The Simple Tasting Journal

Copy this template into a note and delete every line you do not need. A useful record is not the longest one; it is the one that helps you make or understand the tea again.

Note

Keep purchase details, contacts, accounts, and private locations out of public notes.

The tea

• Name or sample code:
• Family and style:
• Origin / harvest / batch, if known:
• Processing or storage detail, if useful:
• Date tasted:

The recipe

• Leaf / water:
• Water source:
• Temperature:
• Vessel and real volume:
• Method and times, including draining:

The cup

• First impression:
• Aroma:
• Taste:
• Body and texture:
• Bitterness / astringency:
• Finish:
• How it changed:
• Anything wrong or uncertain:

The next cup

• What worked:
• One thing to change:
• Choose this tea again?

Optional deep-dive prompts

• Dry and warmed leaf:
• Liquor color and clarity:
• Wet leaf:
• Most distinctive moment:
• Comparison confidence: low / medium / high

Write observations before reading another person’s notes. “Astringency grew after cup three” is more useful than “bad processing” unless you have evidence for the cause.

When comparing teas, use codes and keep the recipe matched. When improving a brew, change one parameter at a time.

Tip

A one-line note counts: “5 g / 100 ml, boiling, fast steeps — peach aroma, lively dryness, best at cup 3; go faster next time.”

For sensory prompts, return to How to Taste Tea.