Tea Terms Tea Terms (D-M)

Dandy – Sometimes used to describe the flavor of a Smith blend. Also, the well-dressed Earl Grey and his friend Lord Bergamot.

Delicate – Teas that have subtle flavor and aroma characteristics..

Dull – The flavor of an old or poorly manufactured tea

Dust – A tea grade (“D”) denoting that which falls through the final screen as very fine particles of dull, thick tasting tea. There is no “D” in Smith.

Fannings – Small leaf teas used for packing traditional teabags. Not used by Smith.

Fermentation – Also known as oxidation, this is the process of exposing fresh macerated tea leaves to oxygen which turns them from green to black tea.

Fez-worthy – A term of high praise. From the scarlet cap with black tassel sometimes worn by the head teamaker.

Flush – The period when tea bushes develop tender new shoots for harvest.

First Flush – The early-season harvest in many tea-growing regions, most notably Darjeeling.

Flat – Tea that lacks flavor and character.

Flavory – A tea that exhibits intense cup color. Not necessarily an indicator of quality.

FOP – Flowery Orange Pekoe. Full leaf tea with golden or green tip color.

FTGFOP1 – Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, Grade #1. See
TGFOP1.

Fussbudget – Often used to describe our head teamaker. See also cranky, obsessed.

Grade – Refers only to the size of the dried tea leaf

Intense – Tea that has unusually concentrated flavor and aroma. Also used to describe our Teamakers.

Liquor – Brewed tea is referred to as liquor in tea tasting. But, also used by our Teamakers for inspiration.

Invoice – An unblended lot of tea that possesses its own unique flavor and aroma characteristics.

Manufactured – The process that hand picked green leaf goes through to reach its finished state. The best teas are manufactured at the location where they are grown.

Metallic – Undesirable flavor quality found in some lower-quality black and green teas.