Tea Flavor & Aroma Wheel

How to Use This Wheel

Start at the center and work outward. The inner ring groups broad flavor families – floral, fruity, vegetal, roasted, earthy, and so on. The outer rings get more specific, breaking each family down into individual notes you might actually taste or smell in a cup.

During a tasting, smell the dry leaf (before warming it in your teaware and after), then the wet leaf after the first infusion, and finally the brewed tea itself. Compare what you notice against the wheel, and don't worry about being "right" – flavor perception is personal, and the wheel is a vocabulary tool, not a test.

We recommend keeping a tea journal and going through the many infusions of the tea, writing down the unique flavors and scents you experience. You can also reference this tea wheel when you wish to determine which type of tea you would like to purchase and which notes you're generally attracted to!

Common Aroma Categories in Tea

• Floral – orchid, osmanthus, lilac, rose

• Fruity – stone fruit, citrus, dried fruit, berry

• Vegetal – grassy, spinach-like, seaweed, buttery

• Roasted – toasty, nutty, cocoa, caramelized

• Woody/Earthy – camphor, petrichor, forest floor, leather

• Spicy – cinnamon, clove, peppery

 

Common Categories Of Mouthfeel In Tea

• Mouth-drying or astringent.

• Tart

• Tingling

• Brisk or crisp

• Delicate, light, or light-bodied

• Warming

• Cooling, refreshing, minty, or herbaceous

• Viscous

• Mouth-watering

• Smooth

• Coating

• Creamy or milky

• Buttery

• Silky

• Velvety

• Heavy, dense, thick, or full-bodied