{"product_id":"2008-cnnp-shi-liang-cha-anhua-hei-cha","title":"2008 CNNP \"Shi Liang Cha\" Anhua Hei Cha","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 2008 CNNP Hunan production! Aged in Anhua County of Hunan until late 2026! Incredibly rich and refined aged tea! 500 grams of tea!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere's what our supplier (who has stored this tea since 2008) has to say about this tea (translated from Chinese):\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWithin 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAged 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eInside, the tea bears the official Zhongcha hallmark.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eHuajuan 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"13\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLately, 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"14\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"15\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe cleanliness that comes from proper, pristine storage offers a deeply satisfying sense of comfort.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHunan Liang Cha Types and processing:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShi Liang Cha (十两茶) is a smaller cousin of Bai Liang Cha (百\u003cspan\u003e两茶) and the largest Qian Liang Cha\u003c\/span\u003e (千\u003cspan\u003e两茶).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShi Liang Cha is typically 365 grams (although this one is 500 grams)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBai Liang Cha is 3.65kg\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eQian Liang Cha is 36.5kg\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShi Liang Cha process is similar to Qian Liang Cha, but on a smaller scale.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eQian 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!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/hHaY2Xz-fgA?t=3m4s\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewatch this video here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto see just how amazing Qian Liang processing really is!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/mm7PxSWih4o?t=4m1s\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAnother video\u003c\/a\u003e shows how the Qian Liang log is opened and prepped for the cutting stage when it's moved to the consumption stage. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf 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!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe recommend brewing this with the hottest water.  You can can brew gong fu style, or you can try brewing in a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/products\/sama-mc05-insulated-thermal-flask-with-cup-for-brewing-tea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSAMA Thermal Flask\u003c\/a\u003e for maximum extraction and thick taste! It can also be simmered with great results!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CNNP Hunan","offers":[{"title":"Entire Shi Liang (500 Grams)","offer_id":68059873738951,"sku":null,"price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50 Grams Sample","offer_id":68059873771719,"sku":null,"price":14.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25 Grams Sample","offer_id":68060046098631,"sku":null,"price":7.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/files\/DSC_0323_9ba3a482-2c97-49fd-aaf8-d40e3fd9c66b.jpg?v=1792866480","url":"https:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/en-ca\/products\/2008-cnnp-shi-liang-cha-anhua-hei-cha","provider":"Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}