What HeiCha are you drinking

Puerh and other heicha
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teanik
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Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:32 pm

LeoFox wrote:
Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:39 pm
Recently was gifted this. Has anyone tried something like this before? Also how do you break into this? Seems solid as a slab of rock
.
Yesterday was the first time I took a bit more than just a glance at Hei Cha (other than Liu Bao, which I do drink), so I found myself perusing this TeaForum topic. I ended up ordering a few types of Hei Cha from YS, but was limited to those available on the the American site--I had a couple of orders lost from China and Japan last year with the shipping issues of late.
Today I'm continuing in the Hei Cha vein. What I'm learning today will be old news to many of you.
I see Chawang Shop has some Hei Cha, including the type @LeoFox mentioned with his impregnable brick. Apparently it's called Qingzhuan tea, traditionally produced for Asian Steppe peoples. This site https://www.toptealife.com/post/qingzhuan-tea mentions several types, and includes an interesting video ad. The brick with the locomotive, pictured here https://www.chawangshop.com/2011-hubei- ... -350g.html, is sold out at Chawang, and no tips on how to mount an assault on the brick.
Imen, at Tea Habitat, includes in a 2008 blog entry an account of her first encounter with such a brick http://tea-obsession.blogspot.com/2008/ ... asure.html. She ended up using an ice pick on it, but theorized about whether a grinder would be useful. @Balthazar's scissors seem to be as good a solution as any. Imen also discusses some interesting research she did on the subject.
In a 2012 thread on TeaChat, there's an interesting discussion (https://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=17710) with a member from Yunnan named "honza," as he/she tries to explain that these "decorative tea bricks" are not for decoration but for drinking, that they are all tea leaf and not pressed with any binding material, and that with some ageing they can be quite tasty.
Top Tea Life has another page https://www.toptealife.com/post/fuzhuan-tea that includes a couple of pleasant videos about Fuzhuan tea culture.
@Balthazar, you must know all about this stuff. There seems to be a real hit and miss element to shopping for some types of Hei Cha especially. How is that "indestructible brick" you mentioned above? Would you have any links to a couple of favorite Hei Cha that are in English (and not on Taobao)? Does anyone else have any suggestions about finding good Hei Cha? Thank you.
Last edited by teanik on Sun Jan 02, 2022 6:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Balthazar
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Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:46 am

debunix wrote:
Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:49 am
Where did you get them?
I got mine from jd.com, here.
teanik wrote:
Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:32 pm
In a 2012 thread on TeaChat, there's an interesting discussion (https://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=17710) with a member from Yunnan named "honza," as he/she tries to explain that these "decorative tea bricks" are not for decoration but for drinking, that they are all tea leaf and not pressed with any binding material, and that with proper storage they can be quite tasty.
Honza is the proprietor of Chawangshop :) . He's got the details right in the TC discussion, which refers to a mizhuan ("rice brick" - rice referring to the tea fannings that these bricks are composed of). Definitely on the cruder end of the spectrum though.
teanik wrote:
Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:32 pm
There seems to be a real hit and miss element to shopping for some types of Hei Cha especially. How is that "indestructible brick" you mentioned above? Would you have any links to a couple of favorite Hei Cha that are in English (and not on Taobao)? Does anyone else have any suggestions about finding good Hei Cha? Thank you.
Yep, definitely hit and miss. I’m mostly into Anhua heichas myself (or I should say that's where I have started my exploration, I haven't ventured much into Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi etc. heichas at all). There’s a rich variety of teas within this category (to say nothing of “heicha” more generally), and the quality of the material used and processing has improved a lot just over the last decade. But the “zhuans and juans” (bricks and rolls) remain marred by the large sales units (typically 1kg+ bricks and 3kgs+ rolls) and lack of production continuity from year to year (for everything outside of the “core” ranges of the biggest factories). There are exceptions, of course, but the general trend remains.

The brick pictured in my previous post is the Gaoma Erxi 2021 Liang Bai Dan heizhuan. It’s the first time GM2X has made a heizhuan in their “Liang Bai Dan” series. I’ve only had it two times and it’s still too young to be fully appreciated, but it shows promise. Very good huigan and lasts for a bunch of steeps.

