Tea Tasting Training - Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka (Ceylon in the tea world) is one of the top tea exporters. After a disease destroyed the coffee plantations, tea was planted by the British in the 1820's. Sri Lanka has a diverse, tropical geography with distinct growing regions. The skills and evaluations of the tea taster remain essential components to the tea industry. Cupping samples before the auctions and offering advice on quality and value to buyers is one duty but individual companies also depend on their own trained tea tasters (or hired consultants) to ensure consistency, quality and even develop blends with teas from different regions as well as other botanicals.

This 5 day course focuses exclusively on teas from Sri Lanka. Students will learn the standard tasting techniques and learn to critically evaluate, recognize and comment on several famous Indian teas. Students will prepare and sample approximately 100 cups of tea per day, keep detailed tasting notes and engage in comparative discussions.


Held in the ITCC Intl. Tea Training Center, in the beautiful Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Following satisfactory completion of all course materials and the final exam, students receive a certificate of achievement from ITCC.

Program tuition includes all training by world renowned tea experts, all course materials, all accommodations for the five days and nights, breakfast and lunch each day, scheduled recreational activities and group airport transfers.

  1. The 5 day intensive training program covers:          

    1. History of the Land
    2. Unique Environment / Terroir
    3. Introduction and Development of Tea
      1. Statistics
      2. Tea Estates
    4. Varietals and Cultivars
      1. Entomology
      2. Propagation – Seeds, Clones, Grafts
    5. Tea Garden Management
      1. Planting, Irrigation, Drainage, Shade, Soil, Fertilizers
      2. Pruning
      3. Monoculture Issues
      4. Pests, Diseases, Weeds - Treatments
      5. Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable Practices
    6. Harvesting
      1. Flushes
      2. Standards – Quality vs Quantity, Machine vs Hand
      3. Labor Issues
    7. Manufacture
      1. Types of Tea
      2. Processing Steps
    8. Types of Tea
    9. Evaluation and Grading
    10. Specialty Teas and Innovations
    11. Final Exam

Course fee: $995 per person ($795 for Members). Maximum 8 people.