Say it as you sip it!
Well, Pete and I are both busy in our office, he’s playing music and I can hear him tapping away energetically at the keyboard. All I know is he’s “working on a blog post.” Interesting, wonder what he’ll come up with. Anyway, I’ve just completed my usual social rounds, first here, then twitter, then G+ and am done with updates. There’s only so much one can say when the tea cup’s empty. And mine is. It’s pretty terrible, not a situation I’d wish on anyone. Why on earth I’d try and write a blog post in such a fragile state of mind I don’t know. But here it is, I’m typing away. 
A couple of days ago, I chatted with someone I really enjoy interacting with on twitter. It’s a she. I won’t mention her by name, but some of you will realize who I’m talking about. I was trying to get her to come over to Tea Trade to blog here, in part because she’s so wonderfully outspoken. She doesn’t mince words. I love it. She throws around all sorts of rants and complaints, but is also very funny as she snarks. Plus she’s got a sweet side too. Shhh…we’ll keep that just between you and me. Anyway, I’ve asked her to come over and write about tea. I would love her to write it, as she sees it. Or as my post title says; say it as she sips it. Now I know we have a male raver on here already, a force to be reckoned with, but what about a female too?
The thing is, when I read tea reviews, while they have much value in their descriptive details, there comes a point where a conflict of interest might arise. Nobody writes: “I drank Company X’s tea, and let me tell you, it tasted like watered down mud. With hints of stale, moldy grass.” 
Nobody does. No review I’ve seen. Now some may argue that if the tea tastes like mud, they simply won’t review it. Fair enough. But now I’ll never know that X’s tea tastes like dirt, because nobody’s putting that in their post. They’re simply not talking.
Sometimes that leaves me craving for the dirty truth. Not the beautiful tea reviews, not the artful detections of hints of fruit. There’s a place for them, and we need those, but I also look for tea talk straight up.
Some time ago, one review came close. Real close! I found it on the net as I was browsing tea blogs, my daily task. There it was; a review where I was certain, the reviewer didn’t like the tea. I knew what he was tasting, I knew the tea was poor. “Come on,” I felt myself whispering – “say it. Just say it. Tell ‘em it tastes like crap.” But he didn’t. He came close just because it was too hard to say anything good. But no, there was beauty to be found, a positive aspect that I had overlooked. I forget what it was, but it was probably something like; the containers are wonderfully functional, the delivery service timely, the prices good. Something like that. I don’t remember. I let out a heavy sigh. When I read “Despite what we all think the tea had nuances of freshness that made for a surprisingly tasty cup,“- I know what it really means. I’m not fooled. It means: the best thing one can say about those leaves is that they didn’t taste stale. Amazing it tasted of anything at all. There, that’s the truth.
So, I’m wondering..do you read between the tea lines? What if you know a tea is really not very good? Do you understand tea review code? Do you use it yourself? 
Like I said; we need traditional tea reviews. Quite often they make me want to order the tea. I am happy they are out there. But that doesn’t mean I’ll give up looking for a no tea leaves barred, naked post.
Yours,
J.
Tags: tea blog, tea review
October 1st, 2011 at 8:23 pm
haha, I like this post!
Interesting though how tea review blogs differ from places like Steepster. You do get the unvarnished truth on Steepster, but it seems to work there. In fact, I know of at least one popular company who takes their tea very seriously who, after reading some rather scathing reviews on Steetpster about their products, went back through every tea in their inventory, resourced new suppliers and set up an entirely new procedure where they thoroughly taste test every tea they sell annually. Not a bad practice I think. I wonder how many tea vendors regularly taste their products and ensure that what they have in stock is good enough to sell.
Tea review blogs are different, they are more susceptible to attack than an aggregated community like Steepster. Tea bloggers have it harder, it is easier to go after a tea review blogger, simply because their blogs have pride of place and the connection between the company, the reviewer and the reader is more intimate and personal. I think, if a blogger bashes a tea, then they risk losing sponsorship (there is an underbelly in blogging where reviewers often get free samples – though laws require that they disclose this).
