# Analysis of Pu'er Tea and Several Notable Dark Teas by Analogy

Pu'er Tea and Notable Dark Teas: An Analogical Analysis

Pu'er tea, Anhua dark tea, Liu Bao tea, Fu brick tea, and Tibetan tea are all traditional historic teas.

This article conducts an analogical analysis through a study of the cultural background of these notable teas and sensory evaluations and electronic nose testing on their classic samples. This deepens our understanding and presentation of the profound historical and cultural heritage embodied in these famous teas. It also promotes these fine Chinese teas to the public, educates about tea knowledge, and propagates Chinese Tea culture.

The analysis selected eight samples from seven provinces or regions that are known for producing traditional historic teas. These teas have developed distinct stories over centuries within their respective regions:

Pu'er Tea and Dark Tea

(I) Yunnan Pu'er Tea

Grown in the Lancang River basin and the Ailao and Gaoligong mountains (the “one river and two mountain ranges”) region. The local people handcrafted sun-dried Green Tea from fresh tea leaves, which were then compressed. During the annual horse caravan transportation, the tea underwent repeated wet and hot conditions, absorbing the essence of nature, and naturally post-fermented into a completely different quality compared to its original state. In modern times (from the 1970s onwards), there is both Pu'er loose tea and Compressed tea processed through artificial (wet-piling) rapid fermentation, as well as sun-dried tea and compressed tea. By 2008, when the national standard took effect, geographical location and tea plant varieties were restricted, defining raw and ripe Pu'er teas. Under the national standard, Pu'er tea has the largest geographic protection area, the most ethnic recognition, and the most diverse quality characteristics.

The Pu'er tea sample chosen for this analysis is a Dayi Pu'er tea gift box containing one piece each of 7572 (ripe tea) and 7542 (raw tea). The test sample is one cake of 7572 (ripe tea).

(II) “Golden Flower Pu'er” (Patent No. 201210023701.8)

Made by selecting ripe Pu'er tea, undergoing floral drying, refinement, and compression into tea bricks or loose tea. When it obtained a patent in 2012, there were already Pu'er tea geographical indications and national standards in place, ensuring that the raw material was indeed ripe Pu'er tea. The subsequent floral drying and drying processes can be viewed as further processing or refinement of the ripe Pu'er tea. Analytical sample.

(III) Hunan Anhua Dark Tea

A specialty product of Anhua County, Yiyang City, Hunan Province, and a Chinese National Geographic Indication Product (April 6, 2010). Anhua dark tea has been recorded since the Tang Dynasty and served as an official tea during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with large quantities exported to the northwest. Its products include Fu brick, black brick, flower brick, blue brick, and Xiangjian, among others. Golden flowers (Eurotium cristatum) are a unique beneficial fungal species found in Anhua dark tea, especially in Fu tea. The aroma blends medicinal, fruity, and woody notes, being rich, pure, and long-lasting.

The Anhua dark tea sample used for this analysis is a 2025 vintage Xiangyi Fu tea, a tea commemorating the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, with a collection number N17312. It comes in a wooden box with a certificate of collection, a 960g brick, and two 400g bricks. The test sample is one 400g brick, which is Zhenxi Quanjinhua dark tea (compressed dark tea).

(IV) Shaanxi Jingyang Fu Brick Tea

Historical records show that Jingyang does not grow tea locally but serves as a storage location for tribute teas near the imperial capital, awaiting trade or transit to border regions. The tea stored for a long time in Jingyang's unique geographical climate developed golden flowers and changed its aroma profile. After further processing, it was named “Jingyang Fu brick” and sold in border regions, with an aroma resembling Fuling (Poria cocos) and the benefits of “eliminating the greasiness of meat and relieving the heat of barley.” For more than 600 years, it has been known as the mysterious tea and life-sustaining tea of the ancient Silk Road. Traditionally, Jingyang Fu brick tea is processed during the summer solstice, involving 29 steps in the building process, and it is said that “it cannot be made without Jingyang's climate, water, and people.” These three irreplaceable conditions illustrate that Jingyang Fu brick tea, like humans, depends on the local environment.

Jingyang Fu brick tea became a National Geographic Indication Protected Product in 2013 and was included in the second batch of protected geographical indications between China and the European Union on July 27, 2025. The sample analyzed here was purchased and collected at the Shaanxi History Museum in 2016, weighing 100g.

(V) Guangxi Liu Bao Tea

In the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty, Liu Bao tea was listed as one of the 24 notable teas in China due to its unique betel nut fragrance. Records show that there are ancient tea trees nearby with an age of approximately 800 years. Tea cultivation and production in Wuzhou, Guangxi, date back to the Song Dynasty, primarily producing steamed green tea. The “Cangwu County Annals” compiled during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty states, “The tea is pure, and its flavor remains unchanged even after several infusions, with excellent color, aroma, and taste.” Later, in the revised “Guangxi Special Products Gazetteer” during the Tongzhi era, it is recorded that “Liu Bao tea produced in Fairyland has a strong flavor that remains unchanged even after several infusions.” Liu Bao tea was mainly exported through the “Ancient Tea Ship Route” to countries and regions such as Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and France, making it a well-known tea among overseas Chinese and a National Geographic Indication Product (March 16, 2011). The sample selected for this analysis is authentic Maosheng Liu Bao tea from 20 years ago.

(VI) Anhui Dark Tea

Ancha, a specialty product of Qimen County, Anhui Province, and a National Geographic Indication Product (January 2014). Ancha was created around 1725 and is a traditionally processed tea known locally as Soft Branch Tea. There are also other specialties such as the ancient Anhui Yi County Black Tea and Lu'an Basket Tea, which are traditional dark teas that can be consumed or used medicinally. They have a dark brown and lustrous appearance, with an orange-yellow and bright infusion and a high and long-lasting betel nut aroma. They are packaged in reed leaves and bamboo baskets, shaped nearly like bricks, likely considering the convenience of storage and transportation. The sample was selected from the 2025 China Tea Industry Science and Technology Annual Conference collection.

(VII) Sichuan Ya'an Tibetan Tea