Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
TeaHQ has written about this pair
One cultivar, one county, two teas that share nothing in the cup — and the light one is the newer of the two. A shopper asking for Tie Guan Yin will almost always be handed the newer of the two without being told.
- Oxidation and roast
- Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted): Higher oxidation, real charcoal roast.Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin: Minimal oxidation, no roast.
- Flavour
- Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted): Toasted nut, dried fruit and caramel.Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin: Lilac, cream and green apple.
- Which is traditional
- Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted): The older style it displaced.Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin: The newer, largely a 1990s development.
- Ageing
- Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted): Ages for decades with periodic re-roasting.Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin: Fades within a year or two.
In summary: A shopper asking for Tie Guan Yin will nearly always be given the light style. The roasted one has to be asked for by name.
Point by point
| Dimension | Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted) | Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Oolong · partially oxidised | Oolong · lightly oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Roasting. heavy roast, bud and three plus and autumn harvest. | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Oxidation → Kill-green (fixation) → Cloth-ball rolling → Drying. spring harvest. |
| Origin | China — Anxi | China — Anxi |
| Flavour | roasted, nutty, sweet and woody. full bodied, rich and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: roasted nut, dark caramel, dried longan, charcoal. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. | floral, creamy and sweet. medium, silky and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: lilac, fresh cream, green apple. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 25s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 25s of 6 authored. Cold brew tea: 1–2 g/100 ml at 4–10 °C, first steep 21600s. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. |
| Cultural context | Roast levels vary widely, and older stock is sometimes re-roasted before sale. A tea labelled simply 'Tie Guan Yin' may be either style, and the two are not substitutable. | The shift to this style from the traditional roasted one happened largely in the 1990s and remains contested among older Anxi producers. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.
Brew Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted) · Brew Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin