Oh MY Adam! No More Tea Reviews?

Have a Tea Blog or Tea Vlog? Post a topic here.


User avatar
May 22nd, '11, 10:41
Posts: 6
Joined: Jan 22nd, '10, 23:26

Oh MY Adam! No More Tea Reviews?

by deftea » May 22nd, '11, 10:41

The TeaChatter and tea blogger AdamMY recently renounced reviewing teas.
(See his blog The Sip Tip: Why I stopped reviewing teas)
It is out of respect for AdamMY that I offer this topic for discussion.
Here, in a nutshell is his logic:

“Why I gave up on reviewing teas, is I often felt that even though I could often identify certain key flavors I said before but certain of them even to me seemed like I was at times reaching for things, at other times I could identify every flavor and think I tasted even more. So in short I lost a bit of confidence my ability to write reviews that would consistently be true.

My opinion rests on a disagreement with AdamMY’s conception of Truth. Tea Truth, to my mind, is not the same as consistent accuracy of taste. It is rather precisely the variation, indeed the infinite potential of connecting the tastes of tea to other multiple, constantly changing aesthetic inputs. For example, the Li Shan I drank this morning connected with the wet cool air sneaking in the window I forgot to close last night, and the smell of the fresh washed bed clothes in the hamper beside me, and even the memories of the fruit tree I planted early this spring now showing its full bloom. Tomorrow will be a completely different set of connections. Tea Truth (IMHO) is the totality of these connected experiences, not the accuracy of the taste alone. Hence the need for reporting multiple tastes of the same tea. What is more, the reporting and discussion of these experiences, which we call tastings or reviews, are fundamental in the production of a tea community. In some other time and place, that community would happened by discussions in a tea house on a daily basis. But in our world we have to work a bit harder at producing a community of tea drinkers on line.
So, lest more of you pick up on AdamMY’s logic, think first about how you (most likely) learned about tea when you first started: from tea bloggers. Don’t be selfish with the Tea Truth.

User avatar
May 22nd, '11, 12:11
Posts: 5896
Joined: Jan 10th, '10, 16:04
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact: debunix

Re: Oh MY Adam! No More Tea Reviews?

by debunix » May 22nd, '11, 12:11

As long as you're consistently honest about what you're tasting and enjoying in a tea, what does it matter if that changes over time? Write a new note when the experience changes.

I don't mind reading descriptions and opinions that change as someone's taste evolves, brewing skills increase, or how mood or atmosphere affect perception of a tea. I do know that the slight extra discipline imposed on myself by writing about teas I'm drinking has helped to train my perceptions and improved my enjoyment of tea.

User avatar
May 22nd, '11, 19:11
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Oh MY Adam! No More Tea Reviews?

by Chip » May 22nd, '11, 19:11

Non vendor TeaReviews are quite important. I can understand the reluctance and difficulty to do reviews, but I definitely check them out especially for teas and vendors I am not familiar with.

So, please keep them coming!

May 23rd, '11, 10:38
Posts: 13
Joined: Apr 17th, '11, 12:24

Re: Oh MY Adam! No More Tea Reviews?

by ninavampi » May 23rd, '11, 10:38

I love both reading and writing tea reviews. I agree that they are an important part of ordering tea online. Vendors are partial to their own blends (much like we are partial to our own children and such), so to have an accurate or more reliable description of a tea, a user review is the best way to go.

Yes reviews will be influenced by many factors, including mood and time of day... But all in all it is an opinion at a moment in time. That doesn't make the review any less valid.

It is even enjoyable to sit down and read what other people think about a tea you either love or dislike. I think reviews are great! I hope tes drinkers keep them coming!

User avatar
May 23rd, '11, 13:39
Posts: 644
Joined: Aug 25th, '09, 19:16
Location: Michigan

Re: Oh MY Adam! No More Tea Reviews?

by nickE » May 23rd, '11, 13:39

I actually prefer when Adam has non-review posts rather than reviewing some tea that I've likely not tried.

Although, I enjoy both. :D

+ Post Reply