TieGuanyin is one of the top ten most famous teas in China. It is a starter tea for many tea lovers and is even more popular among tea drinkers. A large part of the reason why TieGuanyin is so famous stems from its outstanding aroma. According to the type of aroma, TieGuanyin has a certain subdivision, let's learn more about it.
About TieGuanyin
TieGuanyin is a kind of loose leaf oolong tea, which belongs to the semi-fermented tea category, it is not a loose leaf black tea or loose leaf green tea. It is not a loose leaf black tea or loose leaf green tea. Oolong tea adopts a degree of fermentation between green tea and black tea, and the shape of the tea leaves is tightly knotted and the color is dark green, which is one of the characteristics of Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong Tea.
TieGuanyin is both the name of the tea leaf and the name of the tea tree variety. It was discovered and started to be popularized in Xiping Town, Anxi County, Fujian Province during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. Anxi's territory is blessed with mountainous peaks, sweet springs, clouds and mist, mild and humid natural conditions, which are very suitable for the growth of TieGuanyin.
After 300 years of inheritance, the traditional production techniques of Anxi TieGuanyin have become more and more rigorous and exquisite under the accumulation and optimization of the long-term tea-making practice of Anxi tea farmers, which also makes Anxi TieGuanyin have the freshness of green tea, the sweetness and mellowness of black tea, and the fragrance of flowers and fruits, which makes Anxi TieGuanyin the best and most attractive tea. TieGuanyin is one of the best loose leaf tea with its unique charm.
Three Types of TieGuanyin
TieGuanyin is categorized into three types, namely, Light Aroma TieGuanyin, Strong Aroma TieGuanyin, Aged Aroma TieGuanyin, depending on the degree of fermentation and production process. When you are not sure which type of TieGuanyin you prefer, it is best not to buy a large bag of tea named TieGuanyin right off the bat, and it is recommended to purchase tea sampler of the tea to try and discover what suits you better.
Light Aroma TieGuanyin: Light Aroma TieGuanyin is lighter in taste and slightly sweeter on the tongue, favoring the modern craft method of production, and currently has the largest market share.
Strong Aroma TieGuanyin: Strong Aroma TieGuanyin tastes mellow, aromatic, taste after sweet. It is the traditional process of frying the tea leaves by baking and then processing products.
Aged Aroma TieGuanyin: Aged Aroma TieGuanyin, also known as old tea or ripe tea, is a semi-fermented tea made from Light Aroma TieGuanyin or Strong Aroma TieGuanyin after a long time of storage and repeated re-processing.
Discover the uniqueness of the three types of Tieguanyin
1.Light Aroma TieGuanyin
Light Aroma TieGuanyin is dried at a low temperature. It is generally dried at a low temperature of about 70°C during the final drying at the preliminary stage, and then gently roasted at about 70°C before packaging at the refining stage, which is also known as walk-in roasting, to ensure that the moisture content of the tea leaves is controlled at less than 5%.
Light Aroma TieGuanyin has a moderate degree of greening and fermentation. The color is green, the soup is clear, the aroma is rich, the taste is mellow, and the aroma is generally floral and fruity. Due to the cold nature of the new tea, do not drink too much, otherwise there will be a certain degree of stomach injury, insomnia.
2.Strong Aroma TieGuanyin
Strong Aroma TieGuanyin generally shows fried rice aroma. It is made by a second high temperature roasting of Light Aroma TieGuanyin. The temperature is generally between 110 degrees to 120 degrees. The degree of roasting is one of the factors that determine the aroma of loose leaf oolong tea. Generally speaking, the quality of high-end tea is lightly roasted, the middle end of the middle roasting, the quality of the lower heavy roasting, but to control the fire, not so heavy as to charcoal.
Strong Aroma TieGuanyin is fragrant, thick, mellow and sweet. The dry tea is lustre bright. The tea soup color is golden. It has pure aroma and thick taste. Compared with the Light Aroma TieGuanyin, the Strong Aroma TieGuanyin is warm in nature, which can quench the thirst and promote the production of fluids, strengthen the spleen and warm the stomach.
3.Aged Aroma TieGuanyin
Light Aroma TieGuanyin or Strong Aroma TieGuanyin is called Aged Aroma TieGuanyin when it has been stored for more than five years. Sometimes, the color of the soup of Aged Aroma TieGuanyin does not look as dark as that of Strong Aroma TieGuanyin, because it is made from Light Aroma TieGuanyin.
The taste of Aged Aroma TieGuanyin is more mellow, not stimulating, and usually has the flavor of fairy grass. When Aged Aroma TieGuanyin is stored to a certain extent, for example, for more than 20 years, it will also have the camphor and medicinal flavor of Puerh tea. The hoarding of Aged Aroma TieGuanyin should focus on sealing, hoarding in a dry and ventilated place with no strange odor, no need to re-roast.
Aged Aroma TieGuanyin has the characteristics of "thick, mellow, moist and soft", which is manifested as dark color, rich soup, sweet and mellow, deep fragrance and condensed rhyme. Its qualities and flavors are close to other loose leaf tea such as Pu'er tea, black tea and dark tea, and it has a heavy history and cultural precipitation.
TieGuanyin is loved by tea lovers for its unique aroma and "Guanyin Yun". TieGuanyin is not only delicious to drink and smell, but also very suitable as Christmas tea gifts or New Year tea gifts for family and friends.
The three flavors of TieGuanyin are like the three different stages of life: the freshness of youth, the richness of middle age, and the depth of old age. But no matter whether it is a clear, strong or aged type, there is always a cup of TieGuanyin that can resonate with you!
