陈年铁观音 老铁 老茶

铁观音，作为福建安溪地区所产乌龙茶的一种，一直以“美如观音重如铁 香气馥郁韵悠长”的特点让广大茶人喜爱，不论是冰雪料峭的寒冬，还是蝉音长鸣的苦夏，一杯清雅醇香的铁观音都是茶友们的最爱。

陈年铁观音:养在深闺人未识

所谓陈年铁观音，又称“老铁”，是一种经过数年不断烘焙精制而成的福建安溪乌龙茶，它保持了传统的铁观音制作过程，口感好，茶汤呈淡金色或咖啡宝红色，香气呈现碳香，回甘强，沉而不浊略带蜜香。

“在福建的安溪民间传承着一个关于老铁的传说，清朝年间有一个叫林福隆的老员外肠胃不好有一天肚子胀的厉害，吃不下饭，到处找大夫看病，症状也没得改善，当天晚上林老员外梦时得到仙人指点。第二天早上按照梦里的仙人指点家里人翻遍祖屋，在屋角处找到一些色泽乌黑的老茶，然后将其煮给林老员外喝，结果林老员外肚子胀的毛病竟然好了。”老茶农常说，因为传说以及安溪人酷爱铁观音的原因，在安溪民间的不少茶农每年都有存茶于陶罐的习俗，遇风寒冷热即以老茶当药。

“老铁”的魅力所在，除了口感上佳，还有一定的健康因素。据了解，虽然口感醇厚，但区别于普通浓香型铁观音，必须要经过时间的沉淀才能有如此深厚的韵味。

魅力独具，时间是最好的制茶大师

现在很多人知道了老铁（陈年铁观音）的魅力，但是很多茶友们在购买“老铁”的时候经常能碰到一些糊味特别的重的铁观音，他们百思不得其解。

“出现这种情况的原因其实不难分析。首先，这可能是遇到了以高火工，快速制作陈年铁观音。有些高温长时间烘焙茶叶，它的外观呈现出黑，亮叶底僵硬无弹性。失去了老铁应有的美丽色泽。火攻严重的叶底略显炭化香气，有明显的焦糊味，陈年老铁讲究的是自然陈化的结果，它需要用时间来升华品质、酿造口感，所以说，时间是最好的制茶大师。”

在铁观音制茶师傅中流传着这样一句话：“好的陈年老铁可遇不可求”。

老铁制作需要茶人用心，并且制作工艺复杂，储存要求条件极高。“制作老铁，必须使用上等茶种制作出来的优质铁观音。必须密封保存，绝对不能在储存过程中有一点异味或者潮气。数年之后，该茶必须有了良好的转化效果，药香气味明显。要知道，储存老茶需要5年、10年、20年甚至更长，所以难度之大可想而知。只有存在好的材料，才能做出好茶。”茶人周建能特别提醒喜欢“老铁”的铁杆茶友们，一定要珍惜茶杯中的每一叶茶叶，珍惜制茶师傅的艰辛劳动和时间流逝的不易。鉴别“老铁”：色如琥珀，陈韵明显。

如何鉴别老铁

陈年铁观音目前在市场是很被看好的，但是作为普通的消费者最关心的还是怎么去鉴别，对此茶人周建能提醒广大茶友，5年的陈年转化出的是熟香（甜果香），10年，15年陈铁特殊味道开始出现，呈现木质类的香气和熟果香，茶汤稠糯，到二十年以后陈铁陈韵明显，色如琥珀，晶莹透亮，茶汤细腻甘滑，而且喝下去后回味无穷，整个身体都可以感受到舒畅满足。

老铁具有很好的养生保健功效，能消除疲劳，促进新陈代谢，预防高血压，预防脑血栓，软化血管的功效。在安溪民间流传着茶业界家喻户晓的一句话：陈年铁观音是个宝，赛过冬虫和夏草。

Tieguanyin, as a kind of oolong tea produced in Anxi, Fujian, has always been loved by tea people with its characteristics of "beautiful as a Guanyin as heavy as iron aroma, rich and long rhyme", whether it is the cold winter with steep ice and snow, or the bitter cicada sound. In summer, a cup of Tieguanyin is the favorite of tea lovers.

