My local tea shoppe has tastings where everybody describes the tea
taste. I've never attended because I would sound like a complete
idiot. I drink tea for the immediacy of the moment. So at any moment
in time all I could say is not good, not bad, ok, good, great, yum. I
more than anything appreciate infusion clues like freshness, smell,
color, purity, grade, and a great swansong. If it looks sexy in the
pot then the taste is a bonus and not a requirement. I've drank
enough tea of any variety to know what I like but I couldn't tell you
why in so many words. I've said this before the last time I tasted
Ceylon Lover's Leaf was twenty years ago and I remember how much I
like it. I just tasted it again at my local tea shoppe and memory
serves me right.

Jim

Michael Plant wrote in message ...
Cameron 11/10/04


Mmmmm.... Bai Hao. Judging nuances in tea is more than just a matter
of good senses. It involves building a tasting vocabulary, something
which can only be done with experience. The more tea you try, the
more distinct each individual tea becomes. It sounds as if you're
well on your way.

Cheers,

Cameron

Cameron,

I wonder. From another viewpoint, judging (experiencing/knowing) the nuances
of tea requires *no* vocabulary whatsoever; expressing and explaining these
nuances to others, and comparing one tea to another requires words.

Michael