Certification · Level 2

Level 2

Where enthusiasm becomes expertise.

Level 2 is the core of the CCTP. In 25–30 hours, you build a complete framework for sensory evaluation, learn fundamental production science, and understand regional and cultural context. In-person exam. Course and tasting materials included.

No formal prerequisite. Genuine interest is sufficient.

Schedule8 Thursday evenings, October 29 – December 17
FormatIn person · Toronto (exact venue TBC)
Study time25–30 hours
Cohort sizeUp to 10 students
Kit
  • Tea samples, purposefully sourced references
  • Study material, digital lecture notes
  • Tasting workbook (SATT)
Price$395 CADApply →

Teaching Goal

The assessment method is rooted in practicality. You blind taste the teas, write tasting notes, and justify your answers. The rigour is what makes the credential credible.

Nine Modules

Flight · Survey — all six

01 · Processing Science — The Six Categories

The tea plant and its two varieties. 萎凋 · 杀青 · 做青 · 揉捷 · 发酵 · 渥堆 — how each creates a family. Brewing by T.R.I.P.

Flight · 绿茶 Green

02 · Terroir and the Chinese Tea Regions

杀青 method as a style decision. Soil, altitude, cultivar, and season across the Chinese and Taiwanese regions.

Flight · 白茶 黄茶 White · Yellow

03 · Systematic Tasting — Five Qualities

形色香味韵 — form, colour, aroma, flavour, resonance. The SATT weighted grid, applied to all families.

Flight · 乌龙 Oolong

04 · Tea Practice — 习茶

做青 and the red-rimmed green leaf. Vessel, water, and the arc of an artisanal session.

Flight · 红茶 Black

05 · Quality Assessment

Oxidation run to completion, then kill-green. Defect recognition and regional style as a quality frame.

Flight · 乌龙 Oolong

06 · Gongfu Method — Precision Brewing

Roast as a style decision. Ratio, temperature, and time varied on one tea.

Flight · 黑茶 Dark · Pu’er

07 · Hospitality Application

渥堆 as microbial transformation. Sheng against shou. Tea list design, pairing logic, guest communication.

Flight · Students' choice

08 · Blind Tasting — Exam Readiness

Written paper in person, then timed blind practice against the Five Qualities grid.

Flight · Blind tasting

09 · Examination and Closing

Brewing demonstration and blind tasting of two teas. A closing gathering follows.

Learning Outcomes

LO 1
Explain the processing chemistry behind all six tea categories and describe how production decisions determine sensory character.
LO 2
Relate terroir factors, altitude, soil, cultivar, and harvest season, to the flavour profile of a specific tea and its region of origin.
LO 3
Apply the Five Qualities framework (形色香味韵) in SATT to produce a calibrated, scored tasting assessment with written justification.
LO 4
Demonstrate precision brewing using gongfu method and explain the sensory consequences of each parameter decision. Host a structured Chinese tea session.
LO 5
Construct a professional tea menu, apply pairing logic, and communicate tea knowledge effectively to a non-specialist audience.

Assessment

Written exam

50 questions, in person

Tasting analysis

Two teas (blind)

Pass mark

75%

Course Material, Included

Tea samples

Purposefully sourced references for the learning sequence

Study material

Curated syllabus with digital lecture notes

Tasting workbook

L2 Systematic Approach to Tea Tasting (SATT)

Level 2 · In Session

Apply to hear first when the next cohort opens.

Current cohort runs Thursdays, October 29 through December 17. Next cohort dates to be announced. Introduce yourself, tell us what brought you to Chinese tea, and why Level 2 is the right next step. No formal prerequisite. Genuine interest is sufficient. Enrollment includes a short entry assessment.

Cohort size

Up to 10 students

Format

In person, Toronto

Study time

25–30 hours

L2 Tuition

$395 CAD

Email Now to Apply

Responses within 48 hours.