2021 WORKHORSE | SMALL, ORGANIC HUNAN BRICK

Workhorse is a special production Hunan Fu Tea (茯茶 | Brick Tea), crafted with organic tea leaves and a few twigs. We commissioned the first generation in 2014, having discovered the magic of this style of tea in the bitter cold highlands of Hunan the previous winter. Humble, non-pretentious and almost impossible to over-steep, Workhorse delivers a steaming tea cup that is perfect for chilly mornings or evenings. 

Tasting notes: Fresh Hay | Leather | Brown Sugar

As we kick off 2022, we are happy to present the third generation. It is crafted with 2020 tea leaves and was pressed in 2021. Once the tea was ready, in today’s crazy world, it made a 7 month journey from the highlands of Hunan to Vancouver. A trip on horse and sailboat could have been quicker.

About this style of tea:
- Farmed and crafted in the mountains near Anhua, Hunan, China
- Traditionally consumed minority groups: Mongolians, Tibetans
- Important in their daily diet; said to help digest fatty foods
- Often consumed with butter and a pinch of salt

Some cool facts about its production process:
- Unlike some Pu Er, this tea is NOT made from ancient trees; it is made from simple, humble, organic tea bushes.
- No major care was taken to remove small twigs, as these are an important part of this tea.
- Like cooked PuEr (and Liu Bao), the leaves go through a ‘pile fermentation process’.
- These leaves are inoculated (using flour and spores) with a micro-organism from the Fungi kingdom, lovingly called ‘Golden Flower' (金花); its most accepted Latin name is Aspergilus cristatus, but it has also commonly been called Eurotium cristatum.

Tibetans and Mongolians attribute a plethora of health benefits to this type of tea. Some may be true. We just think it's delicious.

Recommendation: try drinking this in the morning with 1/2 teaspoon of ghee! It will keep you powered up for hours!

Tea Info

Type: Dark
Sub-Type:  Aerobic (Pile) Fermentation
Origin: Anhua, Hunan, China
GPS: 28.4°N | 111.5°E