2017 Black Brick Heicha Cube 黑磚黑茶

Black Brick Heicha Cube (黑磚黑茶, Hēi Zhuān Hēi Chá, "Black Brick Black Tea") - Black Brick is the 3rd grade of Anhua Heicha (fermented tea) from Hunan, below Tian Jian and Hua Juan and above Fu Zhuan. Traditionally darker than Fu Zhuan, with more lumber and earth notes, we have historically not carried Hei Zhuan because the whole brick is impossible to open using normal means - it has to be cut with a saw. We were able to acquire a batch of 2017 Black Brick and had Xiang Lu Shan cut them into cubes for us. Due to the nature of the cutting process, these bricks are 10 grams on average, with a standard deviation of ~1.5 grams. We're excited to be able to share this unique fermented tea with Heicha fans in the West. These cubes produce 12-20 robust steepings depending on the steeping method used. They can also be boiled in a larger container, as is traditional among the Central Asian steppe communities that are the historical market for this style of tea.