When we talk about tea flavour, most conversations focus on the type of tea or the blend itself. But there’s a larger influence that quietly defines how a tea tastes long before it reaches your cup — climate and seasons. Temperature, rainfall, sunlight, altitude, and the timing of harvest all play a direct role in shaping the character of tea leaves.
Understanding these natural influences helps explain why the same tea variety can taste different from one harvest to another, or why teas from certain regions carry distinctive flavour signatures. This isn’t about trends or preferences — it’s about how nature shapes tea at its source.
Tea and the Environment: A Direct Relationship
Tea plants (Camellia sinensis) are highly responsive to their growing conditions. Unlike mass-produced crops, tea reflects subtle environmental changes very clearly. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), tea quality is directly linked to climatic factors such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns, which influence leaf chemistry and growth rate.
In simple terms, how a tea plant grows determines how it tastes. Slower growth often leads to more complex flavour development, while faster growth can produce lighter, simpler profiles.
The Role of Temperature in Tea Flavour
Temperature affects how quickly tea leaves develop and how flavour compounds form within them. Cooler temperatures slow down leaf growth. This allows aromatic compounds to build gradually, often resulting in cleaner, more layered flavours. Warmer temperatures encourage faster growth, which can lead to bolder, fuller flavours but sometimes with less nuance.
Research published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry notes that temperature influences the concentration of polyphenols and amino acids in tea leaves — two key components responsible for taste and aroma. This is why teas grown in cooler regions or during cooler months often feel lighter and more refined, while those grown in warmer conditions tend to feel stronger and more robust.
Rainfall and Its Impact on Taste
Rainfall is essential for healthy tea plants, but balance is key.
- Moderate, well-distributed rainfall supports steady growth and balanced flavour.
- Excessive rainfall can cause rapid leaf growth, which may dilute flavour concentration.
- Dry periods, when not extreme, can sometimes intensify flavour by slowing growth.
Sunlight: A Quiet but Powerful Influence
- Sunlight affects photosynthesis, which directly impacts the chemical makeup of tea leaves.
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Higher sunlight exposure increases the production of catechins and other compounds that influence bitterness and structure.
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Filtered or moderate sunlight can lead to softer, smoother flavour profiles.
In green teas such as Fruit & Bloom Sencha Tea, careful control of growing conditions helps preserve fresh, grassy, and floral notes that are highly sensitive to sunlight levels. Sencha teas, in particular, are known for reflecting their growing environment very clearly.
Altitude and Micro-Climate: Small Changes, Big Differences
Altitude plays a significant role in how tea develops.
- Higher elevations generally mean cooler temperatures and slower leaf growth.
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This allows flavour compounds to develop more gradually, resulting in cleaner, more complex profiles.
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Studies show that teas grown above 1,200 meters often have higher aromatic complexity compared to low-altitude teas.
However, altitude alone doesn’t tell the full story. Micro-climates — local variations in wind, soil, humidity, and sun exposure — further shape flavour. Two tea gardens just a few kilometres apart can produce noticeably different teas because of these subtle differences.
Tasting the Season in Your Cup
Even without expert training, it’s possible to notice climate influence by paying attention to:
- Brightness vs depth of flavour
- Aroma intensity
- Mouthfeel (light, crisp, rounded, or full)
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Length of finish after sipping
Trying the same tea from different harvest periods can reveal subtle but meaningful differences — something seasoned tea drinkers value deeply.
Tea flavour is not accidental. It is the result of climate patterns, seasonal timing, and environmental conditions working together over months of growth. From cool spring mornings in high-altitude gardens to warmer summer harvests that bring depth and structure, every cup reflects where and when the leaf was grown.
Understanding this adds a new layer of appreciation — not just for tea varieties, but for the craftsmanship involved in selecting and curating them.
If you’re curious to explore how climate and season translate into flavour, Dolshyne’s tea collection offers a thoughtful starting point. Comparing teas like Poobong Darjeeling First Flush, Imperial Earl Grey, and Fruit & Bloom Sencha can make these differences easy to taste and understand.
Sometimes, the most interesting part of tea isn’t just what’s in the cup — it’s what happened long before it got there.