The most captivating feature of Anxi Tieguanyin is its high, elegant orchid fragrance. The orchid fragrance we refer to is actually a special tea aroma reminiscent of orchids, leaving a deep impression. However, not all Anxi Tieguanyin tea possesses this orchid scent; only a few premium Anxi Tieguanyin varieties exhibit a pronounced and rich orchid fragrance. Moreover, the orchid fragrance comes in two different styles!

First Style: Rigid Orchid Fragrance

One style is sharp, potent, and impactful, with a strong, rigid character, making a deep impression. It is commonly used by tea enthusiasts as a benchmark for high-grade Anxi Tieguanyin. This type of tea generally results from light fermentation techniques. However, its drawback may be that the aftertaste is not particularly long-lasting, and it can more easily develop a strong bitterness.

Second Style: Soft Orchid Fragrance

The other style is elegant and subtle, yet the clear, delicate orchid fragrance is also very noticeable, exhibiting a gentle, feminine quality with strong penetration. Its advantage lies in the tea soup's more approachable taste and a very satisfying aftertaste—though this is not an absolute rule.

A significant portion of Anxi Tieguanyin that fails in processing will not develop a high, elegant orchid fragrance. The tea aroma may be dull or have an overly strong grassy taste, making it difficult to leave a good impression. There are many such teas, and light fermentation often leads to insufficient richness and thickness in taste, making them less than ideal.

The above discussion on tea fragrance refers to the aroma after brewing, not the fragrance of the dry leaves. Generally, fresh, well-preserved, or recently roasted dry tea leaves are more likely to have a noticeable, high fragrance, but this is not particularly important. Many Anxi Tieguanyin teas, while not having a strong dry leaf fragrance, become impressive after brewing. Conversely, many teas have a strong orchid fragrance in their dry leaves, which weakens after brewing. Therefore, evaluating the purity and intensity of Anxi Tieguanyin's orchid fragrance should be based on the brewed tea.

These two styles of orchid fragrance in Anxi Tieguanyin tea do not have a clear superiority; they simply belong to different stylistic schools and can be considered at the same quality level, both representing premium Anxi Tieguanyin!