Tea tasting is more than just a slurp from a cup, it’s an acquired skill which takes long years to master and great discipline to maintain.

A taster should have at least 15 years of experience - It’s not something you can master in a few years.

Long before the hammer falls at the auction, the tasters at Asia Teas have already set their eyes (if not all their senses) on the lots which would make their blends complete. A week before the actual sale, brokers send between 10,000 to 12,000 little samples to every buyer on their list of 300+ companies in the business of tea. Each lot to be sampled if not tasted and selected before the day of the auction when each broker enters the rostrum to fetch the best price for their lots.

Armed with a printed catalog and the knowledge of which lots they want from what broker, our team sets out on auction day to seek out and bid for those “specific” lots of tea, the ones they will bring back to blend their magic.

The tea tasters at Asia Teas do more than just taste tea, they are market watchers, seasoned buyers and even weather experts. The team stays constantly tuned to the weather and growing conditions for tea, exchange rates, global consumption, and all other economic and political factors which could affect the price and quality of tea at any given time.

Next to their keen sense of taste, smell and sight our tasters are driven by one more factor - their undying fascination for what produces a perfect cup of tea.

A taster is many things and has many responsibilities in preserving himself and his sense of taste and smell. Above all it’s his general attitude to
life that decides his success in the trade. It’s this confidence that gives the client the blend they want.

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