Dark Tea

Dark Tea’s major Chinese production areas include Yunnan Province (hometown of Yunnan Ripe Pu’er, a classic Dark Tea), Anhua County (Hunan Province, origin of Anhua Dark Tea), and Chibi City (Hubei Province, known for Qingzhuan Tea, a traditional Dark Tea variety). Its making involves fixing (to stop enzyme activity), rolling, primary drying, and post-fermentation—post-fermentation (often via controlled pile fermentation, a signature process of Dark Tea) gives it a dark brown to black color and distinctive mellow texture. The flavor is smooth and robust, with characteristic notes of aged fragrance, jujube, or woody aromas (especially the warm, earthy sweetness of well-aged Yunnan Ripe Pu’er and the rich, mellow depth of Anhua Dark Tea).​