I am a big advocate for comparative tea tasting. It is a practice commonly used by tea buyers for selecting tea. Less known is that many serious tea enthusiasts also utilize this practice to gain a better understanding of the tea they drink as well as for cultivating self-growth. It can be said that drinking your favorite tea often will grow the relationship you have with the tea, drinking it comparatively with other teas will bring clarity to the nature of that relationship. For better or for worst you will gain a better awareness of how well the tea ranks amongst its peers and if you wish to build on that relationship. Such a realization can cut through the facade and illusions of grandeur from stories, noise of opinions and biases that can shape your impression of a tea. Being mindful of these mental traps and keeping your thoughts grounded is vital towards maintaining mental clarity. It is a clear mind that allows for greater insights and advancement in your tea journey.
There are many benefits to comparative tea tasting. Drinking teas side by side can be useful for establishing a point of reference when journeying into the unknown. Additionally it can also be used to create an ideal and stimulating environment for study, exploration and reflection. Such settings can be directed towards exploring aspects of tea quality, region, production, age and storage, and history. The contrast in different brews bring more to the table, bringing out subtle and elusive tea characteristics that are less obvious when presented on their own. Registering these subtleties to the senses will help you to develop a better awareness of their presence and form. It is a practice that can significantly hone and improve the capacity of your senses to appreciate tea on a deeper level.
