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Tea: 2013 Natural Brick (原生砖) Style: Fuzhuan Producer: Xiashangzhou Factory (Xia Family) Region: Jiulongchi, Anhua, Hunan. Season: Late Spring 2013 Notes: Bark, Butter, Popcorn. Coming from the core, high elevation Jiulongchi production area, this is unique but perfectly representative Fuzhuan. The production area is known for its damper storage, rich smoky flavor, and historic pedigree. What makes this brick special is that the “golden flower” fungus necessary in Fuzhuan has been allowed to grow without ”inoculating” the bricks with any spores or cocktail of edible fuel. The modest amount of golden flowers on these bricks are instead the descendants of the fungus that has been growing in the Xia Family’s workshop for decades, making for a slightly less sweet, cleaner taste. This brick is rough in pick yet mellow in taste. More than a decade of aging, loose pressing, and a fair amount of stems has made for a very comfy, rich, and creamy brew. Its golden orange color and ample fungus have the marks of a ripe Fuzhuan brick, yet the stringy venation suggests a piling that extended beyond the norm, giving the finished tea an extra earthy quality. This is a brick you could boil, brew Gongfu style or even enjoy grandpa style in a filtered tumbler.