The best tea review blogs, however, are those that are self-funded and the writers buy their own tea. Those bloggers are less reliant on the generosity of companies and are able to be more frank and open. Though I think Jackie is right, reviews more often tend to look for something good in a tea.
October 1st, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Haha, good one Jackie and great addition Pete. I’m sure many won’t touch this one with a 10 foot pole, but I will.
@Jackie, I know exactly what you mean by reviewer code. If the tea is genuinely excellent, you may notice a reviewer talking about buying some for him or herself. To me, that’s the ultimate endorsement. If it’s bad – you’re exactly right Jackie – they’ll spin everything about the tea in a positive light EXCEPT for it’s flavor. :lol:
With many tea blogs, I wonder why they don’t show their teeth a little more. After all, most of the hobby bloggers don’t have a lot of skin in the game, and samples are really quite cheap if you lose favor with one of your sponsors. In fact, you could spend your hobby-blog career burning that company forever for stopping their sponsorship by positively reviewing their competent competitors’ teas.
As far as The Tea Show goes, we DO NOT give negative reviews, because that’s not really what we’re doing if you pay attention. We’re tying to answer two very simple questions: “What is loose leaf tea?” and “How awesome are Brian and Lisa?”
Furthermore, we make a specific point of thanking our sponsors every episode if we didn’t pay for the tea.
If you’re a serious tea aficionado, then you were never The Tea Show’s intended audience. However, I feel like if you want to “read between the lines” of our show – the pictures and timelapse steeping videos can reveal a lot about the teas we try to the trained eye. Also, if I mention that I bought a tea on Twitter or something – that should be a glaring endorsement of that tea.
As far as Steepster goes, I love it for it’s honesty. People with no connection to the tea world will rip teas apart on there sometimes, and I LOVE it!!! That’s a cool story @Peter about that tea company that went back, fixed all their tea, and set up measures to ensure quality. For that reason alone, you should all get a little more honest. Leave the Mickey Mouse blogging to us. ;)
October 1st, 2011 at 9:32 pm
I wonder who the ‘raver’ is? Oh, it’s probably me! So here goes.
ONE: There are tea reviewers who are really, really boring.
- ” I drank it, and I liked it, and I gave it 9 out of 10, and they took my Gran off the ventilator long enough for her to have a sip, and she liked it as well”
I really don’t care for them.
TWO(a):There are tea reviewers who only review free samples as per the comments above.
Quite frankly, it’s a form of tea prostitution. If the value of your review is the equivalent of 10 grams of tea, then nothing you have to say is worthwhile. The last time I accepted free samples, I received six of the most beautifully-packed, speedily shipped, high quality Darjeelings you could wish for. And enjoyed most of them. Did they get a great review? Well, eventually. But after I publicly challenged them to show that human misery and exploitation weren’t behind their products. It is the last three blogs on my old blog site and it certainly stirred the pot. That’ll teach ‘em.
TWO(b): There is one guy who actually stands accused of asking for money for positive reviews, and the evidence seems to support this. He combines the worst of the two concepts above. If I see him review a tea, I make the assumption it is bad enough to pay him to make an asinine review, so I avoid it.
THREE: There are genuine tea reviewers without fear or favour. Too many to mention many of them, but I think Nicole Schwarz (@amazonv) always hits the mark.
FOUR: There are the true gems, who taste a tea, and then explain why this act is important to the universe. Or just make something up. There are a few, but none the equal of Ken MacBeth (@lahikmajoe) and Geoff Norman (@lazyliteratus)
Rave over. For now.
October 1st, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Interesting read, Jackie.
I started out writing reviews for the Tea Review Blog, which I still write for on occasion. The policy there is simple: No negative reviews.
TeaEqualsBliss and I started SororiTea Sisters whilst the Tea Review Blog was on a hiatus, and I try to be as fair and balanced with my reviews as I can. Yes, we do receive samples from tea vendors (and yes, we disclose this on our blog), but I also buy some of the tea that I write about. I will say this though: I do not say something is good when it isn’t. There have been a few teas that have been so bad that I just didn’t write about them. If I can’t even finish the cup, how can I finish an article?