I don’t think any western vendor carries it. Actually I’m afraid that’s the case for most of my favorite Anhua heichas. Some of them are not even available on Taobao (or if they are, only at ridiculous prices), this is particuarly true for the huajuans. I think the best bet among the western facing vendors is Yunnan Sourcing. The 2009 GJS fuzhuan and 2012 GJS heizhuan are both nice teas. For a more "artisinal" focus (and lots of useful info on Anhua heicha) you could try Exquisite Leaves (you're not going to find similar offerings from other western facing vendors, so this is probably a good place to sample from if you want compare the typically "old school" style teas that YS and others offer to different processing techniques that have become popular in the last decade).

I was gonna go for a rawish liubao this morning, but all this writing while the tetsubin has been bringing my water to a boil has changed my mind. The 2009 GJS heizhuan it is :)
slipshod
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Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:52 am

I would like to mention one sulier in the context of exquisite leaves. I got liubao from them. But they have fairly good selection of heichas. Apparently it is 2nd best teahouse in switzerland. Unfortunately, packages are untracked

https://www.laenggasstee.ch/en/menu-onl ... ented-tea/
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teanik
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Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:10 am

Balthazar wrote:
Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:46 am

There’s a rich variety of teas within this category (to say nothing of “heicha” more generally), and the quality of the material used and processing has improved a lot just over the last decade.
That sounds encouraging. Thank you, @Balthazar, for being so generous with your time with that lengthy response. Fabulous information. I've marked your recommendations on the YS site. Exquisite Leaves sounds like another great place to start.
Thanks to you as well, @slipshod for that LaenggassTee link. In a previous entry you posted this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-14HEpKzCc8. That guy (Pu'er Tea Grand Master Mr. Oh, Heoung-Deok) is great to watch. I have a Qian Liang Cha coming from YS, so I'll put him on when the parcel arrives.
Thank you both, and Happy New Year to you guys. And everyone.
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debunix
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:13 am

Enjoying 2002 Aged Wild Liu Bao from YS, warm and sweet and herbaceous without any bitterness. Very mellow companion for an evening of paperwork.
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teanik
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:07 am

As I'm on the threshold of a journey into An Hua dark tea, I'm trying to get some of the terms straight. In response to my Hei Cha question above, Balthazar used some of them. Please feel free to correct me, anyone, if I've gone astray.
Some An Hua Hei Cha Tea terms: Hei Zhuan, Hua Zhuan, Hua Juan, Fu Zhuan, Tian Jian, Gong JIan.

From https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... -cha-brick
Hei Zhuan 黑砖 is a unique An Hua style of tea that is based on Qian Liang Tea. It's a blend of grade 2,3 and 4 sized leaves. It is different from Fu Zhuan in that it does not have golden flowers 金花. It is quite similar to "Hua Zhuan" 花砖, but uses a larger ratio of coarse/large leaves in its blend (Hua Zhuan blend is a bit smaller average leaf size). Keep in mind that the size/grade of leaves influences the taste, but it should not be equated with "quality". For example, although all Hei Zhuan are blended from a similar ratio of leaf grades/sizes, this offering (being from wild high altitude tea trees picked in spring), will outshine another Hei Zhuan that was (for example) harvested from plantation bushes during the second spring flush."

YS offers a brick called Hua Zhuan here: https://yunnansourcing.com/products/201 ... 9eef&_ss=r
"Hua Zhuan 花砖 is a unique An Hua style of tea that is based on Qian Liang Tea. It's a blend of grade 2 and 3 sized leaves (just like Qian Liang). It differs from Qian Liang tea in it's shape only [Qian Liang is a roll]. It is different from Fu Brick in that it does not have golden flowers 金花. It is quite similar to "Hei Zhuan" 黑砖, but uses less coarse/large leaves in its blend (Hei Zhuan blend is the coarser). Keep in mind that the size/grade of leaves influences the taste, but it should not be equated with "quality". For example, although all Hua Zhuan are blended from a similar ratio of leaf grades/sizes, this offering (being from wild high altitude tea trees picked in spring), will outshine another Hua Zhuan that was (for example) harvested from plantation bushes during the second spring flush."
So, if I understand it, Hei Zhuan and Hua Zhuan differ only in the leaf size/grade in the blend. Scott says their composition is based on that found in Qian Liang tea. Qian Liang, Shi Liang, and Baliang seem to be size designations of the same tea--a tea that Exquisite Leaves calls Hua Juan. Juan means Roll https://exquisiteleaves.com/product-cat ... ajuan-tea/. YS offers these rolls but doesn't call them Hua Juan.
Apparently, the Golden Flower (Eurotium cristatum) may occur in other An Hua teas, but it is in the processing of the Fu Zhuan (Fu Brick) that the Golden Flower is intentionally cultured.
Tian Jian (Heavenly Tips https://exquisiteleaves.com/product-cat ... njian-tea/) is considered the highest quality of the An Hua Hei Cha.
Gong Jian is the second highest.
slipshod
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:39 am

