Jingyang Genshe 2013 Vintage Fu Brick Tea | Thirteen Dynasties

• Category: Fu Brick Tea (茯砖茶, Fú Zhuān Chá) / Dark Tea (黑茶, Hēi Chá)
• Pressing Year: 2013
• Raw Material Vintage: 2010–2013 Hunan Anhua Hei Mao Cha (湖南安化黑毛茶)
• Factory Release Year: 2017
• Current Age: 13 years (as of 2026)
• Origin of Raw Leaf: Anhua County, Hunan Province (湖南安化)
• Place of Craft & Pressing: Jingyang, Xianyang, Shaanxi (陕西咸阳泾阳) — the historical birthplace of Fu Tea
• Producer: Genshe Workshop (根社茯茶), led by National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor Jia Genshe (贾根社)
• Craft: 100% hand-pressed using the full traditional Jingyang method, including the rare tea-oil boiling-and-glazing technique (熬制茶油)
• Recipe: Four-material ancient blend — fresh 2013 buds, 1–3 year aged Hei Mao Cha, crushed mature Fu brick, and sweet tea stems
• Format: 468g full brick + 30g loose sample
• Golden Flower Activity (金花, Jīn Huā): Abundant, fully mature, highly active Eurotium cristatum bloom visible throughout the brick
• Storage Condition: Xi'an dry warehouse (西安干仓), clean, odor-neutral, stable humidity
• Suitability: Daily drinking, long-term collection, gifting, and cellar aging

Appearance & Aroma (Dry Leaf)

The brick is tightly and evenly hand-pressed, with a dark chestnut-brown surface densely flecked with bright yellow-gold specks — the visible sign of prolific Golden Flower (金花, Jīn Huā) bloom. The dry aroma is mature and composed: aged oak, dried jujube, a whisper of sandalwood, and the distinctive warm-pollen scent often compared to aged bourbon barrels and the lees of a natural wine (vin nature).

Wet Leaf

Fully opened leaves are chocolate-brown with supple, pliable texture — no brittleness. Aroma lifts into a deep, warming bouquet of steamed dates, ginseng root, damp forest floor, and faint medicinal herbs, similar to the tertiary notes of a well-aged Belgian quadrupel.

Liquor Color

Early infusions: Deep Amber with a ruby core. Mid-session: Bright Garnet Red, crystal clear, oil-like sheen on the surface — a hallmark of the tea-oil glazing technique.

Mouthfeel

Texture is remarkably velvety, thick, and oily — uncharacteristic density for a Fu Brick, directly attributable to the tea-oil (熬制茶油) process. The liquor coats the palate in a smooth, almost broth-like body. Sweetness returns quickly (回甘, Huí Gān) and salivation (生津, Shēng Jīn) lingers for several minutes after swallowing.

Core Flavor Notes

• Primary: Aged cedar, antique wood, dried jujube (红枣), ginseng root
• Secondary: Caramelized brown sugar, toasted walnut, Chinese medicinal herbs (药香, Yào Xiāng), dried apricot
• Tertiary / Aged: Leather-bound book, tobacco leaf (mellowed, not green), forest humus, faint pollen-honey
• Fermentation Signature: The Golden Flower Aroma (菌花香, Jūn Huā Xiāng) reads like the funk of a well-made saison crossed with the oxidative depth of an oloroso sherry

Empty Cup & Finish

The empty cup holds a long, sweet-woody perfume of sandalwood and dried longan for 10+ minutes. The finish is exceptionally long — clean, sweet, and medicinal, with no bitterness or astringency.

Body Sensation (Cha Qi, 茶气)

A deeply warming, grounding Cha Qi. Warmth spreads from the stomach outward to the limbs within two or three cups; a gentle forehead sweat is common in cooler weather. The sensation is calming rather than stimulating — ideal for evening sessions or after heavy meals.
Cha Qi Intensity: 4/5

Q1: What flavor profile can I expect from this tea?

Think of this as the tea world's answer to an aged bourbon or a natural-fermentation wine. The first sip delivers a velvety, oil-textured liquor in deep amber-red. On the palate you will find dried jujube, aged cedar, toasted walnut, and caramelized brown sugar up front, followed by a distinctive medicinal-herb note (药香, Yào Xiāng) that comes from more than a decade of dry aging. The Golden Flower (金花) contributes a warm, pollen-like perfume reminiscent of the funk in a good saison or the oxidative sweetness of oloroso sherry. Unlike young Fu Cha, there is no tobacco sharpness or green-hay edge — those notes have matured into leather, forest floor, and dried fruit. The finish is long, clean, and sweet, with salivation (生津) that lingers for minutes. If you enjoy aged ripe Pu-erh, Lapsang Souchong without the smoke, or barrel-aged spirits, this tea will feel immediately familiar but more layered.

Q2: What does "National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor" actually mean?

The Chinese government maintains an official registry of living practitioners whose personal skills are considered essential to preserving Chinese civilization — similar in concept to Japan's "Living National Treasures." The designation of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor (国家级非物质文化遗产传承人) is awarded only after rigorous documentation of lineage, technique, and cultural contribution, and is held by very few individuals per craft. Master Jia Genshe (贾根社) holds this title for Jingyang Fu Brick Tea production. In practical terms for you as the drinker, this means every step of the process — from selecting Hunan Anhua raw material, to the tea-oil glazing, to hand-pressing the brick, to managing the Golden Flower fermentation (发花, Fā Huā) — follows the fully traditional method rather than mechanized shortcuts. You are not buying a factory product; you are buying the output of a recognized cultural guardian.

