When first tasting a tea, it is easy to jot down 'aromatic' or 'smooth'; compare two teas a week later, however, and these words rarely help. A tasting sheet does not need to be complex, but it should answer: what tea was drunk, how it was brewed, and how it differed.
Record Conditions First, Sensations Second
Note down the product name, specification or batch number, opening date, leaf weight, water volume, water temperature, teaware and the duration of each infusion. When selecting teas for retail or hospitality, use the same water and teaware across all samples. Otherwise, if cups and brewing times vary, it becomes difficult to tell whether differences stem from the tea or the preparation.
Observations can be structured across four areas: dry leaf, aroma, tea liquor and infused leaves. For dry leaf, describe the shape or condition of the buds and leaves; for aroma, record what is detected and its intensity; for tea liquor, note the body, astringency and finish; and examine the infused leaves after brewing. Technical jargon is not required: 'initially sweet on the palate, mildly astringent when cool' is far more useful than an arbitrary high score.
Keep Records to Inform Next Steps
Domestic drinkers can add a note such as 'use less tea next time'; cafés need to record whether flavour holds up after adding milk or ice; procurement teams must separate sensory evaluations from product documentation. A tasting sheet cannot verify geographical origin, pesticide residues or batch consistency. Once candidate teas are selected, request the labels and available testing records for that batch from Jiang Rong Hao.
When passing records to colleagues, include the tea name, date and brewing parameters; keeping only a personal note of 'tastes good' prevents others from replicating the result. Sensory notes assist in shortlisting, but should not masquerade as testing conclusions.