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In recent years, aged Anxi Tieguanyin has been widely welcomed by tea enthusiasts. On April 19, 2016, a national standard was officially implemented, making it the third category of Anxi Tieguanyin with a national standard, following fresh and full aroma types. So, how is aged Anxi Tieguanyin defined? What is its relationship with fresh and full aroma types? What are its benefits? How should it be stored? The Tea Station of the Agriculture and Tea Bureau of Anxi County provides authoritative explanations.
1. How does the national standard define aged Tieguanyin?
According to the announcement issued by the Standardization Administration of China, aged Tieguanyin is a product made from Tieguanyin raw tea through processes such as sorting out stalks, sieving, blending, roasting, and storing for more than five years, resulting in a product with aged aroma characteristics.
2. How do we distinguish between “aged tea,” “old tea,” and “old Tie”?
“Aged tea,” “old tea,” and “old Tie” are all terms used by consumers to refer to aged Tieguanyin. There are no specific distinctions among these terms.
3. What is the minimum storage duration for aged Tieguanyin?
More than five years.
4. What is the difference between aged Tieguanyin and aged Anxi Tieguanyin?
The primary difference lies in the origin. Aged Anxi Tieguanyin refers to Tieguanyin raw tea originally produced within Anxi County that is processed into a product with aged aroma characteristics. Aged Tieguanyin can come from regions beyond Anxi.
5. How do fresh, full aroma, and aged Tieguanyin differ?
Different processing methods result in different appearances and internal qualities. Fresh Tieguanyin can serve as the raw material for full aroma and aged Tieguanyin. In the process from raw tea to finished tea, full aroma Tieguanyin uses roasting and other techniques, while aged Tieguanyin undergoes “roasting + storage (more than five years)” and other processes.
According to the “national standard,” the processing methods for fresh, full aroma, and aged Tieguanyin are:
Fresh Tieguanyin: fresh leaves picking → withering → cooling → shaking → fixation (stir-frying) → rolling → ball rolling → roasting
Full aroma Tieguanyin: raw tea → acceptance → sorting → batching → sieving → wind selection → sorting → blending → roasting → cooling → uniform stacking → sorting → packaging → finished tea
Aged Tieguanyin: raw tea → sorting out stalks → sieving → blending → roasting → storage (more than five years) → finished tea
6. When did aged Tieguanyin first appear?
The tradition of aged Tieguanyin goes back a long way. In Anxi, and throughout Fujian, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, there has long been a tradition of storing Tieguanyin. In recent years, the trend of collecting old teas has swept through the tea industry, and aged Tieguanyin has become increasingly popular due to its unique flavor and health benefits.
The establishment of standards for aged Tieguanyin is primarily due to four factors: the strong demand from tea companies, merchants, and farmers; the high attention and strong support from the Anxi County Party Committee and government; the concern and support from the National Tea Standards Committee; and the market's push for standardization and regulation.
7. What are the benefits of aged Tieguanyin?
According to traditional beliefs, aged