Anhua Hei Cha vs Liu Bao

Anhua Hei Cha

Anhua Hei Cha is the umbrella name for dark teas from Anhua county in Hunan, where the style has been made for centuries. Production involves pile-fermentation after initial processing, giving a smooth, earthy cup with woody depth, dried-fruit sweetness, and a clean mineral finish. Styles range from loose 'Tianjian' grades to pressed bricks and baskets. Well-aged Anhua develops camphor and herbal complexity prized by collectors.

Liu Bao

Liu Bao is a dark tea from Wuzhou in Guangxi, traditionally piled and aged in bamboo baskets. The cup is smooth and grounding: damp earth, betel nut, and dark wood with a clean mineral finish and a natural sweetness that emerges over steeps. Aged Liu Bao develops a medicinal, cooling character prized in humid southern China.

Anhua Hei Cha

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

5g / 250ml

Steep time

0.5–1 min

Re-steep

5–8 times

Liu Bao

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

5g / 250ml

Steep time

0.5–1 min

Re-steep

5–8 times

Anhua Hei Cha

Medium caffeine — roughly 25–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Liu Bao

Medium caffeine — roughly 30–60 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Anhua Hei Cha

China · Hunan (Anhua)

Anhua county in Hunan is the historic center of Chinese dark tea production, with a heritage reaching back centuries.

Liu Bao

China · Guangxi

Liu Bao ('six castles') takes its name from the old tea markets of Wuzhou, Guangxi.