How to Taste Tea (like a Pro)

I often hold beginner tea tasting sessions and watch as some guests struggle to process and interpret the many flavours in tea. I notice either a blank or frustrated look on their face as they try to make the connection between the aromas and flavours that they are experiencing with words, images or memories.
Often the resulting tasting notes will be limited to safe and broad terms like 'grassy' or 'earthy' when I know that they are experiencing so much more detail. The problem is that many people are not practised in 'active tasting'.
This is not something that has to be taught. Active tea tasting requires some direction but the key is practice and persistence. It is, in a way, a form of mindfulness as we take away distractions and focus attention and appreciation to the liquor in the cup.
In this video I present some simple guidelines to get you further along the road of active tasting. Before you know it you will be accessing descriptors that may even surprise you and you will be tasting tea like a pro.
Here is a nifty little flavour wheel to help give you some structure during your tea sessions: meileaf.com/article/how-to-ta...
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Try Duck Shit Oolong: meileaf.com/p/tea-ducc
Watch video about Gong Fu Brewing: • Why You Should Switch ...
Why I Love Gaiwans: • Why I Love Gaiwans
Should you be Slurping your Tea?: • Tea Tasting: to slurp ...
Video about Duck Sh*t Oolong: • House Roasting Duck Sh...
Video explaining the Ten Step Tea Tasting: • 10 Step Tea Tasting | ...
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[@YoyoDiMario]

Hey Don, I wanted to thank you for putting your time and effort into this channel. You're the reason I got into good tea :) Your genuine excitement and love for tea is contagious, and never fails to bring positive vibes to my day.

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks - happy Saturday!

[@reubenk1615]

YoyoDiMario I must agree

[@reubenk1615]

Mei Leaf keep it up!!! Keep finding us the good stuff

[@barbgreen7350]

This is so much more than I wver knew, there was to know about tea😅thank you

[@StarlightKG]

Oh yes pleeeease take this further! We love all the nerdy details!!!

[@0Templegoddess]

I totality agree :D

[@TheBergMan]

Indubitably

[@marlieswienand6064]

Very Cool :D

[@K1LD3R]

Binging your videos and getting very interested. Liking all of them for the algorithm, deserves more views.

[@tinacarroll5481]

Sometimes tasting notes may sound pretentious, but sometimes the most accurate description may sound a bit pretentious, but it's more important that it's accurate. And it's not pretentious if it's correct. Your tasting notes are 100% accurate. When I first read the Amber GABA packet, I may have literally rolled my eyes at 'summer rain on hot stones'. Then I tasted the tea and that's exactly what it tastes like, and I thought, hot damn! It does taste like summer rain on hot stones! I have tried at least 20 of your teas, and every single description has been 100% accurate.

[@kjell159]

I usually have some minor to major differences. Like say, I agree with (or even can get) about half of the tasting notes, and the other half is my own experience. Tip, try tasting it yourself first and only after that, reading the tasting notes of the seller. That gives you a more honest view in my opinion. I know mei leaf teas describe the tea on the package, otherwise the buyer would have no idea what the tea is like when buying it obviously. But when it comes down to his 10 step tasting notes he puts on the mei leaf site, you could only read them, after you wrote down some notes completely by yourself. And then compare and see the differences. I don't even tend to get, or agree, with some of the major tasting notes on the package. Even when I really try looking for it. Like I said, usually on average about half the same, half my own experience.

[@Ladycooks]

@@kjell159 this is a very good point. taste first, read third.

[@angelgalindo5740]

Wow, I've never thought about how our own personal history, experiences and memories play a major role in our personal perception of taste! I get it, though: some things just taste like childhood or a particular moment in our lives. So glad I started following yall!

[@cheyennesweeley33]

I LOVÉ YOU DON I JUST ORDERED 5 TEAS FROM YOU IM SO FREAKING EXCITED ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@MeiLeaf]

Love you more ;) Thanks for ordering and for watching.

[@RosesofWillows]

I've loved tea for years, but I think this channel will help guide me to the next level of appreciation.

[@Dubiouscyclist]

Hands down, this is the best tea tasting video and explanation I've ever seen.

[@ukcollegeofqigong8838]

Glad to have found you on youtube. I'm a medical qigong therapist (chinese medicine) and I always encourage patients to drink tea and enjoy the meditation of the process. When I have time I will call you to discuss more.

[@Dr.Shmoopy]

Yes please! deeper stuff!

