Begin with a cup you can describe
The useful first question is “Would I like another cup prepared this way?” You do not need a professional score sheet. Prepare the tea using one complete method, let it cool enough to sip comfortably, and write down what you notice. This is an editorial exercise for learning your preferences, not an authentication test.
Record the packet name, leaf amount, actual water amount, temperature, contact time and whether the leaves stayed in. Otherwise, a difference between two cups may simply be a difference in preparation.
Look at the leaves and the drink
Note the dry leaf shape and colour, then the colour of the prepared drink. After brewing, you can note how the wet leaves opened. Keep these observations separate from claims about origin, grade or authenticity: a photograph or the number of visible buds does not establish those things.
Our tea encyclopedia includes appearance photographs for context. They do not certify that your packet is the same product or grade.
Put the aroma into your own words
Try a few ordinary descriptions: floral, grassy, toasted, fruity, smoky, or simply “hard to describe.” You do not have to find every aroma mentioned on a seller’s page. Notice the dry leaves, the prepared drink and how your impression changes as the cup cools. Do not put your face over hot steam to force an answer.
Check the product before treating a surprise as a fault. For example, Zhengshan Xiaozhong includes smoked and unsmoked products; jasmine tea needs its base tea and form identified.
Separate taste, texture and finish
For your note, distinguish a bitter taste from a drying or puckering sensation. Then describe how light or full the drink feels and what remains after swallowing. Some tea writing uses huigan for a returning sweet impression; recording whether you notice it is more useful than requiring it in every cup.
You can like a cup that someone else finds too light. These words describe your experience; they do not diagnose a processing defect or prove a premium grade.
Change one thing next time
Keep a short note such as “same tea and water, slightly less leaf next time.” Compare within the product’s directions. If the cup is already unpleasant, follow first-cup troubleshooting instead of repeatedly sipping it to complete a tasting ritual.
If the packet’s condition worries you, stop the tasting exercise and check storage and uncertain condition. Tasting is not a safety test.
Editorial notes
Reviewed 17 October 2026. This is a personal observation worksheet, not a sensory trial, medical assessment or grading standard. Product differences and brewing operations were checked against the research recorded for the linked tea and preparation guides.