There is few i would like to list that might give a range of quality vs volume

For some im including steepster notes as i might find it challenging to recall what it felt like at the time

This one i still have but despite being double price to me because of only shipment option being dhl, it is almost same value as the next one

http://steepster.com/teas/yunnan-sourci ... ting-notes

This one is double size, to my observation, lower quality, say 200g would be exclusive and 1000g would be more generic consumption.

https://www.nannuoshan.org/products/fu-zhuan-jin-hua

This one is a smokier version of the one that chawangshop is listing as out of stock. It is as well two slices 100g each which makes it easier to break

http://steepster.com/teas/grandness-tea ... k-tea-c4-8

This is the one

http://steepster.com/sierge-krst/posts/419922

There is one that switched me from loubao back to heizhuans

https://yunnansourcing.com/products/201 ... tea-in-tin

This one i never purchased but seems to be good value

https://www.teacakesyork.co.uk/products ... -yorkshire

And the last one from fairly reputable vendor

https://www.ebay.com/itm/400g-brick-Chi ... 3246848429
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Balthazar
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 12:48 pm

@teanik: Seems mostly right to me. Do note that these terms are used in different ways – I don’t think there is as strict a leaf size standard these days. For instance, “tianjian heizhuans” are a thing (as are “tianjian fuzhuans”). Also, it seems to me the quoted YS descriptions have gotten the typical leaf size of huazhuans and heizhuans mixed up (it’s the former that commonly has a larger ratio of coarser leaves).

I believe there are some typical processing differences between huazhuans and heizhuans, with the former being processed similar to a huajuan (before the pressing stage obviously). The huazhuans I’ve tried have had a more distinct medicinal taste, much like what you’d expect to find in huajuans. Afaik, the second fermentation of heizhuans are typically “hot fermentation” (热发酵) whereas the secondary huazhuans typically undergo wodui as second round of fermentaiton. Don’t take this as gospel, I might misremember some details here...

Anyways, the proof is in the pudding, and picking up samples of the 2012 GJS Heizhuan, Huazhuan, Huajuan, Qianliang and Tianjian which are all offered by YS is probably a good idea. It’ll give you the opportunity to compare a range of varieties from the “standard line” of the same factory from the same year. (As mentioned, I find the heizhuan quite nice. The others did not do much for me.)

teanik wrote:
Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:07 am
Apparently, the Golden Flower (Eurotium cristatum) may occur in other An Hua teas, but it is in the processing of the Fu Zhuan (Fu Brick) that the Golden Flower is intentionally cultured.
Yep. If you picked up the 2007 BSX qianliang from YS, you'll find that it contains quite some jinhua. Same is true for the 2007 Xiangyi heizhuan he carries (which is impressive considering the tight pressing).

From what I have heard, many collectors dread the thought of their precious qianliangs growing jinhua. Despite all of the touted health benefits, it does alter the taste of the tea (and will lower the market value).
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teanik
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:36 pm

@slipshod and @Balthazar, once again, you have been extremely helpful. Thank you big time.

Slipshod, like you, I've been dinged by DHL--duty and other charges--and haven't ordered tea from overseas for going on a year. I don't recall ever paying duty (I'm in Canada) for China Post parcels. Hence, in recent months my only teas have come from Tillerman, and hence I'm sticking to the Yunnan Sourcing U.S. site. You gave me another U.S. connection--Nan Nuo Shan. Thank you. I enjoyed your humorous, and may I say occasionally surreal, reviews on Steepster. I've marked all your links.

Both of you recommended teas that are in stock in YS China, but not YS in the States. I wonder if I'd be able to ask Scott to bring them to the U.S.