[@GoodDaySir]

Just drinking tea is good, but the real fun for me like you are expressing here. Smell and memory linked together to give you the best enjoyment of the tea and the experience. I was just commenting on another video about this as they found your taste notes a bit much, but you cover this perfectly here. People forget you are an actual tea tasting professional, so yes along with any genetic benefits you have you are going to be able to pick out more than most people can just by it being your job. I think it comes down to focused practice as a more novice tea enjoyer to start to get more of those notes. I am heavy into a fragrance collection and now I can very easily pick up any fragrance and be able to tell you many of the various notes in it. Although, I certainly would expect an actual perfumer be able to do this better than me. I am a bit of a novice when it comes to "true tea" but I enjoy now tasting and smelling the tea along with you (and Celine, more Celine and crew please!) and I can pick a lot of the notes too, but not as good as you can. That said when you mention something and Celine goed "yeah now you mention it" I get that sort of thing too if I have that association in my memory. Thanks for the vids over the years, great stuff.

[@ravenclawrenee]

I found this video relaxing for some reason. Really enjoy your channel!

[@Malthan]

I would love a more in depth video. Also perhaps a list of teas that are good for learning - teas with very string, distinct flavor notes that would be good to learn them and later be able to identify in more subtle teas. I was fortunate enough to visit your store recently and have a chat with Celine, and now I can associate the taste of teas I got there to my memories from the visit :)

[@enzoma7253]

Great video! Such thorough explanation! Totally applies to all kinds of tasting, beer, wine, whisky, sake, even cigar ;D

[@kucingizuru]

That's where it comes from. The flavour wheel. Now it makes a little more sense.

[@mrsmac4739]

Yes yes yes! LOVED this video! More like this please - can't get enough tea-wisdom from you Don 👍 Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us ☺

[@jennyobiliseen4301]

Good morning, Don (or afternoon!) I've always used the mei leaf ten step tasting for enjoying my tea. I really like this because it allows me to go further in depth into the tea. When I dive deeper into a tea, I get more from the tea, and it allows me to remember memories attached to flavours.

[@jennyobiliseen4301]

Please take it further to Geek level! I would love to see it!!!

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes it is all about engaging in the tea tasting to have a higher appreciation of the tea.

[@osmosisazman]

Your enthusiasm is infectious. Great video, Don. p.s: still working my way to watching every video on your channel.

[@femkelodewijk9086]

Ooooh yes I would looove to dive deeper into tasting tea!!! It's awesome to watch you asking yourself these questions. I've learned a lot today watching this video... practicing right now! 😁

[@samisbrown]

Always take it deeper don Mei !!! Teach me everything you know!!!!!!!

[@onestupidperson8354]

woah, never knew tea tasting was so complex. Thanks for the info Don! I'd love to see a deeper explanation of all of this.

[@embee221b]

Hey Don, loved this video. Very informative and I would love some more in depth tasting videos! :D

[@andrewlovely5870]

I just started to get back into tea (life prevented me from doing so due to being busy with work and such.) and this really has rekindled the fire for me. If you're have time, please make another video that goes deeper, I was able to taste things in tea that I normally wouldn't have been able to

[@wadeeladathitisomboon3535]

Wow!! Thank you for this video. Your video is very inspirational and motivating. You look so passionate when you describe aroma notes. Love it !! :)

[@shaitan99]

Hi Don, I just discovered this channel and wow! one of the best I ever saw about tea. I'd love to hear more details about tea tasting! continue like this

[@MeiLeaf]

+Andrea shaitan welcome Andrea, try to join us for our love session on Saturday (watch the most recent upload for more details).

[@iltaodelte8048]

I passed through some of your videos, then switched to your website! I really appreciate your approach to tea and thank you so much for sharing. I'll check more videos from your playlist and I am sureI'll get more and more information about tea, the drink I like the best! I totally agree with you! I think enjoying tea is a real trip that brings you towards very far worlds, lands and habits, as well can help you to travel deeper within yourself, your memories, your experiences and feeling! Great site! Thank you!

[@Chef_PC]

Great video and such good information as always. Love your passion.

[@sarunphaosathienpan9232]

Thank for your tips and guideline. This is very helpful and could apply for training myself and my descriptive panel. I really like the quote tasing tea for mindfulness. That is absolutely true.

[@jangtsedude]

I also think that a lot of people are struggling to find descriptions for flavours and aromas. In the end it's really just experience and persistence which train your skills. I myself am able to link flavour notes to memories and other experiences quite quickly. It's like a trained intuition. :)

[@luzefurn001]

Thank you so much for all of your video!

