When tasting tea, what do terms like "sharp aroma" or "high and long-lasting aroma" actually mean?

Sharp aroma: Refers to a tea fragrance that is intense and penetrating, noticeable both when smelling the dry leaves and when brewing.

High and long-lasting aroma: Describes a tea fragrance that is pronounced and persistent.

【How is Tea Aroma Classified?】

Different processing techniques result in varying tea aromas. Factors include roasting temperature, fermentation, and the degree of fermentation.

Grassy scents: Plant-like freshness, herbal notes. Floral scents: Such as orchid, osmanthus, gardenia, etc.

Fruity scents: Dominated by fruit-like aromas or blends of floral and fruity notes.

Food-like scents: Chestnut, bean, almond, etc.

There are many other aroma types. For example, Tieguanyin can have a milky fragrance, Shuixian tea may exhibit woody notes, old bush Shuixian might have a mossy tone, aged white tea can carry herbal aromas, dark tea often has aged fragrances, while Pu'er may present floral, fruity, jujube, camphor, plum, honey, or orchid scents, among others.

Your personal perception defines the aroma—there is no fixed standard or single interpretation.

【How to Identify Tea Aroma?】

Dry leaf aroma: Cup the tea leaves in your hands and inhale gently to detect the characteristic scent of the tea.

Water aroma: The fragrance perceived after sipping the tea liquor, emerging from the brewed tea. Different teas have distinct signature aromas; even common descriptors like floral or honeyed notes vary across tea types.

Wet leaf aroma: After brewing, smell the spent tea leaves. High-quality tea leaves have a pleasant scent, while lower-quality ones may carry off-notes.