Balthazar, thanks again for your useful clarifications and suggestions. Scott put the 2012 GJS Heizhuan and the 2007 Xiangyi heizhuan in the mail today, along with four more Heicha. I hope to sample the "artisanal" approach of Exquisite Leaves when the dust settles.

You two have sent me off to the races. Thanks again.
faj
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 4:41 pm

teanik wrote:
Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:36 pm
I've been dinged by DHL--duty and other charges. I don't recall ever paying duty (I'm in Canada) for China Post parcels.
I am located in Canada too. DHL will charge a brokerage fee (20 CAD if I remember correctly), that part is hard to avoid. I have been hit once with sales tax, which was an error on their part since tea is non-taxable in Canada because it is considered a basic grocery good. I fought this charge and they removed it. For duties (not the same as sales taxes), it has to be checked on a per-country basis, but I do not remember any duty being applicable on tea (I have not ordered dozens of times from many countries, though, so take that for what it is worth). I would encourage you to check with your seller before shipment which HS codes they use on their paperwork, so that you can help them choose a better one if need be.

That being said, it reflects my experience that if you avoid private shipping services, the probability of not having to pay for anything beyond the basic charge improves.
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teanik
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 5:52 pm

faj wrote:
Mon Jan 03, 2022 4:41 pm

I would encourage you to check with your seller before shipment which HS codes they use on their paperwork, so that you can help them choose a better one if need be.
@faj, what are HS codes?

1) Seller info
DHL Express (Canada) Ltd.
Total
$71.03

2) UPS PayPal
Purchase details
Purchase amount
$82.01

3) Seller info
DHL Express (Canada) Ltd.
Purchase details
Payment on DHL Global Payment Portal
Total
$22.83

(From my PayPal acc't, all in 2021). The last one looks like they only charged me brokerage fee, as you mentioned. The first two, now that I look at it, did include tea ware--maybe that's what made it so high. Was it DHL who refunded you?
DHL even lost a tea and tea ware package from Japan. It made it as far as the States. So, the whole courier thing has put me off a bit.
faj
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:42 pm

teanik wrote:
Mon Jan 03, 2022 5:52 pm
faj, what are HS codes?
They are a customs classification system for goods. Here is an explanation :

https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/en ... ry/hs-code

Below, please find a link to a very useful page for finding codes (for Canada). You can find a more general category using a word search ("tea", "green tea"), then drill down. By selecting the proper exporting country, you can find if there are applicable duties (please note : it does not tell you about sales taxes, only duties).

https://www.tariffinder.ca/en/getStarted

In many cases, you do not need to use a code specifying all levels. For instance, vendors may ship green tea under "0902.10", even though there are subcategories (such as "0902.10.10.20 In bags for individual servings / Not certified organic"). My (non-expert) understanding is, as long as all the subcategories have the same level of duties (free = no duty), it does not really matter.
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teanik
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Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:54 pm

Very helpful. Thanks, @faj.
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Balthazar
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Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:12 am

Drinking Xiangmuhai's "Linye Yihao", the company's premium fuzhuan. It's one of the "delicate" type fuzhuans (lots of fruitiness, very little malt) that I'm normally not very into, but this one is really nice. A significant step-up from their entry-level "Bingqiyan" fuzhuan. The step-up in quality obviously comes with a step-up in price, and I wouldn't buy a brick of this at more than 50% of it's current TB price, at most. I'm surprised this was included in the company's cheap sample-pack.

Equally surprised about how much of its delicate notes this retained when grandpa'd in a normally pretty muting zini mug.
slipshod
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Sat Jan 29, 2022 4:34 am

I can see yunnansourcing added lots of different flavoured teabags from mojun brand as well as "Himalaya" brick same as purple cloud tea house. I've ordered Malawi dark, Iranian black, guizhou yellow and Azores one from what-cha. My worry was that nannuoshan from Berlin ran out of farmers grade dancong. There few strange teas from "gently stirred" that I picked but there was glitch with Irish postcode so not meant to be. But real reason I popped my head here is that I was always wondering about fuzhuans in lao tea shop that are brilliant with curating liubaos. Well, they posted one few weeks ago. Reasonably priced, marked as private order but 1kg version which is normally rougher than smaller bricks. But still, 2022 will be awesome

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