[@kasparsulanovs]

Thank you for such a detailed and structured expression of tea qualities! It helps to build up and deepen extended knowledge of the magnificent and endless Tea World. It is always good to know the point of view of professionals! I like videos from China, tea masterclass and of course, it's always a pleasure to hear and watch you expressing taste and aromas. Sincerely, a good Tea lover from Latvia.

[@jessoneonly]

I realize you made this video a while ago, but I would love if you made a more in depth video on tea tasting. I enjoy everything you have to say on the topic.

[@alegongo]

Thanks for such an interesting video and above all, so simple to understand. Certainly, one of the ways to approach such an interesting exercise is to go from the general to the particular, recognizing every sensation from which we keep in our memory. I love your videos and I'd love to meet your store someday. Greetings from Venezuela.

[@cristianubeda6124]

Thanks for doing this! more in depth videos!!

[@dawnwilliams3492]

Yes please make more!!

[@dtmtheater5357]

Love the video and I just wanted to say thanks I just got back from Okinawa Japan and all your videos about matcha help me pick out the perfect traditional matcha set with high grade ceremonial matcha but of corse when I run out I know the perfect place to restock with meileaf.com I can't wait to share my tea with some friends your advice was great about matcha and fwy I love the new website your videos are always very helpful and it helps me improve my tea skills and I love your videos

[@sirsir9665]

Yes, a very astute tasting. I've recently started my journey to become a tea person.

[@chronophagocytosis]

I like the way you mention chemical compounds and the experience of tasting. Some other people would emphasise things like being natural and chemical free and other stuff like that. I think you're doing the right thing by taking a more scientific approach to this matter. Some people would prefer not to think of taste as a chemical matter, because they're afraid of the word "chemical". It's a very good thing you're using that word in its proper way.

[@Jacques_Paquin]

Great video Don. Please go further as you suggested.

[@aaronarellano7395]

Really enjoyed the content. Very professional, sir.

[@nizzes2223]

Hi Don, Thank you very much for sharing tea knowledge through your videos!! They are well made and very educational. Your youtube channel is really a treasure trove of information for tea newbies and of course tea heads 😉 Thank you for your generous sharing of tea knowledge and culture! Keep up the good work and look forward to more great tea videos from you! 👍 Ps: please do a video with more in depth details on tea tasting. Thanks!

[@bandar1983]

Thank you for the rich information. Always enjoyed them. But always your videos always too long. Please keep it up! You are the best

[@malokegames]

I have a peculiar way of tasting and appreciating my teas that may sound strange or maybe too technical, but it fascinates me! For each infusion i Brew ~100ml and put it in 4 small cups in sequence, so, the num1 is "weaker" and 4 is "stronger". First, i slurp about half of each cup also in sequence to note de differences between each layer. After that, i drop the remaining of cup 1 inside the cup 2 and taste half of it (the same for cups 3 and 4). And for the final step, i mix the remaining of cup 2 with the remaining of cup 4 for tasting the "whole" tea as it should be. I repeat it for each steep, but the later ones the difference becomes minimum... :)

[@leonidmiroshnik9542]

This is very creative and allows you to experience a gradient from light to heavy, and see which flavors dominate and shine in each cup.

[@hustlerfour]

I already had a general idea of tasting in coffee, wine and whisky tasting but a few friends of mine were asking how to start to get into it, I found your explanations to be far superior to what I could have done, not only that but the other videos of this channel are wonderful, incredible content and passion you have in here!

[@MeiLeaf]

+Shino thank you for watching us!

[@kalwantkaur9976]

Superb information... Keep it up

[@tanialovestea7578]

Great video Don! Thank you! XOXO, T.

[@MrBonesetter2]

Really interesting video!

[@northshorepressurewashing]

Hey Don, nice video. A more advanced session would be great! ✌️

[@Mozwik]

Thanks Don for another great video. I certainly would like to go deeper into this topic. Do you have suggestions for neutralising the palate as I have not found a reliable method yet?

[@Mindful_TEA_Break]

I was just preparing some tasting wheels to print right before seeing you putted one on the video :) Watched it while tasting Shu Pu Erh with a lot of golden tips - it was veeery sweet and what I love about it - it reminds me smell after soft summer rains in a very dry season. When this dusty ground gets slightly wet - I picked the same smell in wet leaves :)

[@621rosario]

Eventually my Brother ,who lives in London , has bought me some Imperial green from your shop in Camden! He connected with me from your shop via video what's up! And I was there too! Now I am waiting for him to take me the tea in Italy!

