1. Aroma Profile
- Charcoal Roasting： Produces deep, complex notes with subtle smokiness and layers of caramel or toasted nuts. The fragrance is rich and lingering, like warm spices fused with the tea’s natural orchid aroma.
- Electric Roasting： It tends to be more straightforward and has a brighter, cleaner scent. Notes of baked honey or fresh toast dominate, lacking the smoky depth or aromatic complexity of charcoal-roasted versions.
2. Appearance of Dry Leaves
- Charcoal Roasted： Leaves are often darker (deep 乌褐油润), with a slightly uneven color from manual roasting. The surface may have a matte-to-satin sheen.
- Electric Roasted： Due to precise temperature control, it exhibits more uniform dark green or brown hues and a smoother, shinier texture.
3. Taste and Aftertaste
- Charcoal Roasting： Delivers a 醇厚 (mellow) mouthfeel with a pronounced roasted sweetness. The aftertaste lingers with warm, earthy tones and minimal astringency.
- Electric Roasting： Offers a crisper, lighter body with upfront sweetness. The finish is cleaner but less layered, with a subtle metallic or flat note in some cases.
4. Craftsmanship Signs
- Charcoal roasting requires skilled manual adjustment, often resulting in slight variations in leaf texture or aroma intensity—signs of authentic traditional 工艺 (craft).
- Electric roasting ensures consistency but may lack the “soul” of hand-roasted batches.
For true Strong Aroma Anxi Tieguanyin Tea enthusiasts, charcoal-roasted variants are prized for their depth, while electric options suit those preferring a modern, uniform profile.
