Wuyi Rougui belongs to the high-aroma variety, with a rich taste and long-lasting aftertaste. Good Rougui should have the following characteristics:

Strips -- Plump, tight, and heavy

Color -- Oily, bright sandy-green, with distinct red spots

Uniformity -- Even and consistent

Cleanliness -- Clean

Aroma -- Rich and persistent, reminiscent of milky, peach, or cinnamon fragrance

Taste -- Mellow, fresh, and smooth, with a distinct "rock rhyme"

Liquid color -- Golden, clear, and bright

Brewed leaves -- Thick, soft, bright, even, with a distinct red edge

Common Misconceptions in Identifying Rougui

RouGui tea is a type of Wuyi Rock Tea with a clear, floral, and fruity aroma, featuring a distinct cinnamon fragrance that persists even after multiple infusions. During processing, controlling the fire level is particularly important. As the saying goes, "aroma is easy to achieve, but flavor is hard to master." Special attention should be paid to the characteristics of aroma and fire level when identifying quality.

1. Misconception about Aroma

Many beginners in Rougui tea tend to think that as long as the tea leaves smell fragrant and taste sweet, it is good tea and valuable! This is not true. Dry leaves smelling fragrant does not mean the brewed tea will still be aromatic. Teas with higher fire levels often have some fragrance. However, aroma can be elegant or vulgar, pure or杂乱. If fragrance alone determined quality, then jasmine tea would be the most fragrant—even a novice can easily recognize the jasmine scent—yet it is far less expensive than Rougui tea. If sweetness alone were the criterion, buying a pound of honey to brew would surely satisfy your sweet tooth for just over 30 yuan per pound, which cannot compare to Rougui tea.

The fragrance and smoothness of Rougui tea are a spiritual perception. First-time tea drinkers may not appreciate it even with the best Rougui tea; it requires slow savoring to gradually sense that mellow, rich滋润. It is actually a state of mind, something you can only comprehend intuitively but find hard to express in words! Once you reach this state, distinguishing good from bad tea will come naturally.

The aroma of Rougui tea emphasizes a rich cinnamon fragrance, which is unique and found only in high-quality Rougui. The best aroma is sharp,持久 cinnamon;粗糙 fragrances are inferior. The aroma of Rougui tea should not only be smelled but, most crucially, tasted. The true aroma of good Rougui lies in the liquid, "压在水底" (concentrated in the water). Authentic Zheng Yan (true rock) Rougui's aroma gradually unfolds after the third infusion, when you suddenly feel refreshed, as if置身于 a sea of flowers—smelling and tasting the fragrance! The aroma of Rougui tea focuses on the sensation in the mouth, not just the nasal perception. Simply put, smelling fragrant is easy, but tasting the fragrance is the mark of truly good tea!

2. Misconception about Fire Level

"High fire can掩盖 a hundred flaws in Rougui tea." Many ordinary Rougui teas, lacking distinct characteristics and aroma, are often neglected. Therefore, some processors use high fire to create an illusion of thick,浓郁 liquid, making people mistake this roasted aroma for the tea's true fragrance and flavor. In reality, it is merely a strong charcoal火香, not the authentic tea aroma or taste. However, many people enjoy this charcoal香, misunderstanding it as the sign of good tea.

Such processing loses the variety's characteristics,掩盖 the原料 and工艺 defects and shortcomings. The leaves become dead black,紧缩, almost charred, and hardly unfurl when brewed, yet give an错觉 of strong flavor. This最容易误导 consumers and is often marketed by sellers as "fire aroma" tea, "charcoal aroma" tea, or "roasted aroma" tea, simply explained as "high fire level."