[@MaxSafeheaD]

You know what, that's fascinating!!! I'd love to learn more about this! Ever in Sussex? 😃

[@ohchai2631]

This was very helpful

[@paulpavlenko480]

Great informative video Don! Thank you! I see that you're using the Bonvita var. temp. kettle. How are you liking it? I love mine and I even still have that protective plastic cover over it... It looks way different without it. Do you note a very slight metallic taste of the water from the kettle after it's boiled? I sometimes do on mine...

[@macmcatee611]

Don, Gotcha---- you started out saying the first steep would be 10-20 seconds. I time you from when the water hit the leaf to when you poured. It was 40 seconds. How about a little lesson on timing steeps when you do the next tasting video and I do hope you expand on the topic. I find that when I pick up water and start to pour, then pick up giawan and pour I can use up 10 seconds plus if I move quickly. I don't see any way to get a consistent 10 seconds first steep. Once I get to the second or third steep then I can control the time much better. Thank you for featuring the Charleston Tea Plantation teas on your first live session. I enjoyed hearing your comments on "new world tea". And glad you were willing to leave superb Chinese teas in the container for at least one session, it was interesting to me. Regards, Mac McAtee

[@johnklotter]

I've been interested in the idea of single origin teas as blends. I would love to hear your thoughts on how picking and processing creates small differences in individual leaves that contribute to the overall flavor. It might be fun to take a shou mei or moonlight white and separate the buds, green leaves, and oxidized leaves to learn how they taste individually.

[@marcopagani7808]

Your passionate way of speaking sometimes reminds me of Antonio Pappano :)

[@ROSEISDAHLTROYEGREEN]

there is more to a cup of tea..betwen heaven and hearth than we can know! Horatio..

[@Ladycooks]

just finished an older pouch of young gushu with this video. i've recently realised that i'll need to develop a closer relationship with food now (calories UP UP and AWAY!) and people might think me strange when they find me sniffing and licking tires in the parking lot :D - hey, maybe this is why they reference people as having their nose in a book all the time? OH! I have a memory, slippery pavement. I've kissed that a few times in my life. I'll have to reference that in my notes one day. I agree with Yoel...

[@Jon-nm5ib]

Great video, Don. Do Mei Leaf sell those beautiful, long glasses?

[@ofeknagar9391]

Hi Don, great video, very exciting! What should I do if I don't have many flavor-aroma references? If I don't know how mangosteen tastes like, or how elderflower smells? Or generally - if I smell and taste the tea and I can't figure out what it tastes like...? you said in many videos that tasting tea is hardwired to our memories. So what if I simply don't have much taste-aroma memories?

[@livertine504]

Great video again. In my case I can't drink tea without food in my stomach - because otherwise my stomach gonna rebel ;). So if I ate something before how can I get my palatal / tasting bugs neutral again - as quick as possible? Water just does the rough work but still after drinking water there is still a shadow of the food taste left especially of spices.

[@DG-mv6zw]

Any idea what's the best way to neutralise your taste buds prior to tea tasting, so you can begin with a relatively neutral palette? Really helpful, usable video. Keep them coming. Thanks, Don.

[@WardStroud]

Don I love this video I have learned so much about tea from you and I'm very grateful it's a fun and fruitful journey... I wonder though... I've always seen people take the lid off between steeps because you don't want your leaves to stew. I wonder if it doesn't help to release the flavor and goodies better and I'd like a real scientific take on "should we remove the lid" and how does it really affect the Tea:)?

[@WardStroud]

I can I imagine an alternate universe where the excepted wisdom is "if you take the lid off in between steeping you will let all the flavor and aroma out...:)lol

[@TaijiMassage]

What I learned from a tea tasting I did once at this fancy shop in SF was that you take the lid off in between steeps to reduce excess extraction. I even saw the guy spread out the tea a bit with a tea tool and when I asked him why he did this he said that the steam trapped inside your brewing vessel can extract more flavour from the leaves while sitting there between steeps, thus adding new variables to you brewing process, since then I have made it a point to help my leaves cool off between steeps, by lifting off my lid and shaking my leaves loose. Still, if you wanted to do that intentionally, now you know and can be closer to teasing out those exact flavors you want. Like a pro!

[@jasonblack4208]

tried with some Green Coil. I'm picking up - broth - broccoli - a touch of capers combined together....somewhat like a marsh. swampy, humid, viscous, lots of slow moving water with lots of algae.

[@euanshields184]

Hey Don could you make a video on looking after/ ageing teaware

[@ring7609]

Hi Don, Since your Chinese tisane video, I seem to have developed a strong liking for large leaf Kuding, and have been having 2 or 3 leafs brewed in a glass grandpa style on most nights. Haha I think I may be a little addicted. Is there any negative health effects that could come from consuming it this much?

