D-CN-028
Hunan Hei Zhuan
黑砖茶
Compressed black brick heicha, from Hunan, China.
Dark tea (post-fermented)
Hunan Hei Zhuan is strongest on body, woody and smoothness. Typical tasting words: dry wood, malt, toast crust, damp earth, leather. Developed in Anhua in 1939 as an industrialised, highly compressed rectangular alternative to older loose border teas. A staple of the historical Tea Horse Road trade, traditionally simmered over fires with yak butter and salt in northern regions.
Also known as Black Brick Tea, Heizhuan Cha and Anhua Black Brick.
The profile
Taste, 0 to 5
Flavour families, 0 to 5
Facts
- Origin
- Hunan, China
- Plant
- Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
- Harvest
- summer to autumn
- Elevation
- low
- Oxidation
- 60 to 80%
- Roast
- very light
- Leaf
- compressed
- Price band
- affordable
- Availability
- fairly common
- Ageing
- made for ageing
- Forgiving to brew
- 5 of 5
- L-theanine
- low
Made by: kill-green, then rolling, then pile fermentation, then drying, then steaming, then hydraulic brick compression, then baking and drying.
Caffeine
A cup of Hunan Hei Zhuan carries a typical estimate of 40 mg of caffeine, within a range of 25 to 60 mg depending on leaf amount, water temperature and steeping time. Figures are estimates for a 240 ml cup. Better earlier in the day if you are sensitive to caffeine. The caffeine planner turns this into a daily total.
How to brew it
| Method | Leaf | Water | Steeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western, 250 ml | 3 g | 98 to 100 °C | 3 min, 4 min, 6 min |
| Gongfu, 100 ml | 6 g | 98 to 100 °C | Rinse, then 15 s, 20 s, 25 s, 30 s, 45 s, 60 s |
Up to 7 infusions. Scale for your own pot with the brew calculator.
Drinking it
- morning
- afternoon
- breakfast
- cold_weather
- after_meal
Pairs with red_meat, breakfast_dishes and cheese. Milk: yes. Iced: no. Sweetener: yes. Good for beginners: yes.
Tasting words explained
Similar teas
- D-CN-026Hunan Qian Liang (Thousand Tael)
shares body and woody - D-CN-033Butter Tea Base (Po Cha)
shares body and woody - D-CN-013Pu-erh Mini Nest
shares body and woody - D-CN-029Anhua Dark Tea Cake
shares body and smoothness - D-CN-032Hubei Qing Zhuan
shares body and woody - D-CN-031Sichuan Kang Zhuan
shares body and woody
More: all dark tea (post-fermented) teas, teas from Hunan, China, or filter the whole drawer.