Fu Zhuan Cha 19978F97 Harvest: September 1997
Origin: China / Hunan / Anhua
Height: 800 m.a.s.l
Tea plant varietal: An Hua Ben Di Qun Zhong
A real Fucha from summer crop 1997. Fucha is one of the classical heicha. one of the oldest ways of tea manufactering. Normally pressed to huge brick; this one is quite a small variant. The tea leaves undergo a microbial postfermenting stage in a hot and damp room, this process continues after pressing. Fu Cha is usually pressed into very big bricks, this one is a smaller variant.
Character:
Fucha is quite a primordial tea, what shows in flavor too. Rather unknown, unexpected aromas, very smooth and surpisingly sweet. Some similarity with Pu Er is there, but still Fucha is quite different and distinct.
Category:
Heicha Other Heicha, i.e. post-fermented teas that are not Pu Er, are produced in various provinces, and most of them are unknown even among tea connoisseurs. Heicha from the provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Anhui belong to the very rare and unknown traditional Heicha, which go through an artificial process of post-fermentation (Rengong Houfajiao), induced by human influence, but for shorter time than for the new Pu Er Shu Cha. They are produced in different variations, but they are not as clearly differentiated as Pu Er Sheng Cha and Pu Er Shu Cha. These Heicha are lighter in colour in the cup, and very unusual and archaic to the palate. They are often pressed into very large bricks or pieces. Just as Pu Er, they keep fermenting during the whole time of stocking. Heicha are generally speaking very distinct in taste, difficult and complex, sometimes beautifully sweet, though, and in any case extremely interesting.
Storage:
This tea has been fermented microbially during years of storage and keeps maturing over time, gaining depth, sweetness and earthy aromas.