[@chippolo]

When you taste your tea do you usually let it cool down a bit or just go for example for the 80 degree infusion temperature? What I mean is, do you get more from the tea when it is at a higher or lower temperature?

[@raymondwhatley9954]

Your flavor wheel has two other things beside it. The "clean vs long" axis and the color wheel bit with the "thick vs thin" and "dry vs juicy" and while I can guess as to what they mean, I kind of wish you had explained it in the video. Do you have more resources on those aspects of tea flavor?

[@AnD-ze1lz]

can you please make a video on Darjeeling tea i am a tea lover and only tea i can manage here is the Darjeeling one. i wanto know what you think of it and ur expertise with it

[@EpicMafioso]

I would love to sit down with you, have a gong fu session, and really pick your brain over a nice Dancong. I would love to open my own tea house someday in America, we have absolutely Zero authentic Chinese tea shops in my area of Chicago.

[@moonshinevessel]

please take this further please!

[@notsurenone2199]

thanks

[@kkjin1]

Hi Don, Can you do a tea tasting using Decanter vs Gaiwan vs Clay Pot. TQ

[@Chrisiant]

I'd love to learn more about tasting. And..does a tea release different flavor or aroma compounds when cold?

[@kjell159]

He made a video on temperature: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWeUdZagfr5gg5I You might have already seen it by now, but I'll put it here anyway.

[@monicaavignone9965]

I would love to know your view on flowering tea.

[@JacobBradley00136]

This is amazing, he could be easily talking about whisky instead

[@Justshredman]

Hey can I please get a response on this. I am new to tea and believe that mei leaf has really good brand teas. But I would like to know what is a brand that is similar so I can pick it up locally. And don't give me that "nothing is close to our quality". That wasn't my question. Because if I can find something similar then I wouldn't have a problem ordering tea from you guys because I know the quality will be better.

[@aaartsygal]

I wanted to know please how about using Fine Bone China?

[@villadsjrengesen7457]

finally I can taste tea

[@simongiegerich7710]

We want you to take this further =)

[@thomasbyg4795]

THAT BOX!!!...HIDING THE SPILLAGE...HOW DID YOU CONCEIVE IT AND WHERE DID YOU GET IT?

[@CatBat90s]

May I ask what liquor is am I speaking it right?

[@gammazzz3894]

i fucking love ur channel

[@SilentButDescriptive]

What did you call that Oolong? 13:12 Did I hear what I think I heard? Or did you say something else which sounds erm.. like I heard?

[@MeiLeaf]

😁

[@lazyhammer]

*Coming up with all these questions only to discover this is not a live session* when is the next one?

[@MeiLeaf]

Sorry! Hold on to the questions because we will be doing more live sessions shortly. We will announce all over so that you can try to be there.

[@lazyhammer]

Mei Leaf So awesome! To gather so many tea lovers in one place... Inspiring, great job!

[@conorpaul4313]

more soon please! i'm saving my jade star for special occasions like those :)

[@brentpugsley1817]

More please! Also, an aged oolong video would be cool.

[@JacobScott0000]

moaaaar! ;)

[@lyncorsham1432]

IM WORKING ON TEA AND COFFEE

[@user-eh5xr1mh6w]

Buddha taught 4 step to success is 1. Passion 2.persistence 3.concentration 4.evaluation

[@scottg.544]

Thank you for taking the time to retaste this tea in particular as it was the only tea that I received that absolutely made me grimace with every sip when brewed gong fu style to the online specs. However after taking the time to cold brew it, I was finally able to unlock the flavor profile and not just taste astringent tannins, but rather notes of under ripe cherries and notes of ocean breeze. 😄 Also thanks for answering my question about how to filter out, out of stock teas on the website during the live feed! You really are an amazing and humble tea-head!!!

[@maksspiga1106]

Don's "10-15 seconds" steeping time are kind of around 40 seconds for normal people 😀

[@CatBat90s]

I'll be honest my nose is not trained at all when I drank tea and breathed through nose I'll be honest I didn't notice anything or I didn't know what I was looking for I couldn't smell the smell go through my nose

[@danielfaller5617]

1:00 pour guy he probabely has to work sooo hard

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Gah, duck sh*t oolong... worst name ever

[@qwertxd714]

😂da fuck...you just drink it. I didnt know that you could be a pro at drinking?

[@thomasbyg4795]

You need to calm down man...have some tea...!..wow!!!