Like Peter said above, I do look for something good in a tea. That being said, not all of the reviews that I’ve written have been positive. I may not say that it “tastes like crap,” but I won’t say I’ve enjoyed something that I did not. In the correspondence that we have with vendors that choose to send us free samples, we do make it clear that we will be honest in a review, and that may mean that the review isn’t positive or glowing.
October 2nd, 2011 at 12:37 am
Jackie, I have been thinking about this topic as well, especially after reading about all the Teavana hoopla recently.
I also am guilty of “if you do not have anything good to say say nothing” policy. I believe my palate (being what I consider very new to tea) inexperienced in the many nuances of tea. When I started drinking and researching tea in earnest, along with a good friend, I realized what may taste great to me may not to someone else, which is part of the beauty of tea. I am partial to, no, I am, a tea purist. I very rarely brew blends, although a good Earl Grey may capture my fancy on a particular day. Her tastes lean towards blends and she makes amazing choices from a variety of companies. Bottom line is quality tea is quality tea. If I can’t taste the tea in the blend then it will lose my vote. I buy 95% of the teas I use and incorporate in my recipes on my Teatra.de blog Conversations With Tea. Could you imagine a Devotea exquisite culinary creation paired with Lipton? That would be Offensive!
October 2nd, 2011 at 1:15 am
I guess I’m one of the few who gives bad reviews. I don’t do it often, but I absolutely have. I feel like my positive reviews have less value if I don’t give context with what I don’t like. I don’t see the need for “code.” I guess that becomes useful if you’re writing with the company’s response in mind. The whole goal of my blog is to get people to see tea as accessible. I want them to try anything and everything and find what THEY like. If I BS a positive response then I’ve compromised myself and the reality that I’m not going to like everything. It’s my opinion and no one has to agree with me, but I certainly won’t feel bad about saying it.
October 2nd, 2011 at 2:26 pm
First off, I would like to say “Thank you” to @thedevotea for the kind words. I would say you and @lahikmajoe are the truer gems. I’m still working through rock quartz level with the medium.
Second…and this is where I’ll get on my soapbox for a second…
I became a tea reviewer in 2008 when I submitted a review – a poor-scorer, mind you – of a lavender white tea to Teaviews.com. From there, my palate was opened to a bunch of different teas I wouldn’t have known existed nor possibly have afforded on my own at the time. When I first started out, I was ruthless. I even reviewed teas I knew I wouldn’t probably like just to give it a fair shake.
As time went on, I adopted a new policy. First off, an average review takes about an hour and a half for me to write – sometimes two or more if it’s for an oolong or pu-erh undergoing a gongfu prep. That’s a hefty chunk of time. Especially if one is called upon to review upwards to twenty teas a month. I may have had the time then…but I don’t anymore.
These days, I only select teas that are well within my level of enjoyment, or ones that I was curious about from the get-go. Things like genmaicha, cooked pu-erh, houjicha, lotus-scented greens or jasmine greens are greeted more warily. I don’t think vendors – at least small ones – set out to make a bad tea. Unlike, say, directors who set out to make a bad movie; I can watch a bad movie, I can’t drink a bad tea. And I’m certainly not going to waste two hours of my day writing about something I don’t like – no matter how entertaining that rant may be.
There’s also the fear of hearing back from a vendor for a negative review. Best case scenario, they respond with how my brewing approach might’ve been wrong. (This has happened twice.) Worse case: They threaten legal action. (This has also happened. I won’t say who/where/how.) In short, not worth the effort.
I started my Teatra.de blog for one purpose in mind, to highlight musings and teas that were unique. Thus sidestepping the review debacle entirely. I’d like to think that approach has done me well.
I still contribute to Teaviews and am newly appointed to reviewer for It’s All About the Leaf. Both have the option for the reviewer to select teas based upon palate preference. Both are also understanding about giving vendors the benefit of the doubt. If that’s considered soft, so be it. Life’s too short for bad blood in my cup.
