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Colombo Tea Auction professional tasting standards: evaluating bright coppery infusions?

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K
Klaus Tea•935 rep

What international ISO 3103 cupping parameters and sensory rubrics do brokers use to evaluate single-estate broken orange pekoe (BOP) grades at the Grandpass auction rooms?

27

5 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

Professional evaluation at the Colombo Tea Auction strictly adheres to ISO 3103 protocol: exactly 5.6 grams of dry tea is weighed into a serrated-lid porcelain tasting bowl, steeped in 285ml of boiling low-mineral water for exactly six minutes, and drained into a white porcelain cup. Tasters inspect three critical elements: the dry leaf for uniform twist and absence of fiber; the wet infused leaf ("infusion") for a bright, vibrant coppery-red tint indicating correct fermentation; and the liquid liquor for color depth, pungency, briskness, and characteristic high-elevation regional astringency.

38
K
Kevin Sommelier•1930 rep

A dull, dark-brown or greenish infusion indicates over-fermentation or uneven withering in the factory, causing lot bids to drop immediately.

21
K
Klaus Tea•935 rep

Tasters draw the hot liquor sharply over the palate with a loud slurping sound to aerate the tea, ensuring volatile aromatic compounds hit olfactory receptors.

18
I
Ian Flavors•880 rep

The water used in the tasting room is treated through carbon filtration to maintain total dissolved solids (TDS) under 40 ppm, preventing mineral flattening of the tea tannins.

14
J
Jules Plant•915 rep

Catalog listings specify estate elevation categories: Low Grown (below 600m), Mid Grown (600-1200m), and High Grown (above 1200m), which govern export market allocation.

12
N
Nils Soils•890 rep

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