Term Describing DRY LEAF  |  Term Describing INFUSED LEAF  |  Term Describing LIQUORS

Baggy

Taint from Hessian or Sacking

Bakey

Caused by High Temperature during Firing

Biscutty

Pleasant Characteristic

Bitter

An unpleasant taste associated with raw teas

Body

A Liquor having both Fullness and Strength as opposed to being Thin.

Bouquet

Superlative Flavor

Brassy

Metallic Taste

Bright

Opposed to Dull

Brisk

Opposed to Flat or Soft

Burn

Fully Fired

Burnt

Subjected to extremely High Temperature

Character

Desirable quality. Also permits recognition of Origin

Clean

Lacking in character but No Unpleasant taint or taste

Coarse

Unpleasant taste

Cold Weather

Tea produces after monsoons

Colour

(Self-explanatory)

Coloury

Depth of Colour.

Common

A very Plain, Light and Thin Liquor with no distinct flavor

Contamination

Foreign Taste

Creamy

A natural precipitate obtained as the liquor cools down

Dry

Slightly High-fired.

Dull

Neither clear or bright, nor lively or brisk.

Earthy

Taste due to storage under damp conditions.

Empty

Lacking fullness and substance.

Fine

Exceptional quality and flavor

Flat

Lifeless. Lacking briskness

Flavouyr

(Self-explanatory)

Fruity

Unpleasant Overripe taste

Full

A good combination of Colour, Strength and Substance

Fully Fired

Slightly over-fired

Geranium

Reminiscent of aroma of geranium found in certain Darjeelings.

Gone off

Past its time.

Golden

(Self-explanatory)

Grassy

Teas without physical or chemical wither

Green/Greenish

Immature ‘raw’ character due to under fermenting and under withering during manufacture

Hard

Penetrating and Desirable strength

Harshness

Raw characteristics

Heavy

Thick Without briskness

High-fired

(Self-explanatory)

Lacking

Light

Lacking depth of colour.

Malty

Desirable character

Mellow

Well matured. Opposed to raw.

Metallic

Bitter metallic taste.

Minty

Mint-like flavor.

Mouldy

Gone off through age or damaged by water.

Muddy

A dull, Opaque Liquor

Muscatel

Desirable character in Darjeeling teas. A grapey taste.

Mushy

Flat. Soggy.

Muscatel

Reminiscent of vineyards. Characteristic found in exceptional Darjeelings.

Musty

A suspicion of Mold

New

Not having had sufficient time to mellow.

Nose

Aroma

Out of Condition

(Self-explanatory)

Old

(see flat)

Pale

Lacking Colour except in GREEN teas where liquors should be Pale.

Papery

Paper taint.

Peachy

Flavor of certain fine Darjeelings.

Pinky

Brighter more pink and delicate then coloury.

Plain

A liquor that is ‘clean’ but lacking in desirable characteristics

Point

Most Desirable Brightness and Acidity

Pointy

Having good ‘Point’

Pre - Autumnal

(Self-explanatory)

Pungent

ideal combination of briskness, brightness, strength and flavor.

Quality

essential characteristics of good tea.

Rains/Rainy

North Indian teas produces during monsoons

Raspberry

Flavor akin to Raspberry.

Rasping

A very coarse and harsh liquor

Raw

Immature

Red

(Self-explanatory)

Rich

mellow liquor abundant in quality and thickness.

Round

full smooth liquor.

Scorched

associated with dryness.

Self-drinking

palatable in itself not requiring blending.

Slatey

describes colour

Smoky

(Self-explanatory)

Soggy

Heavy Dull liquor

Soft

Opposite of Brisk

Spicy

Character suggestive to Spice

Stale

(Self-explanatory)

Stewed /Stewy

Incorrectly fired

Strength/Strong

Substance in cup

Sweaty

Unpleasant taste

Taint

Foreign Characteristic

Thick

Opposed to Thin

Thin

Lacking Body

Tinny

(Self-explanatory)

Tired

Flat through Age

Toasty

Caused by Over Firing

Unsound

Tainted or lacking keeping properties

Weathery

Unpleasant taste on some rains teas

Wild

Autumnal teas past their prime

Woody

Sawdust-like character

Winey

Over Fermented under Sterile condition

Weedy

Thin. Cabbagy. A grassy or hay taste.