2013 Gao Jia Shan "Waffle Cut" Qian Liang Hei Cha Tea

"Memories of Time" is a Gao Jia Shan production made from 2013 Spring tea leaves harvested in the Liu Bu Xi area of Anhua county (Hunan). Pressed into a huge 36 kilogram column called "Qian Liang Cha" (aka 1000 catty tea) and then aged for 10 years before being cut up and packaged into 600 gram "waffle cut" cakes. (If you want to get whole "cake" choose the "1 Cake" option and you'll get a whole cake. The cake is pre-cut on one side, making it easier to break apart into useable pieces. The little cubes that can be broken off tend to be about 10 grams each.

This tea has notes of dried fruit, tobacco, and has a minty cooling mouth-feel! We recommend breaking up the cubes into sheets before brewing and using the hottest water possible. Long steeps in silver are nice as are 45-90 minute steeps in a vacuum flask (like the SAMA MC05, SAMA MC09, or our Titanium Flask).

Qian Liang tea is compressed in a long column (typically 36kg) 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!

Here's a translation of Gao Jia Shan's commentary on this "Memories of Time" production:

Ten Years Aged Liu Bu Xi Wild Ingredients: True Wilderness, True Quality

Selected from the core production area of Anhua black tea, the wild raw materials from the primitive secondary forest of Liu Bu Xi in 2013 were processed using traditional Anhua methods and aged in wooden warehouses. It is well known that the primitive secondary forest of Liu Bu Xi in Anhua is a national-level forest, rich in vegetation and biodiversity. Tea trees growing in such an environment absorb the natural essence of the forest and the fragrance of various herbs, resulting in rich intrinsic substances and a strong wild tea aroma.

Since its establishment in 2007, Gao Jia Shan Tea has adhered to authentic quality by insisting on wild ingredients and a boutique approach, gaining the favor of many tea enthusiasts. The raw materials for this Qianliang tea cake were also found by Mr. Gong Wanqiang, the chairman of Gao Jia Shan Tea, after traversing mountains and rivers in Six-Step Creek. That year, Gao Jia Shan had an abundance of wild ingredients, including wild arbor materials from Zhushan Boundary and Huangfeng Boundary, which were also discovered that year.

Only true wilderness can produce true quality. Mr. Gong Wanqiang understands this deeply, and so every year he meticulously searches every production area in Anhua. He continuously thinks about how to discover and protect these high-quality wild tea resources, which eventually led to the establishment of the first wild tea natural reserve for Anhua black tea.

Ten Years of Aging in Wooden Warehouses: Good Storage, Good Taste

There is a saying in Anhua black tea: no matter how good the raw materials and craftsmanship are, if the storage is not good, everything is in vain! Since its inception, Gao Jia Shan has paid great attention to tea storage, building pure wooden storage centers to create a first-class storage environment, which has earned high praise from many tea enthusiasts.

This 2013 "Memories of Time" Qianliang tea cake excels in raw materials, craftsmanship, and storage. Upon opening the packaging, you can smell the rich aged aroma with a hint of woodiness. The tea soup is orange-red and transparent with an amber-like texture, rich and smooth, with a slight coolness, indicating its excellent quality.

Delicious and Convenient: Good Reputation

This tea cake is cut into chocolate-like pieces, making it very convenient to break off a piece for brewing. Due to historical reasons, especially for large-sized teas like Qianliang tea, Anhua black tea has always been difficult to pry apart, leading to low consumption. This tea cake solves this problem.

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ALLERGEN ALERT!!!   ** Because there is a possibility the golden flowers were inoculated using wheat flour we cannot guarantee this tea is safe for those with Celiac Disease or those that have severe gluten induced allergies **