Training Your Palate

  • Five teas to train your palate with

  • Tea tasting vs tea drinking

  • How terroir expresses itself in the cup

  • Seasonal variations: first flush vs second flush vs later harvests

  • What “qi” means in tea and whether it’s real

  • The 5 basic tastes in tea

  • Mouthfeel

  • Aroma

  • How to slurp tea like a professional cupper

  • Tasting multiple teas, palate cleansing, and order

  • Using a tasting wheel

  • What to write down when taking tasting notes

  • Comparing same tea with different brew times

  • Blind tasting

  • What is tea cupping?