October 2nd, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Thank you for all the many comments. Look like this post sparked off a lively debate. First off, I just want to reiterate my belief that there is both a place, and a need for good tea reviews. So, please don’t feel that this article was pointing fingers at reviewers per se. Like I said, I know many writers only pick teas that they like, so their praise is quite genuine. And @lazyliteratus made a good point, saying he doesn’t want to waste two hours on writing about a tea he didn’t enjoy. I also understand the “legal action” complications.
However, when reviewers are either paid to write, or for understandable reasons only review teas they like, then we’re still left with a situation where it’s hard to find negative appraisals. I was encouraged by @teapages (Katrina) and @liberteas who mentioned they’ve actually penned some less than enthusiastic taste logs.
I would think that “free speech” should allow a blogger to say that an Earl Grey was far too perfumed for example, because it’s an opinion. How far a reviewer can or can’t go, I don’t know. As Brian said, on steepster people are quite happy to say what they think without fearing repercussions. @peter‘s point was interesting too; self-funded bloggers have an advantage, especially if they buy their own tea. There is no delicate relationship between writer and merchant to protect.
It’s not that I crave negative opinions on a tea. I just think that positive assessments would have more impact, if they were balanced with some less-than-enthusiastic talk. Generally, as soon as I see a review, I know it’s going to say: “Good stuff.”
My point here is: I believe all of us have seen tea reviews, where we find ourselves reading between the lines. Even if your own reviews are never like that, you must have stumbled upon some “dubious “ones in your time? We’ve all talked about our own methods here, but you are aware that not all evaluations are written like yours? Right?
PS: @thedevotea – that’s the spirit, waiting for some “stuff my grandmother-on-a-ventilator wouldn’t drink” logs. @jopj: you are right, what tastes bad to one person might taste good to another, and that of course applies to all tea reviews, glowing or not.
October 2nd, 2011 at 7:23 pm
@jackie: I think that your concern only applies to what I tend to call “the new breed of tea blogs”. I’ve been around the tea blog world long enough to have a good overview on its evolution. When I started blogging in 2005, there were only < 20 tea-related blogs around. It was easy to keep up-to-date and you knew the people involved. Besides the tea blogs, there was a very active community on the usenet (RFDT), much more active than it is now. This was where most of the action was. At that time, most of the people involved in writing about tea were pretty serious about their stuff, no money or free samples were involved and the writers (and comment authors) were knowledgeable and motivated by the drive to find out more. Then, there were many negative reviews – in addition to the many positive ones. Since the amount of online sources for teas was pretty small then, it had a strong impact on what the readers purchased. Some of these blogs still exist, and the readership continues to be very well versed in tea (MarshalN's Tea Addict’s Journal is a good example of the old type of tea blogs.
Fast forward a few years and the number of tea blogs has exploded. Many blogs out there publish only a few posts before they stop writing. There are hundreds of blogs now, far too much to keep track of. But the type of author has changed, too. It constantly amazes me that the opinion of writers that honestly state on their blog that they are by no means experts on tea (and are often very, very new to tea), have such an impact on ‘public taste’. How can somebody’s review on a Da Hong Pao oolong be of any value if it’s the first Da Hong Pao that he/she has ever tried? What does the author compare it to? Sure, they can like or dislike the tea, but that’s purely personal taste and has nothing to do whatsoever with quality.
Another thing I noticed is the explosion of reviews on flavored/blended teas. These teas were rarely if ever reviewed in the beginnings of tea blogging but represent the bulk of what’s reviewed today. I think that’s an indication of who’s writing the reviews. While I personally don’t like flavored teas, I acknowledge that there is a huge market for them (in Germany, an average tea shop’s inventory is 80% flavored teas along with some ‘pure’ teas). But the development that I’ve observed many times is that people start on flavored teas and slowly move to more pure teas.