Old Tieguanyin: Raised in a Deep Boudoir

The so-called aged Tieguanyin, also known as "Lao Tie", is an Fujian Anxi Oolong tea refined after several years of continuous roasting. It maintains the traditional Tieguanyin production process and has a good taste. The tea soup is pale golden or coffee-red , The aroma presents carbon aroma, sweet and strong, heavy but not muddy, slightly honeyed.

"In Anxi, Fujian, there is a legend about the old iron. During the Qing Dynasty, there was a veteran named Lin Fulong who had poor stomach and intestines. In the evening, Mr. Lin got advice from a fairy when he was dreaming. The next morning, according to the fairy in the dream, he went through the ancestral house and found some black-colored old tea in the corner of the house. Then he cooked it for Mr. Lin to drink outside. Old member Lin’s bulging belly turned out to be better.” Old tea farmers often say that because of legends and the reason why Anxi people love Tieguanyin, many tea farmers in Anxi have the custom of storing tea in clay pots every year. That is, old tea is used as medicine.

The charm of "Lao Tie", in addition to good taste, there are certain health factors. It is understood that although the taste is mellow, it is different from the ordinary Luzhou-flavored Tieguanyin, and it must pass the precipitation of time to have such a deep flavor.

Unique charm, time is the best tea master

Many people now know the charm of Lao Tie (old Tie Guan Yin), but many tea lovers often encounter some heavy Tie Guan Yin when buying "Lao Tie", they are puzzled.

"The reason for this situation is actually not difficult to analyze. First of all, this may be due to the rapid production of aged Tieguanyin with high pyrotechnics. Some teas roasted at high temperatures for a long time have a dark appearance, and the bright bottom of the leaves is stiff. Elasticity. Lost the beautiful color that the old iron should have. The bottom of the severely fired leaf has a slightly charred aroma and a clear burnt smell. The old iron pays attention to the result of natural aging, and it takes time to sublimate the quality , Brewing taste, so time is the best tea master."

There is a saying in Tieguanyin's tea maker: "Good old iron can never be met."

The production of old iron requires the care of tea people, and the production process is complicated, and the storage requirements are extremely high. "To make old iron, you must use high-quality Tieguanyin made from high-quality tea species. It must be sealed and stored, and there must be no peculiar smell or moisture during storage. After several years, the tea must have a good transformation effect, and the medicinal fragrance The smell is obvious. You need to know that it takes 5, 10, 20 years or even longer to store old tea, so the difficulty can be imagined. Only good materials can make good tea." Tea master Zhou Jianneng especially reminded like The "old iron" hardcore tea lovers must cherish every leaf of tea in the cup, and cherish the hard work of the tea maker and the difficulty of time passing by. Identify "old iron": the color is like amber, and the Chen Yun is obvious.

How to identify old iron

Aged Tieguanyin is currently very promising in the market, but as an ordinary consumer, the most concerned thing is how to identify it. The tea maker Zhou Jianneng reminded the majority of tea lovers that the five-year aging transforms the ripe fragrance (sweet). Fruity), 10 years, 15 years old iron special taste began to appear, showing woody aroma and ripe fruit aroma, the tea soup is thick and waxy, and after 20 years, the Chen iron Chen Yun is obvious, the color is like amber, crystal clear, and the tea soup is delicate. It is sweet and slippery, and after drinking it, the aftertaste is endless, and the whole body can feel comfortable and satisfied.

Lao Tie has a good health care effect, can eliminate fatigue, promote metabolism, prevent high blood pressure, prevent cerebral thrombosis, and soften blood vessels. There is a well-known saying in the tea industry in Anxi folks: the old Tieguanyin is a treasure, and it is better than winter insects and summer grass.