Variations in the quality of brewing water profoundly impact tea flavor. This study systematically investigated the effects of four common water sources, including pure water (PW), mountain spring water (MSW), mineral water (MW) and natural water (NW) on the flavor of Tieguanyin tea infusion. Brewing with MW resulted in a flat taste and turbid aroma, mainly due to the low leaching of tea flavor components and complex interactions with mineral ions (mainly Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ). Tea infusions brewed with NW exhibited the highest relative contents of total volatile compounds, while those brewed with PW had the lowest. NW and MSW, with moderate mineralization, were conducive to improving the aroma quality of tea infusion and were more suitable for brewing both aroma types of Tieguanyin . These findings offer valuable insights into the effect of brewing water on the sensory and physicochemical properties of oolong teas.
There is a huge demand for brewing water in tea consumption, and the sensory flavor of tea infusion is significantly affected by the water used for brewing. To investigate the impact of brewing water on the aroma of tea infusions made from Camelia senensis , the three tea infusions of green, oolong and black tea brewed by six different drinking waters were analyzed by sensory evaluation, solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and chemometrics. Brewing water with high pH values (>8.10) and high TDS content (>140 ppm) resulted in a lower overall aroma acceptability for tea infusion, where HCO 3 – , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ were key influencing ions. A total of 86, 106, and 131 volatiles were identified in green, oolong and black tea infusions, respectively, which were strongly influenced by six different brands of waters. Decanal, dimethyl sulfide, β-ionone and linalool were potent volatiles in tea aroma changes caused by brewing water.