flavor profile · aroma · brew · leaves · first flush · oolong · Ceylon · liquor · astringent · mouthfeel · notes · sip · slurp · blend · estate · flush · oxidation · tannins
- tea tradeEast India Company, clipper ships, Canton, trade agreements, customs duties
- sensory expertssommelier, supertaster, perfumer, nose, flavorist