From the Taster’s Room
These are some of the nomenclature used in tea tasting rooms. Trust me, there is a huge complexity involved in the process but these jargons are most important amongst other variants in differentiating the good teas from the rest.
Attractive: Well-made, uniform in color and size.
Black: Describing color of dry-leaf, a desirable characteristic for Orthodox teas.
Bloom: A live, rather than dull-looking tea. Bloom is often lost by over-handling/curing, during sorting.
Bold: Pieces of leaf that are too big for a grade.
Brown: Undesirable leaf color both for Orthodox and CTC (cut, tear and curl).
Chesty: Taint caused by unseasoned tea chest panels.
Chunky: Usually applied to large-sized tip. Desirable.
Clean: Free of stalk/fibre.
Cut: Orthodox leaf cut in the breaker rather than in the roller.
Even: Grade consisting of roughly equal-sized pieces.
Flaky: A flat, open leaf as opposed to a well-twisted leaf. Usually the result of poor withering/rolling.
Golden Tip: Highly desirable feature in Orthodox teas. Obtained by good withering and rolling.
Grainy: Well-made hard leaf.
Grey: Most undesirable color of dry-leaf caused by faulty handling, over sorting.
Gritty: CTC leaf that feels hard to the touch.

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