Named as Lu An Heicha, or simply An Cha, this tea is not produced in Lu An but in Qi Men, a county in the same province of Anhui, which is better known for its black tea, Qimen (or Keemun).
 
An Cha is a significant branch of China's Heicha teas and is so special that, after the initial production following the processes of green tea, it undergoes complex steps such as charcoal toasting to enhance the aroma, moistening with night dew, steaming to soften and to pack in bamboo basket, then re-toasting, etc. Hence, it is also known as Lu An Lan Cha, literally meaning "basket tea" from Lu An. It is usually aged for 2-3 years before being put up for sale, so it should not be considered an "aged green tea" but rather a dark tea that undergoes post-fermentation after production, similar to raw/ Sheng Puerh, although there are also opinions that consider it a tea outside the six categories.
 
Depending on the maturity of raw material, An Cha is divided into three grades: Gong Jian, Hua Jian, and Hua Xiang. The three versions we offer are all selected options and provide different styles of flavors and aromas, due to the varying grades and the years they have been aged.
 
2022: of the highest-grade Gong Jian, made from the tenderest harvest and with no stems. It is a freshly made product and is not yet in its best condition. Temporarily, we offer it at a special price so that you can age it at home by yourself. It is recommended to consume it starting from late 2024.
 
2019: of the Gong Jian grade, same as the 2022 version, properly aged and already in perfect condition for tasting.
 
2012: well-aged, of a lower grade than the other two versions, made from a mature harvest that contains some proportion of stems. The specific grade is unknown due to a lack of information.
 
 
What is Sun Yi Shun?
 
An Cha has a long history since the Ming Dynasty, with the earliest traceable literature dating back to around 1630. According to historical records, there were 47 An Cha companies with massive production in 1932. Among them, Sun Yi Shun was the most famous An Cha house, founded in 1725 and considered synonymous with An Cha. Sun Yi Shun sounds like the name of a person, but it is actually just a trade name, although one of the founders who invested the most capital did indeed have the surname Sun. The production of An Cha was halted during the Second World War. Wang Zhen Xiang, the founder of the current Sun Yi Shun, along with a descendant of the former Sun Yi Shun, tried to revive the tradition starting in 1983 and succeeded in reproducing it in 1991 after 8 years of experiments; then the Sun Yi Shun tea factory was established and the homonymous brand was reinstated in 1997 after half a century. Nowadays, Sun Yi Shun remains one of the most important companies in the An Cha sector.
 
P.S.: the 2022 version is under the Gong Sun Shun brand, which is a parallel brand owned by the same company of Sun Yi Shun.