Jingyang Genshe 2015 Vintage Fu Brick Tea | Twin Columns Box

Appearance & Aroma (Dry Leaf)

The columns are firmly pressed but not brick-hard — dense, chocolate-brown, with clearly visible gold specks of Golden Flower (金花 Jīn Huā, Eurotium cristatum) distributed throughout the cross-section. Dry aroma is layered: sweet aged hay, cedar shavings, a whisper of dried jujube, and a clean "barrel" note reminiscent of an empty bourbon cask.

Wet Leaf

Fully unfurled leaves reveal a dark mahogany-brown color with coppery edges, supple to the touch (indicating healthy, active aging rather than over-fermentation). The warmed aroma opens into sweet tobacco leaf, damp forest floor, aged sandalwood, and a distinct "fermented fruit" character comparable to a well-made natural wine (vin nature).

Liquor Color

Early steeps: Deep Amber to Ruby Mahogany, brilliantly clear, oil-slick surface tension.
Later steeps: Warm Garnet to Polished Copper, holding clarity deep into the session.

Mouthfeel

Texture is velvety and oil-slick, with a thick, syrupy body that coats the palate — a direct result of the tea-oil decoction (熬制 Áo Zhì) process. No astringency, no roughness. The finish delivers a long, cooling huigan (回甘 Huí Gān) — returning sweetness — and a pronounced shengjin (生津 Shēng Jīn), a mouth-watering salivary response that lingers 60+ seconds.

Core Flavor Notes

Drawing the Golden Flower aroma into a vocabulary Western palates will recognize:

• Primary: Aged oak, dried jujube (red date), toasted walnut, caramelized brown sugar
• Secondary (the Golden Flower signature): A funky-sweet complexity comparable to a Belgian saison or oak-aged sour beer, with the wild-yeast brightness of a natural wine and the vanilla-leather warmth of an aged bourbon
• Tertiary / Medicinal: Ginseng root, Chinese licorice (甘草 Gān Cǎo), dried longan, a faint camphor cool
• Evolution: Young Fu Brick is known for raw tobacco and green hay notes — eleven years of dry aging have transformed those into aged cigar wrapper, sweet pipe tobacco, antique wood, and the "aged aroma" (陈香 Chén Xiāng) prized by collectors

Empty Cup & Finish

The empty cup releases a surprisingly persistent perfume — sweet sandalwood, dried date, and a honeyed medicinal note that holds for several minutes. The finish on the palate is clean, warming, and deeply sweet, with no bitterness tail.

Body Sensation (Cha Qi / 茶气 Chá Qì)

A grounding, warming sensation that moves from the chest to the lower back within 10–15 minutes. It is comforting rather than intense, ideal for after heavy meals or cold afternoons.

• Cha Qi Intensity: 4 / 5
• Warming Sensation: 4 / 5
• Calming Focus: 4 / 5

Recommended Method 1 — Gongfu Brewing (功夫泡 Gōng Fu Pào) — Strongly Recommended

This method showcases the Golden Flower aroma and the density from the tea-oil decoction step.

• Vessel: 100–120 ml gaiwan or Yixing clay teapot (a dedicated dark-tea pot is ideal)
• Leaf: 7–8 g per 100 ml
• Water: Filtered, freshly boiled to 100°C (212°F)
• Rinse: One quick 5-second rinse to awaken the leaf and rinse off storage dust
• Infusions:1st–3rd steeps: 8–10 seconds each4th–6th steeps: 12–20 seconds7th–10th steeps: 25–45 seconds11th+ steeps: extend by 20–30 seconds each round
• Expect 12–15+ infusions from a single 7 g portion.

Recommended Method 2 — Boiling (煮茶法 Zhǔ Chá Fǎ) — Strongly Recommended

Boiling is the traditional Silk Road method and brings out the deepest "aged wood" and jujube notes.

• Vessel: Glass or ceramic kettle, 800–1000 ml
• Leaf: 6–8 g per 800 ml water (or use the spent leaves from a gongfu session — a superb "second life")
• Method: Add cold filtered water and leaves together. Bring slowly to a rolling boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer 3–5 minutes.
• Reboil: The same leaves can be reboiled 2–3 times, extending simmer time each round.

Method 3 — Grandpa Style (爷爷泡)

Simple, all-day drinking.

• 4–5 g in a 400 ml mug or thermos
• Fill with 100°C water, wait 2 minutes before first sip
• Top up with hot water throughout the day — the leaves will keep giving for 6–8 hours

Method 4 — French Press (Western Style)

A convenient office method.

• 5 g per 500 ml
• 100°C water, steep 4 minutes, plunge and pour
• The same leaves will give 2–3 solid presses

Method 5 — Cold Steep / Overnight (闷泡 Mèn Pào)

• 4 g per 500 ml cold filtered water
• Refrigerate 8–12 hours, strain and serve
• Yields a naturally sweet, date-like cold brew — excellent in summer