The comment of @lazyliteratus above had me thinking for a while. If people drink a tea with the intention to write a review about it, do they ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE the tea (meaning that you are in the moment with the tea, not with your notebook)? I am tasting hundreds of teas per year to select teas for our business and, while I usually make a decision regarding good or bad upon the first tasting, I often need another one or two rounds to narrow down the good group. But even at this stage, I don’t think I could write a proper review about these teas. There’s no way that I could write a meaningful review after the first tasting, apart from a very shallow appraisal. But that’s just me and other people will work differently.
I just couldn’t even dream of reviewing 20+ teas a month. When would I have the time to get to know them?
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:27 pm
So many Comments, Jackie:
To comment of jopj: ” I buy 95% of the teas I use and incorporate in my recipes on my Teatra.de blog Conversations With Tea. Could you imagine a Devotea exquisite culinary creation paired with Lipton? That would be Offensive!”
Yes, it would! But whilst I think the vast majority of what Lipton churn out is crap, their contribution to building the tea industry, particularly in Ceylon and later Kenya is pretty impressive. What we need to do as tea lovers is encourage Lipton’s customers to demand more.
To Comment on lazyliteratus: Geoff, you have given us gems like “this pu-er tastes like … old tea” and my favourite “overtones of socks”. Gold.
Also, what’s this about legal action? On my video blogs, I’ve flung tea I didn’t like across the room. I’ve described cafés who use teabags as “Liars, cheats and morons”. Should I now go on the lam? Hiding from the authorities? I can’t go to prison! I can’t! They have tea bags there.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:34 pm
This is an excellent post, and the kind of post we (collectively) should read more often. They’re the kind of things I try to keep in mind when I write review-style posts. If it’s the first of it’s type that I’ve tried, I make a point of conveying that to the reader. If I don’t like a tea, I list the reason why it doesn’t appeal to me rather than making a global statement about why no one should try it or using an unhelpful simile (like composted sweat socks). Because honestly, palates are so different, there are people who really, really enjoy Lipton teas (to borrow from the Devotea’s above example) and would be perfectly ok with drinking something that I’m not over-the-moon about. And it’s another reason I avoid trying to invent a number or star rating system because unless the reader is living in my mind, they don’t know what I’m thinking of when I’m drinking something that I consider to be 5-star or just how bad something would have to be in order to be rated a 1-star. And as my own experiences grow, my own idea of what’s good and bad changes as well.
I guess I see bad reviews being as unhelpful as a glut of good reviews, if the bad reviews aren’t honest either. Just simply stating, “It tasted like bad tea” isn’t enough information for me. There are people who have never tried Pu-Ehr who would describe it’s aroma as dirty basement water and “bad tea” when in fact it can be one of the most exquisite teas you might ever have the pleasure of steeping, if you get through a first pot or two of it to learn the nuance.
So I guess to summarize my reaction, I would agree with you Jackie in principle, and add the caveat that bad reviews still need to be held to an honesty standard as well. If it’s not good tea, do your best to describe why it’s not good (taste isn’t typical of the cultivar, storage was bad, not as comporable to others you’ve tried). Because the potential tea drinker needs that information too.
It’s a bit more diplomatic than flinging tea across the room :) and there’s a place for that, heaven knows, but as a reader, I get the most out of someone else’s review when they go that extra step of explaining the reason behind the hyperbole. Maybe they didn’t like a particular pu-ehr because all they’ve tried before was Teavana’s Strawberry Slender blend. As someone who’s tried more varieties, that lets me know where they’re coming from so I can base my next purchase on the background I bring to it as I read it for myself.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:50 pm
@jackie – I’m certainly not discounting those that are willing to do negative reviews. I applaud ‘em. In some ways, they are far braver than I. The only argument I can give in regards to posting negative reviews – whether on Teatra.de or elsewhere is a subjective one. Tea is the one area in my life that remains a generally positive experience. It inspires, it lightens the mood, and its contemplative. I try to reflect that in my writing.
As @thedevotea said, I have made some sideways comments about types but never made specific mentions. There are those types of teas that I simply can’t like, and – as a result – mentions of them will slip through the sheen of Pollyanna-esque positivity.