Q3: Why are four raw materials used, and what does each contribute?

This is the workshop's old Shaanxi recipe, and each component has a specific job. Fresh 2013 spring buds add brightness, tender aroma, and fine leaf grade for visual and aromatic lift. 1–3 year aged Hei Mao Cha (黑毛茶) from Anhua forms the structural backbone — its partial pre-fermentation means the brick enters aging with more stability and less raw edge. Crushed pieces of previously finished Fu brick are blended in to "seed" the flavor memory and jump-start the Golden Flower bloom, similar to how a sourdough baker uses mature starter. A measured portion of sweet tea stems is added deliberately to provide natural sugars, which feed the Eurotium cristatum during the Fā Huā (发花) stage and, after aging, deliver the tea's pronounced returning sweetness (回甘, Huí Gān). The result is a brick that drinks with more depth, more sweetness, and more textural density than single-material Fu Cha.

Q4: How does the "tea-oil glazing" technique change the flavor?

The traditional Shaanxi method — largely abandoned by modern factories because of its labor intensity — takes a portion of the fermented Hei Mao Cha liquor, simmers it down into a thick, syrupy concentrate (熬制茶油, Áo Zhì Chá Yóu), and pours it back over the chopped leaves before pressing. The effect is dramatic and immediate: the first infusion already releases the full resinous, woody, medicinal character of a well-aged Fu Brick, rather than the thin, grassy liquor typical of a young tea's opening steeps. The liquor carries a visible oil-like sheen on the surface and a notably thicker, more coating mouthfeel. You will also find the session extends significantly — the tea remains flavorful and sweet well past 15 infusions.

Q5: Is the Golden Flower safe, and what are its benefits?

Absolutely safe. The "Golden Flower" (金花, Jīn Huā) is the fruiting body of Eurotium cristatum, a probiotic fungus that has been consumed in Fu Tea for over 600 years and is widely studied in modern Chinese food science. In Western terms, it functions similarly to the beneficial microbes in kombucha, aged cheese, or natural-wine fermentation. It is associated with gut health (aiding digestion of fats and heavy meals), metabolism balance, and a gentle warming effect on the body — the historical reason Silk Road caravans relied on this tea while living on meat-heavy diets. The traditional Chinese description "消食去腻" (cuts through grease, aids digestion) maps directly onto modern conversations about digestive wellness.

Gōng Fū Method (功夫泡, Gōng Fū Pào) — Most Recommended

1. Break off approximately 7–8 g of brick using a tea pick (茶针, Chá Zhēn). Avoid crushing; aim for small intact chunks.
2. Use a 100–120 ml gaiwan or Yixing clay teapot (Yixing is preferred — it softens the body further).
3. Rinse once briefly (5 seconds) with boiling water at 100°C, then discard the rinse.
4. Steeping times: 1st infusion 10 s → 2nd 8 s → 3rd 10 s → 4th 15 s → 5th 20 s, then add 10–15 s per subsequent steep.
5. Expect 15–20+ flavorful infusions. The tea peaks between infusions 3 and 10.

Boiling Method (煮茶法, Zhǔ Chá Fǎ) — Strongly Recommended for This Tea

1. Use 5–6 g of leaf per 600 ml of water in a glass or ceramic kettle.
2. For first-time boiling: bring water to a boil first, then add the leaves.
3. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, then pour out and enjoy.
4. The same leaves can be re-boiled 2–3 times. You may also combine methods — gōng fū brew first, then boil the spent leaves for a final deeply sweet "soup."
5. Boiling best expresses the aged timber, jujube, and medicinal herbal character of this 13-year vintage.

Grandpa Style (老爷爷泡法)

• Place 4–5 g of broken leaf directly into a 400 ml mug.
• Fill with 95–100°C water, wait 2–3 minutes, and sip slowly.
• Top up with fresh hot water as the level drops. Ideal for all-day office drinking.

Western / French Press Method

• Use 5 g of leaf per 500 ml of water at 100°C.
• Steep for 4 minutes, press, and decant fully (do not leave leaves in contact with water).
• Good for introducing new drinkers, though Gōng Fū or boiling reveals far more complexity.

Mèn Pào / Thermos Steeping (焖泡法)

• Place 3–4 g in a 500 ml thermos, fill with 100°C water.
• Steep for 2–4 hours. Produces a deeply sweet, smooth, concentrated liquor — excellent for travel or cold weather.

• Store the brick in a clean, dry, odor-free environment, ideally between 20–30°C and 50–70% relative humidity.
• Keep away from kitchens, cosmetics, spices, and any strong-smelling materials — Fu Tea is highly absorbent.
• Original Xi'an dry-storage conditions can be approximated with a ventilated cabinet or a clean cardboard box; avoid sealed plastic bags for long-term aging, as the Golden Flower requires some air exchange.
• Do not refrigerate. Refrigeration introduces moisture fluctuations and foreign odors, which will kill the active Eurotium cristatum culture and destroy the aging trajectory of the brick.
• If properly stored, this 2013 vintage will continue to develop for decades — the flavor profile will deepen further toward camphor, aged ginseng, and dried longan over the next 10–20 years.