Like wine, tea is a complex beverage full of scents, colors and tastes that are often hard to define. That’s where tea tasters come in. At the Charleston Tea Plantation, Bigelow is lucky enough to have a third-generation tea taster on hand, Bill Hall.   

In describing the job of a tea taster, Bill explained that “tea is one of the few commodities in the world that is sold strictly on the basis of taste alone. In order to put a value on it, you have to taste it.” But here’s where tea differs from wine: the taste of tea can change every week.  

“Unlike wine, which is grown and harvested once a year,” Bill says that “tea is harvested every 15 to 18 days.” During this time many factors can influence the flavor, including the temperature and humidity level.  Bill notes that tea tasters can tell if something had gone wrong in the process, “if it’s burnt, musty, old or out of condition, a tea taster can tell you all that.” 

How does one receive an education in tea tasting? Bill went through a four-year apprenticeship during which he tasted between 800 and 1,000 cups of tea a day! During this time he worked with the world’s largest tea packer (Brooke Bond Ltd.) and the world’s largest tea dealer (Van Reese).   

Tea-tasting also runs in Bill’s blood. His grandfather and father were in the business as well.   

But what is Bill’s favorite part of being in the tea business? He responds, “What is really exciting about this plantation is that we’re going from the ground right through to the cup. What we do here in Charleston is unique. It’s a one stop shop that is vertically integrated.”  

Hear more from Bill Hall and get some tea tasting tips in our next featured post!