@yaya – In answer to your question about experiencing tea. My first go-around with a sample is usually with no frills. It’s the second time that I have the notepad ready. This was I’m not in “critic mode” when I first try it.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m a lousy critic when it all comes down to it. A true reviewer will balance both options – negative and positive – for the betterment of equilibrium and solidarity. I’m not that guy. At least, anymore. If it weren’t for tea reviewing, I would’ve never left the “teabag phase” of my development. So, I owe it a lot. Is it what I really want to be doing forever…uh…no. That’s what the Teatra.de blog is for – to tinker how I can combine tea and writing.
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:25 am
I’ve been “guilty” of the overly good review. But I’m still somewhat new to the full on review. In the past I have given my thoughts on tea three sentences for a Steepster review. I guess I’m still coming into my own in that respect. I can see everyone’s points. I’m glad so many have shared.
I will say this if the tea I am reviewing is one I purchased I’m going to feel free to be super harsh on said tea IF it isn’t any good. Because really I’m also being harsh on myself for buying it. See my upcoming review of Russian Country from Harney and Sons. Will I blast them, no. Will I talk about what I did to make it taste better you bet. BUT at the same time I’ve got a tour of their factory scheduled for next week. So how harsh is too harsh? Seeing as I’d like to get in the front gates.
There are other teas I’ve reviewed that really are great and I’m not afraid to say so. When it comes to writing a review for me it is NEVER the first time I’m having the tea. Usually I wait for at least the third time with a tea. I feel they all need to be given a chance. Maybe on day one I was a little stuffed up. Day two might have been a bad day…I never jump into a review first time out while I’m drinking the tea, how fair is that to the tea or the reader of the review.
Just my two cents….if you understand where I was going with this kudos. I think I lost myself half way through! :)
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:53 pm
What lively discussion.
I’m most intrigued by Yaya’s comments. Although we all have to start somewhere, there was that nagging question when I began blogging about tea that I simply didn’t have enough experience to write knowledgeably (something that hasn’t slowed me down in the least).
At some point, I resolved that I’d write the blog from the perspective that it was my record of discovery about tea. That I wouldn’t even presume to present myself as an expert.
About the good or bad reviews, I think there’s a lot behind the scenes that I won’t even begin to delve into. It’s too easy to say that I’d never hold my tongue if a tea was horrible. I’d hope that faced with that situation, I’d be as honest as I possibly could be.
My glowing review doesn’t hold much weight if I can’t say when something is rotten in Denmark.
October 4th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
Reviewing… A difficult art mostly because there are humans behind all these reviews.
I won’t talk about tea since I don’t review them but about another community where people post some of their creations for others to review and comment.
Sometimes you get comments that are bad but completely out of place or you review in a “bad” way because you feel something is missing (and you might be the only one to think that) and you become a kind of snob (at least for those reviewed) or start a flame war.
Could this happen with tea reviews? Yes because we are talking about $.
A bad review can cost money to a company and at the same time people try to avoid being too critical as it makes you stand out of the crowd, something we humans don’t really like (sometimes people are too sheepish for their own good).
October 4th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
I suppose the main reason why I might hesitate to write reviews, particularly scathing ones, is lack of confidence in my capacity to really judge a tea as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. I haven’t been blogging for a while, partly because of tightness of time (enough to drink relatively vast quantities of tea but not sufficient to record them in depth) and partly because of aforementioned lack of confidence. Perhaps I should just gird my loins and get back in there…
October 12th, 2011 at 4:46 am
@Verity – can’t wait for you to start blogging again – and posting your nice pics. Was really happy to see you respond here, for some reason I missed this comment, probably because if you’re not logged in, it doesn’t show up in the Tea Trade activity stream. Doesn’t matter, I found it! Thanks sweet Ms JDT, Jx
October 26th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
I did say, over on Steepster, that a tea tasted like a gangrenous wound.
October 26th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Now that’s my girl @teawench! Still, I wonder – was that meant as a compliment?
October 26th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Only if you like the taste of festering wounds. Personally not my thing but I’m not one to speak for other people.