Anhua’s great pillar of dark tea reborn — Titan Log 2012 is a Hunan hei cha cut from a traditional Qian Liang “thousand-liang” log and rewrapped for modern cellars. The leaf was picked in spring 2012 on the slopes of Gao Jia Shan, then shaped into base dark-tea leaf before the log was built and left to rest for years. Qian Liang is not pu-erh; it is Hunan dark tea with its own post-fermented character. The log’s bamboo skin, tight lashing and sheer mass create a calm microclimate where oxygen moves slowly, aromas knit, and the liquor turns deep and composed without muddiness.

Here, the making is the story. After spring harvest, the leaves are kill-green and rolled, then lightly piled so microbes begin the controlled post-fermentation that defines hei cha. Once ready for forming, the leaf is steamed and funneled into a long, three-layer cylinder of woven bamboo. A crew lever-presses each section in turn; thick bamboo stripling is tightened around the column as they progress. The log is sun-dried and moved indoors to cure, where warmth and time finish the transformation. A full Qian Liang pillar weighs about a thousand liang — roughly thirty-six kilos — a grand format built to age with dignity.

When mature, the column is sawn into cross-sections and long slices, then trimmed and rewrapped as large cakes, making the log’s history portable. It is not pu-erh because pu-erh refers to teas from Yunnan — traditionally sun-dried sheng or wet-piled shu made from local large-leaf material — with a distinct regional identity. Qian Liang is Anhua hei cha, with different geography and craft. We present it alongside pu-erh because it shares the same age-worthy, post-fermented lineage and appeals to drinkers seeking complex, time-built depth.

FAQ

Is Titan Log 2012 a pu-erh?
No. It’s Hunan hei cha. Pu-erh is a Yunnan tea tradition — sheng or shu — with its own regional identity and methods.

Why list it with pu-erh teas?
Because it’s post-fermented and ages for decades, developing layered depth that pu-erh drinkers often seek; the comparison helps exploration.

What is Qian Liang Cha?
A towering “thousand-liang” pillar (~36 kg) formed in bamboo, compressed by hand and designed for long, steady maturation.

How is the pillar physically built?
Steamed leaf is packed into a woven-bamboo tube, lever-pressed section by section, bound with bamboo strips, sun-dried and then warehouse-cured.

What changes when the log is cut into cakes?
Aging becomes more linear and transparent; the integrated complexity from the pillar remains, but airflow increases and development proceeds more evenly piece to piece.