The 5 S approach to appreciating tea is pretty much ubiquitous in China. My tea teacher taught it me and everyone you meet and all written descriptions of tea will take this approach when talking/writing about how tea is graded and how good it is. It is a pretty useful approach to appreciating the tea you have just bought and enjoying it from box opening to binning…. try it out, you are now on the way to a fuller tea drinking experience.
(See) Appearance: This means how the leaves look coming out of the packet. Are they large, small, young, old? What colour are they, do they look darker or greener? How many buds can you see in the leaves, are there lots of stalks? All good questions helping you understand what quality of tea you have.
(Smell) Aroma: Stick your nose in the dry leaves! What bouquet do you get, old, grassy, aged, earthy, roasted, nutty, chocolate? Each and every type of tea will have a defining aroma and you can also use your nose to smell if the tea is past its best, particularly if there is a mouldy or rancid nose to your tea.
(See) Liquid Colour: Once brewed, your tea will should have a quality which will reveal its true quality. Better teas are often shiny, brilliant and have a deep, full colour to their brew. Lesser teas will often be dull, uneven
(Sample) Taste: Finally, take a sip! Let your tasting note reading go! Is there a sweetness, an acidity to the taste. Can you taste tannin (a bitterness on the back of your tongue), is there a length to the flavour, a body and a balance (all the flavours together in the tea)?
(Study) Spent Leaves: This is something that probably only the Chinese do, but it is a great way to appreciate all the work which goes into making fine Chinese teas. Now you have brewed the leaf, maybe a few times, have the leaves unfurled? How big are they, are they whole leaves (indicating a finer tea), what colour are they, is there dust or large particles amongst the leaves? Can you now see buds and leaves on each stalk, how many of each? Is the tea all buds (super high grade) or is it made of just stalks (very low end)?
