2013 Liu An Hei Cha

Well, this is technically a sipdown as well, but since I had only 5 grams from derk (from when?), and I have used them all in one gongfu session, I won’t really count it as a sipdown.

I even preheated the gaiwan today and after I have added the leaves, a huge “cloud” of chocolate notes appeared. A rich, dark chocolate notes.

Don’t let the colour fool you. It brews very bright tea soup, but the flavour notes as well as the aromas are quite “dark”. As I have already mentioned, it has got dark chocolate taste (as well the aroma), stonefruits, but again the darker ones — or rather autumn ones, like plums, maybe almonds, and certainly nutty notes were there as well. Graham, coffee, carob are other notes that come to the mind.

It is quite forgiving in steeping time terms, becuase honestly, during studying I just can’t count the duration of steep, nor exact parameters of each steep. It is very no-fuzz tea, but with very nice and complex taste.

Thank you derk a lot for this tea. I just wonder when you sent it to me :)

Another new company for me, Yunnan Craft, found via a Steepster member review. I enjoy the no BS communication and approach of the vendor.

This is my first time trying a Liu An heicha, a fermented tea similar to shou puerh. I’m keeping this review short because I’m just really enjoying sipping on this and sharing it with housemate #2, not really taking notes.

Brewed gongfu in a 180mL clay teapot, 205-212F, drank the rinse because there was absolutely no fermentation aroma present in the dry leaf — pure chocolate. Already full of flavor, bright with plenty of cherry and plum, mineral, complemented by a robust backbone of nutty milk chocolate, caramel, graham cracker, nutmeg and wood, faint bamboo. Light coffee-roasted chicory aftertaste. Very aromatic, active in the mouth with tingling and light salivation, smooth and soothing, warming. Later leaves a constricting, tannic throat feel that’s a bit distracting. Housemate #2 took some CBD drops before I handed her a cup and said the flavor of the tea cut right through the CBD. She’s really impressed by it.

This reminds me of a cross between a shou puerh and a medium to heavy roast Wuyi oolong without char notes.

Tastiest hei cha I’ve had thus far. Great complexity and really appealing flavors.

On the nose, notes of caramel, red currant, and chocolate graham cracker. Taste is milky black tea blend, woody spiciness of coriander seed, carob and milk chocolate. Tart berry fruitiness arrives in aftertaste. Really interesting balance of creamy, tart, sweet, and savory.

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