2008 CNNP "Shi Liang Cha" Anhua Hei Cha
A 2008 CNNP Hunan production! Aged in Anhua County of Hunan until late 2026! Incredibly rich and refined aged tea! 500 grams of tea!
Here's what our supplier (who has stored this tea since 2008) has to say about this tea (translated from Chinese):
In the world of Anhua dark tea (Heicha), 2010 marks a significant watershed. The hosting of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the prominent appearance of Anhua dark tea at the event fueled massive sales growth. While naturally a positive development, seasoned tea connoisseurs saw it differently: they believed that as production volume surged, the quality of raw materials inevitably became harder to guarantee. As a result, they turned their attention to Anhua dark teas produced prior to 2010.
Within branded teas, there is a clear price distinction between pre-2010 and post-2010 Anhua dark tea across the entire market. With well-capitalized collectors stepping in, vintage teas from 2007 and 2008 naturally rose in value—especially since output during those years was genuinely limited.
Aged 10-liang teas still feature traditional woven handle loops (wan'er, or "pulled ears"). In today's market, these braided bamboo ears on Huajuan (rolled log) teas serve as a key visual marker for industry professionals to identify genuine vintage Qianliang-series teas. Originally created for ease of transport, they were phased out once modern logistics improved—especially because weaving these ears into the log structure adds considerable difficulty to the craftsmanship.
Inside, the tea bears the official Zhongcha hallmark.
It uses traditional packaging: an outer woven bamboo basket, tea wrapped in reed leaves (zongye), and reinforced with palm bark fiber (zongyi), which provides effective protection against dust and water. This structure is ideal for long-term aging: it creates a micro-oxygenated internal environment that seals in core moisture while allowing slow evaporation, maximizing post-fermentation.
Huajuan tea requires a process of "sun by day, dew by night." The key conditions are dry weather and a wide temperature swing between day and night. Daytime sun evaporates moisture, while nighttime dew halts evaporation and allows the log to absorb ambient moisture. This natural cycle of "exhaling and inhaling" automatically balances the internal moisture in harmony with nature.
Lately, I have been captivated by vintage teas that combine clean storage with high-grade raw leaves. Looking at this vintage Zhongcha series recently added to our inventory, I cannot help but admire it. Properly maturing a tea into such great condition over years is no small feat.
The initial sip is mellow and full-bodied, dominated by sweet woody notes. A fellow tea friend commented that simmering brings out notes of honey and milk. While I did not detect those particular notes—whether due to differences in individual palates or storage conditions—it possesses the rich, viscous texture of rice soup, accompanied by a cooling lingering sweetness (huigan) and a sweet finish deep in the throat (houyun). The liquor fully delivers on three fronts: sweet, thick, and smooth.
The cleanliness that comes from proper, pristine storage offers a deeply satisfying sense of comfort.
Hunan Liang Cha Types and processing:
Shi Liang Cha (十两茶) is a smaller cousin of Bai Liang Cha (百两茶) and the largest Qian Liang Cha (千两茶).
Shi Liang Cha is typically 365 grams (although this one is 500 grams)
Bai Liang Cha is 3.65kg
Qian Liang Cha is 36.5kg
Shi Liang Cha process is similar to Qian Liang Cha, but on a smaller scale.
Qian Liang tea is compressed in a long column (typically 36.5kg) through a laborious process that involves steaming the leaves and funneling them into a three layered cylinder of woven bamboo. Then a team of 5 to 8 people will simultaneously compress the tea using leverage and then tighten each section with thick bamboo stripling. Once firmly compressed the Qian Liang "logs" are dried in the sun and then finally cured for months in an indoor warehouse. In this form they can be aged for decades or even centuries without molding, only improving in taste, aroma and complexity with each passing year!
You can watch this video here to see just how amazing Qian Liang processing really is!
Another video shows how the Qian Liang log is opened and prepped for the cutting stage when it's moved to the consumption stage.
If you buy the whole piece, please know that it's tightly compressed and will take some work to remove the bamboo from the exterior and to break off pieces. If you have a thin kerf miter saw it would make it elegant and easy!
We recommend brewing this with the hottest water. You can can brew gong fu style, or you can try brewing in a SAMA Thermal Flask for maximum extraction and thick taste! It can also be simmered with great results!
