Xiaguan Tea Factory: 7663 (1975), Tuocha Sold to France(1976)
In 1952, all companies within the China Tea Company system uniformly used the "Zhongcha" brand. Xiaguan Tea Factory began producing Seven Sons Cake Tea. Entering the 1960s, due to raw material allocation plans and the division of labor in processing products, Xiaguan Tea Factory focused on Tuocha and compressed tea as its main products, producing only a small amount of round tea, with the majority planned for Menghai Tea Factory.
In 1953, through experimentation, the tea factory changed the method of kneading tea cakes from being rolled into round shapes in cloth bags and then pressed with 18-kilogram lead cakes to directly steaming and pressing them in aluminum steamers.
In 1955, with the approval of the provincial company, the compressed tea specification changed from a heart shape to a brick shape. Ten tons were initially produced for trial sales in Lijiang and other places to solicit consumer feedback. In the same year, the provincial company notified the tea factory to conduct artificial post-fermentation experiments on exported compressed tea. The shape of Xiaguan Tea Factory's Seven Sons Cake Tea changed from a concave bottom to a flat bottom.
In 1958, a successful experiment with high-temperature, rapid artificial post-fermentation shortened the fermentation cycle and reduced costs.
In 1973, the Kunming Tea Factory adopted the principle of pile fermentation for compressed tea from the Xiaguan Tea Factory, further accelerating the process with high-temperature, high-humidity artificial post-fermentation to produce the Yunnan Pu'er tea (ripe tea) we know today.
In 1975, trial production of Pu'er Tuocha (ripe tea) was conducted. In 1976, bulk exports of Tuocha (7663) were made specifically for Hong Kong's Tian Sheng Hang, which then exclusively sold it in the French market.
In 1976, the provincial company held a province-wide Pu'er tea production conference, requiring the Kunming, Menghai, and Xiaguan factories to increase production of Pu'er tea (pile fermented ripe tea) and deciding on tea product markings. Xiaguan Tea Factory's markings began with 76 and ended with 3.
In 1978, the provincial company assigned the production plan for Xiaguan Tea Factory's small-volume round tea (Seven Sons Cake Tea) to the Menghai Tea Factory for processing.
Kunming Tea Factory: 7581 Pu-erh Ripe Brick (75 Years)
In 1973, personnel from four tea factories visited Guangdong Province to study pile fermentation technology. The Xiaguan Tea Factory completed the initial ripening process, while the Kunming Tea Factory further humidified and heated the process to complete the established wet pile fermentation technique, which is what is now known as ripe Pu-erh tea. Historical records indicate that the initial experimental tea was known in the market as "Jujube-scented Thick Brick," while the mass-produced tea was "73 Thick Brick."
The 7581 Kunming Ripe Brick was the mainstream ripe brick tea on the market before 1994, with its peak production period being from 1988 to 1994.
During this period, the Kunming Tea Factory primarily exported tea under the brands Jixing and Jinji. Jixing Golden Melon Tribute Tea and Jinji Tuocha were well-known teas of this period, although production was limited.
The most important process in processing ripe Pu-erh tea: Piling (渥堆)
Those unfamiliar with tea might not even know the pronunciation of "piling," but seasoned tea drinkers know it's the most crucial part of the ripe Pu-erh tea processing. It directly affects the taste of the finished tea and carries a certain risk; a mistake can ruin the tea.
The piling process seems simple—after the fresh leaves are withered and dried to form raw tea, they are piled into a small mound, sprinkled with water, covered with a cloth, and allowed to ferment. Experienced tea masters will periodically turn the tea leaves and sprinkle water to control the temperature of the pile and the fermentation environment.
Generally, piling lasts about a month. However, in recent years, some manufacturers have modified the process to reduce the musty smell and improve the flavor, using low temperatures, frequent small amounts of water, and longer fermentation times, sometimes reaching up to three months.
Pu-erh tea that has undergone piling has a clear, reddish-brown color and a mellow, sweet taste. Unlike raw Pu-erh tea, ripe Pu-erh is very mild, with very little stimulation to the body. Long-term consumption can even have a stomach-nourishing and bowel-regulating effect. However, if the processing techniques are not sophisticated and the tea masters lack experience, the fermentation process itself carries risks. The most common problem is burning the pile, where excessively high temperatures cause the tea leaves at the center of the pile to turn black and carbonize, rendering them undrinkable.
Besides this, an immature fermentation process can also have negative effects on the tea. If the tea leaves are extremely dry and scorched like firewood, it's likely that the center was burned during fermentation; if the leaves are too soft and crumble easily, it's probably due to poor moisture control during fermentation, resulting in too much moisture. Furthermore, the burnt or musty taste found in some ripe Pu-erh teas is also highly likely to be caused by negative effects during fermentation. Therefore, tea factories typically employ experienced masters to oversee the fermentation process.
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