Renowned Tea expert Shi Zhaopeng, in his book Tea Evaluation and Inspection, mentions that the aroma and taste of tea are complex, influenced by various factors. Teas from different regions and varieties all possess unique aromas and flavors.

For instance, black tea is often described with terms like “rich” and “freshly sweet,” while green tea is characterized as “freshly tender” and “clearly fragrant.” The unique aromas specific to certain origins are referred to as “regional scents,” such as the “Qi Men scent” of Qi Men black tea.

In summary, any distinctive aroma or flavor of a tea is a comprehensive expression of its chemical composition, shaped by factors including variety, cultivation techniques, picking quality, processing methods, and storage conditions.

Nine Types of Tea Aromas:

Based on the quality of fresh leaves, manufacturing methods, and characteristic aromas, we can roughly categorize tea aromas into nine types:

1. Downy Aroma: Fresh leaves with white down (white hairs), picked at a young stage (one bud and one leaf or above), processed normally. When brewed, these teas emit a special aroma known as the downy aroma. Examples include various silver needle teas with typical downy aromas, and some tip and peak teas with a young aroma mixed with a downy scent.

2. Young Aroma: Fresh, tender leaves (one bud and two leaves at the initial stage) processed promptly and properly tend to have a young aroma. Teas with a young aroma include E Rui, various tip and peak teas, etc.

3. Floral Aroma: Fresh leaves at the stage of one bud and two leaves, processed appropriately, produce an aroma reminiscent of various flowers. Depending on whether the floral scent is fresh or sweet, it can be further divided into fresh floral and sweet floral aromas. Fresh floral scents include orchid, gardenia, jasmine, mignonette, and honeysuckle. Sweet floral scents include magnolia, osmanthus, rose, and crimson flower. Teas with a floral aroma include Oolong Tea, scented tea, and some green and black teas. Oolong teas like Tie Guan Yin, Baozhong, Wulong, Phoenix Dancong, Narcissus, and Taiwan oolong have distinct floral aromas. Scented teas have their own floral aromas based on the flowers used for scenting. Green teas like Tongcheng and Shucheng Xiaolanhua, Yongxi Huoqing, and high-grade Shu Green have elegant orchid aromas. Qi Men black tea has a unique and pleasing floral-fruit aroma.

4. Fruity Aroma: Teas that emit an aroma similar to various fruits, such as apricot, honey peach, pear, Buddha's hand, tangerine, plum, citron, pineapple, longan, apple, etc. Northern Fujian oolong and some varietal teas fall into this category, and black teas often carry an apple-like aroma.

5. Freshly Clear Aroma: Fresh leaves at the stage of one bud and two or three leaves, processed normally and promptly. This type includes fresh, clear, pure, correct, and fresh aromas. The fresh and clear aroma is a typical characteristic of green tea. Some yellow teas with less piling and insufficient drying, as well as oolong teas with lighter bruising and greening and inadequate firing, also have an aroma of this type.

6. Sweet Aroma: Fresh leaves at the stage of one bud and two or three leaves, processed using black tea methods. The sweet aroma is a typical characteristic of black tea. This type includes fresh sweet aroma, sweet floral aroma, dried fruit aroma, sweet jujube aroma, tangerine aroma, honey aroma, and longan aroma.

7. Fired Aroma: Older fresh leaves with more stalks, processed with higher baking temperatures, sufficient heat, and caramelized sugars. This type includes rice cake aroma, high-fired aroma, old-fired aroma, and scorched aroma. Examples include Huang Da tea, Wuyi rock tea, and Guilao tea.

8. Mature and Mellow Aroma: Older fresh leaves processed with a stacking process for maturation and mellowing. Examples include Guangxi Liubao tea, Pu'er tea, and most compressed teas.

9. Pine Smoke Aroma: Teas that are smoked over pine, cedar, or other woods during the drying process typically have a pine smoke aroma. Examples include Lapsang Souchong, Weishan Maojian, Liubao tea, and dark green tea.

Fourteen Types of Tea Flavors:

1. Rich and Strong Type: Made from fresh leaves of good tenderness (one bud and two or three leaves), with fat buds and thick leaves, rich in flavor substances, or made from high-quality cultivars using proper methods. Generally used to describe the flavor of green tea. Such teas have a fresh or roasted chestnut aroma and tender, thick leaves. When tasted, there is an initial sensation akin to bitterness and astringency, followed by a rich but not bitter flavor, a moderate astringency without excessive dryness, and a long, refreshing aftertaste with a sweet sensation, similar to eating fresh olives. Examples include Tun Green, Ju Green, etc.

2. Rich and Potent Type: Made from fresh leaves of good tenderness and rich in flavor substances, or from high-quality cultivars or large-leaf cultivars, using black tea methods, with moderate withering slightly on the light side, sufficient rolling and cutting, and fermentation slightly on the light side. The “rich” indicates abundant tea soup extract, which feels thick and sticks to the tongue when sipped. “Potent” refers to strong stimulation, where the tea initially feels thick and sticky on the tongue, followed by a strong stimulating effect. This flavor type is typical of high-quality black broken tea.

3. Rich and Mellow Type: Made from fresh leaves of good tenderness, processed properly, resulting in a tea soup that feels rich in content with strong stimulation and astringency, and a sweet or mellow aftertaste. Examples include high-quality black tea, tip, and peak teas, as well as some oolong teas.

4. Rich and Refreshing Type: Made from fresh leaves of good tenderness and thick leaves, processed properly, resulting in a tea soup that feels rich in content with strong stimulation and astringency, and a sweet and refreshing aftertaste. Examples include Shu Green, Sui Green, Shiting Green, Lingyun Baihao, Yunnan Black, Wuyi rock tea, etc. Rich and brisk also falls under this flavor type.

5. Mellow Type: Made from fresh leaves of good quality and tenderness, processed normally, resulting in green tea, black tea, and oolong tea with this flavor type. Examples include Huo Qing, tip, and peak teas, Lushan Yunwu, Narcissus, Wulong, Baozhong, Tie Guan Yin, Chuan Hong, Qi Hong, and some Min Hong.

6. Mature and Mellow Type: Made from fresh leaves of good tenderness, processed with a stacking process for maturation and mellowing. Examples include Liubao tea, Pu'er tea, etc.

7. Fresh and Mellow Type: Made from fresh and tender fresh leaves, processed using green tea, black tea, or White Tea methods, resulting in a fresh and mellow flavor with a fresh and refreshing aftertaste. Examples include Tai Ping Hou Kui, high-grade oven-dried green tea, Da Bai tea, Xiao Bai tea, high-grade Qi Hong, Yi Hong, etc.

8. Fresh and Rich Type: Made from fresh leaves of high tenderness, thick leaves, and robust buds, with a high content of water-soluble substances, processed properly, resulting in a fresh and rich flavor with a refreshing aftertaste. Examples include Huangshan Mao Feng, Ming Mei, etc.

9. Fresh and Clear Type: Made from fresh leaves of one bud and one leaf, processed using black tea or green tea methods, processed promptly and properly, resulting in a fresh and clear