The Global Tea Championship’s Spring2019 Hot (Loose Leaf) Tea Competition will take place in Boulder, Colorado,Sept. 28 – 29. Tea companies from around the world will compete in 41categories. All of the teas will be tasted and evaluated by three judgeswho are tea experts: Lydia Kung, Jhanne Jasmine and Danielle Hochstetter. Winnerswill be notified Oct. 4 and results will be published in World Tea News Oct. 11.
The judges were selected for their knowledge, experience andprofessionalism. Lydia Kung owns VeriLeaf Fine Teas and has judged thiscompetition in the past; Jhanne Jasmine Co-Founded the TeaZone and currentlyworks for Stash Tea Company; and Danielle Hochstetter is a graduate of the TeaScience department at Zhejiang University and is on the board of the AmericanSpecialty Tea Alliance.
Participating in the Global Tea Championship is a great way for tea companies to learn about how their teas compare to others on the market. Judges evaluate the appearance, aroma, taste and mouthfeel of each tea and provide thoughtful feedback to all of the participants. Hence, even if a company does not win an award, the competition is still a valuable learning experience.
Teas will be rated on a 100-point scale and awarded Gold,Silver and Bronze medals. 80 points or above award a Gold medal, 70-79 pointsgrant a silver medal, and teas rated with 60-69 points get bronze medals. However,if three teas place within one of the point ranges, Gold, Silver and Bronzemedals will be distributed among them. Additionally, the judges have the optionof giving a “Judge’s Choice” award to a tea that may not have placed in the aforementionedcategories, but still stands out as an exemplary tea. Past winners have mentionedtheir awards in marketing materials.
Entry forms for this competition are due September 10, andthere will not be any extensions. Tea samples must be received in Boulder,Colorado by September 17. Make sure packaging for all teas is air-tight toavoid cross-contamination. Teas that are entered into the wrong categories willbe disqualified. CompleteRules and Regulations can be found here.
Apply via the competitionapplication portal. Direct any questions to [email protected].