Lu'an Heicha

This is a fermented tea, or type of heicha, with a unique, complex flavor and smooth texture. Made in Anhui Province, it has gone through wu doi, a pile-fermentation process, and was packed inside a woven bamboo basket in 2004. The sweet, tangy fragrance leads to notes of tobacco and earth, which mellow into a taste somewhere between a black tea and a shu pu-erh.The jet-black leaves can be infused similarly to a pu-erh: after a quick initial rinse, steep several times in water just off a boil. Country: ChinaRegion: Anhui ProvinceTasting Notes: tobacco, sourdough, hayYear of Production: 2004 17.5 oz --  210º F  3-5 grams, 3 minute steep  ⅓ full, 30 second steep