Light vs aged Tie Guan Yin
The same cultivar from the same gardens, made two ways a century apart. They taste so unlike each other that most drinkers would not guess they share a name.
tea
What is being compared
Why these get confused
A shopper asking for Tie Guan Yin will nearly always be handed the light modern style, and may never learn the other exists.
Point by point
| Aspect | Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin | Chen Xiang Tie Guan Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Oxidation | Minimal, to keep the floral aroma at maximum. | Higher, in the traditional manner. |
| Roast | None, or barely any. | Heavy charcoal, repeated over years. |
| Flavour | Lilac, cream and green apple. Bright and immediate. | Dried longan, medicinal herbs and prune. Thick and dark. |
| Ageing | Not intended for it. It fades within a year or two. | The point of it. Re-roasted every few years to drive off absorbed moisture. |
| Which is traditional | The newer of the two, largely a 1990s development. | The older style, which the modern one displaced commercially. |
The short answer
The light style is easier to like and the aged style is more rewarding to keep. Neither is the real Tie Guan Yin; the light one is simply what the market chose.
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