Tea Tasters Box 2020
|
The Tea Tasters Box is an opportunity for tea lovers to try and rate some of the best teas available. Tasters are selected on social media and have about a month to blind taste and rate teas in a specific category (white, green, oolong, puer, black, and herbal). The winners are then announced leading up to and at the Toronto Tea Festival. Follow the Tasters’ experiences via the hashtag #TeaTastersBoxTO on social media. For fairness in rating, the 2020 Tea Tasters Box will be a blind tasting with all identifying packaging removed. Teas will be rated by both the public as well as a pool of tea sommeliers. Public rating will be on a scale of 1-10 (based on personal preference) for Leaf Appearance, Aroma, Liquor Quality, Flavour, and Overall. See detailed descriptions below. |
|
Here are your winners for the Tea Tasters Box 2020!
Tea Identities
Here are the identities of the teas from the blind tasting.
| Black | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| B1 | Imperial Golden Monkey | Genuine Tea |
| B2 | Balhyo Cha | Soocha Tea |
| B3 | Alishan Black | Tea Rebillion |
| B4 | Kumari Gold | Tea Rebillion |
| B5 | Kanchanjangha Noir | Tea Rebillion |
| B6 | Jin Jun Mei | Capital Tea Limited |
| B7 | Yunnan Pine Needle Gold | Capital Tea Limited |
| B8 | Golden Yunnan Dian Hong Maofeng Super Grade | Capital Tea Limited |
| B9 | Queen Bee Blend | My Tea Brew |
| B10 | Montgomery’s Tea | My Tea Brew |
| B11 | Assam Legacy | Camila Tea |
| B12 | Golden Needle | Tao Tea Leaf |
| Chai | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| C1 | Dawn Energizing Organic Turmeric Chai | Turmeric Teas |
| C2 | Shakti Chai | Sonya’s Chai |
| C3 | Bombay Masala Chai | Trudy Ann’s Chai & Spices |
| C4 | The Masala Chai | Camila Tea |
| Green | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| G1 | Ringo Sencha | Momo Tea |
| G2 | Hojicha | Momo Tea |
| G3 | Genmaicha | Momo Tea |
| G4 | Hojicha Gold Roast | Hojicha |
| G5 | Hojicha Hanamitsu | Hojicha |
| G6 | Hojicha Dark Roast | Hojicha |
| G7 | Genmaicha Matcha | Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar |
| G8 | Organic Dragonwell | Genuine Tea |
| G9 | Woojeon | Soocha Tea |
| G10 | Sejak | Soocha Tea |
| G11 | Premium Hochija | Tea Rebellion |
| G12 | Pristine Reserve | Camila Tea |
| G13 | Jasmine Green Tea | Tao Tea Leaf |
| G14 | Ooh La La-Rose Mint Tea | My Tea Brew |
| Herbal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| H1 | Winter/Warming Organic Turmeric Ginger Tea | Turmeric Teas |
| H2 | Summer/Cooling Organic Turmeric Peppermint Tea | Turmeric Teas |
| H3 | Dusk/Calming Organic Turmertic Lemongrass Tea | Turmeric Teas |
| H4 | Wellness-Turmeric Blend | My Tea Brew |
| H5 | Zesty Lemon Ginger Rooibos | My Tea Brew |
| H6 | Redbush Chai | My Tea Brew |
| H7 | Organic Magic Roots | Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar |
| H8 | Organic Blue Delta | Genuine Tea |
| H9 | Organic Lemongrass | Tea Rebellion |
| H10 | Ginger Lemongrass | Tao Tea Leaf |
| H11 | Barley Sprout | Soocha Tea |
| H12 | Mistletoe | Soocha Tea |
| Oolong | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| O1 | Regal Oolong | Camila Tea |
| O2 | Ginseng Oolong | Genuine Tea |
| O3 | Alishan Oolong | Tea Rebellion |
| O4 | Father Zambezi’s Mission | Tea Rebellion |
| O5 | Forever Spring | Tea Rebellion |
| O6 | Da Hong Pao | Tao Tea Leaf |
| O7 | Milk Oolong | Tao Tea Leaf |
| Puer | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| P1 | Organic Aged Puer | Genuine Tea |
| P2 | Imperial Puer (Shou) | Tao Tea Leaf |
| P3 | White Moon Puer (Sheng) | Tao Tea Leaf |
| White | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tea ID | Tea Name | Tea Company |
| W1 | Exotic Darjeeling | Camila Tea |
| W2 | White Fairy | Genuine Tea |
| W3 | White Prakash | Tea Rebellion |
| W4 | Silver Needle | Tao Tea Leaf |
| W5 | Peach Blossom | Tao Tea Leaf |
| W6 | White Jasmine Goddess Tea | My Tea Brew |
See the 2019 winners here.
See the 2018 winners here.
Schedule for Tea Tasters Box 2020
September 30th, 2019 : Vendor submissions due – Vendor registration here!
September to Early October : Taster selection (keep an eye on our social media channels!)
Mid-October : Tea pickup by tasters
November : Tasting and rating period
November 30th, 2019 : Deadline for taster ratings
January 2020 : Identities of teas revealed, winning teas annnounced
Directions for Tea Tasters
Once you have picked up your box, follow these simple steps.
- Try the tea! Use the recommended steeping times below.
- Make note of the tea code (ex: P3, H10), and rate the tea in the five criteria – Leaf Appearance, Aroma, Liquor Quality, Flavour, Overall. Rating is 1-10, with 10 being the best.
- Share on social media using hashtag #TeaTastersBoxTO.
- Once you’ve tasted and rated ALL of your teas, go to the online form printed on the instructions inside the box (it was also emailed to you).
- Enter all your ratings and hit submit. Deadline: November 30th, 2019
- Keep an eye on our social media to find out the identities of the teas and winners in January 2020.
- Pick up all your favorites at the Toronto Tea Festival 2020!
Guide for Tasting
The Toronto Tea Festival strives to enhance the tea experience. The 2020 Tasters Box rating system uses the following criteria. All are on a scale 1-10, with 10 being the best. The descriptions below are intended to help those new to rating tea. What is considered “best” is personal preference.
| Leaf Appearance | How do the leaves/flowers look? Did they open during steeping? Are they broken or whole? Is the colouring appropriate? |
| Aroma | How do you find the smell of the steeped tea? Consider strength of aroma, complexity, and overall pleasantness. |
| Liquor Quality | How does the colour of the steeped tea look to you? Are there any tea particles in the cup? How does the tea feel in your mouth? Does it feel “thick” or “light” on your tongue? |
| Flavour | How does the tea taste? The main components of flavor are bitterness, sourness, and sweetness. Does this tea feature one or more of these qualities? |
| Overall | Using the other criteria as a guide, what rating would you give this tea overall? |
Recommended Steeping Times
The below are a guide for the categories. This year’s Tea Tasting Box will include recommended steeping times for each tea.
| Tea Category | Water Temp | Steep Time |
|---|---|---|
| Black (B#) | Boiling | 3-5 mins |
| Chai (C#) | Boiling | 3-5 mins |
| Green (G#) | 185 F / 85 C | 2-4 mins |
| Herbal (H#) | Boiling | 5-6 mins |
| Oolong (O#) | 195 F / 90 C | 4-6 mins |
| Puer (P#) | Boiling | 4-5 mins |
| White (W#) | 195 F / 90 C | 3-5 mins |