Anhua Dark Brick Tea: Tightly Pressed Dark Tea

Anhua Black Brick Tea is produced in Anhua County, Hunan. It represents a specific raw material grade within Anhua dark brick teas. Traditionally, black brick tea was considered to be made from more ordinary materials; however, with proper aging and well-developed golden flowers (Eurotium cristatum), Anhua black brick tea can also rise to the rank of a premium tea.

Characteristics of Anhua Black Brick Tea Raw Materials

Anhua dark tea comes in a wide variety of types, primarily categorized into Three Teas (San Jian), Scroll Teas (Hua Juan), and Four Bricks, with the four bricks including Black Brick, Flower Brick, Green Brick, and Fuzhuan Brick Tea. Raw material grades are typically divided into 16 levels, with the highest grades usually reserved for Three Teas or high-quality Fuzhuan brick tea. Traditionally, Anhua black brick tea was made from grade 12 to 16 tea leaves, meaning older leaves or lower-grade material.

However, in recent years, Fuzhuan brick tea has become the mainstay of the Anhua dark tea market, and with raw material grading becoming less distinct, black brick tea has become less common on the market. These original lower-grade materials are now more often blended with premium materials to produce Fuzhuan brick tea.

Black brick tea is characterized by its dark, lustrous color, rectangular brick shape, and flat corners. The surface of the brick is dark brown and oily, brewing into a rich taste with a clear, reddish-yellow liquor. Although the quality of the raw material is relatively ordinary, aged Anhua black brick tea still exhibits a wonderful, mellow mouthfeel. Black brick tea with well-developed golden flowers can also command excellent prices.

Production of Anhua Black Brick Tea

The raw materials are primarily dark rough tea (maocha). The production process includes screening, shaping, winnowing and picking, blending, followed by high-temperature steam sterilization, high-pressure pressing into brick molds, and finally, slow drying into the brick form. Compared to Fuzhuan tea, black brick tea contains more stems. Compared to flower brick tea, it undergoes a higher level of fermentation. It is characterized by a mellow taste and bright red liquor.

How to Brew Anhua Black Brick Tea

The traditional boiling method involves bringing 500 ml of water to a boil, adding 10 to 15 grams of Anhua black brick tea, boiling for about 2 minutes, then turning off the heat and straining out the tea leaves before serving. For standard brewing, using a Yixing clay teapot is recommended. Brew with 100-degree boiling spring water, using 3 to 4 grams of tea leaves per 100 ml pot capacity, and steep for about 2 to 3 minutes. If you want to try milk tea, you can first brew the tea according to the traditional boiling method, then add milk and tea in a 1 to 5 ratio, adding a pinch of salt to taste for a characteristic Western Regions-style milk tea.