Tea Review assigns a numerical rating on a 100-point scale to represent our overall quantitative evaluation of a tea. The overall numerical rating is supported by a detailed qualitative assessment of the tea, which describes the sensory experience and flavor characteristics of the tea that contribute to a more complete understanding of the overall 100-point rating.
Overall ratings are interpreted as follows:
| 95-100 points: | Exceptional |
| 90-94 points: | Very Good to Outstanding |
| 85-89 points: | Good to Very Good |
| 80-84 points: | Fair to Good |
| 75-79 points: | Poor to Fair |
| < 75 points: | Not recommended |
The following scoring definitions elaborate on qualitative interpretations for teas that are considered good to exceptional:
85-86 points: A good tea but with obvious shortcomings; on a par with high-end supermarket teas
87-88 points: A good, interesting tea; solid and balanced but not particularly distinctive; possibly showing mild flaws
89-90 points: A very good, highly drinkable tea; considerable distinction though lacking some in character and desired positive traits
91-92 points: An excellent tea with excitement and distinction; no obvious flaws but perhaps lacking in power and/or nuance
93-94 points: An outstanding tea with originality, beauty, individuality and distinction; no negative characteristics whatsoever
95-96 points: An exceptional tea; nearly perfect in structure, flawless, and shockingly distinctive and beautiful; among the best teas in the past year
97+ points: A truly amazing tea in every way; we have not tasted a tea this remarkable and impressive for a long, long time.
The likely prevalence of high, 90-plus ratings on Tea Review is the result of our policy of concentrating on tea successes rather than finding and punishing failures. Furthermore, based on decades of experience at Coffee Review and our initial experience at Tea Review, our readers are most interested in positively identifying and purchasing high quality and high value teas. We typically will test dozens of specialty teas for a tasting report, for example, but only publish reviews of fewer than ten teas, which will often rate 90 points or higher.
