Collected Emptiness is one of those teas that really defies categorization. It is essentially a novel Sichuanese version of a Hubei hei cha (黑茶 fermented tea) called Qing Zhuan 青砖, meaning Green Brick. Rather than being grown and processed in Hubei, this is made with wild Mabian tea leaves from Sichuan and processed and pressed in Sichuan by tea master Heng Yi. Qing Zhuan does undergo a wet-piling fermentation (沃堆 wo dui) as do other hei cha, but the finished product is not nearly as fermented or even oxidized as other wet piled teas such as shu pu'er or fuzhuan - hence the name "Green Brick". The lightly-fermented leaves are pressed into a dense 300 gram brick - Qing Zhuan is traditionally one of the densest of all pressed teas - that will, over time, ferment into a dark, rich, woody tea. This is Heng Yi's first batch of these tea bricks and they are only one year old, so are currently green in color, with a surprisingly bright, fragrant character that is more similar to a 2-3 year old Bai Mu Dan white tea or a yellow tea than to green tea or Sheng pu'er. The infusion ranges from pale green to amber and the flavor is incredibly dynamic, ranging from soft, downy floral notes to hints of chocolate and dried apricot. It is abundantly fragrant and honestly unlike any other tea that we carry. These bricks are an excellent investment to put away and age long-term, but are also excellent for drinking right away.
