ODM Tea · Service
Last updated:
Blending to an approved sample
A buyer with a cup to protect does not need a grade code; they need a match and a way to hold it. We cup the reference under fixed conditions, build a blend from lots that reproduce it, and once approved, that sample becomes the contract reference. Where repeat-lot matching is contracted, later lots are cupped against the retained reference before release. This is how a retail brand keeps the same cup across a season in which the leaf itself changes.
| Element | How it is fixed |
|---|---|
| Brew conditions | Standardised so the variable is the tea, not the pot |
| Dry leaf | Make, colour, uniformity, broken content against the reference |
| Liquor | Colour, brightness, clarity |
| Aroma and taste | Character, strength, finish; absence of off-notes |
| Infused leaf | Colour and evenness — the evidence of how the lot was made |
| Retained sample | Sealed and kept for the life of the contract |
What goes into a custom tea blend brief?
A custom blend is specified in writing, not by name. The brief lists the base teas and any other ingredients with their share, the target cup described against a sealed reference sample, what may be substituted when a component is out of season, and who owns the recipe. A recipe on paper alone rarely reproduces a cup: leaf size, season and storage change the result, which is why the approved sample, not the recipe, becomes the reference.
Frequently asked
Can you match my current supplier's tea?
Usually, if it is a green tea blend, a jasmine tea or a Fujian category. Send a sealed sample; we cup it, propose a match, and only after your approval does it become the reference.
What is cupping?
Standardised sensory evaluation of a lot against an approved sample — fixed leaf weight, water volume, brewing time and vessel, as set out in ISO 3103 — so that two cuppings are comparable.
What should a buyer send for a custom tea blend?
Send a sealed reference sample when available, plus the target cup, ingredient restrictions, destination, pack format and expected quantity. State which attributes are essential and which may be adjusted for availability or cost. A photograph or flavour name alone is not enough to reproduce leaf appearance, aroma, liquor and finish reliably.
How can a tea blend be approved remotely?
Agree the brewing method first, then evaluate coded samples against the same water, dose, temperature and time. Record comments for aroma, liquor, taste, finish and leaf appearance, and confirm the approved code in writing. Keep a sealed reference where contracted so later lots can be compared under the same method.
What is a white-label tea blend?
A blend the supplier already makes and sells to several brands, each under its own label. A custom or original blend is built for one buyer, who can own the recipe and the reference sample. Agree which it is, and whether the blend is exclusive, in the contract.
Before you order
Other ODM Tea services
- Bulk tea supplyOrigin categories from Fujian and refined green tea grades for the African trade, in sacks or cartons.
- Private label and packingYour brand on retail packs — cartons, tins, pouches, tea bags — with label content compliant for the destination.
- Sourcing and refining, disclosedGunpowder and Chunmee bought in Zhejiang and Anhui, refined to the written contract specification, and labelled as sourced.
- Testing against the destinationWhere testing is contracted: residue panels named by jurisdiction, a certificate of analysis, and report timing written into the contract.
Next step
Start with blending to an approved sample.
Destination, grade or cup, and quantity. We answer with a specification, not a brochure.