Black Gunpowder

$6.2 ~~$10~~ In stock

Tasting Notes: honey, toasted bread, caramel

Description: Gunpowder tea, Zhu Cha, is so named for the visual appearance of the tightly rolled balls of tea that resemble gunpowder pellets. An intoxicating black tea with complex notes that unfurl with each sip. Hints of earth, enticing sweetness, and little to none astringency are present in this bestselling black tea that is produced by hand in Fujian province China.

Called "Black Pearls" or "Black Gunpowder" this tea has golden tips and long leaves that are hand rolled into a spiral shape to resemble gunpowder. A rich tea that features a dark infusion and enchanting aromatic qualities with flavorful notes of honey, toasted bread, caramel, orange, and soft hints of smoke. One of our most popular black teas.

Ingredients: black tea from the eastern parts of the Fujian province of China

Steep Directions: steep 1 heaping teaspoon of tea per 8 oz boiling water, 205-212°F, for 3-5 minutes

Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 5 reviews)

Elizabeth O. ★★★★★ Sep 9, 2026

Brewed a cup this morning and the honey note came through right away, with a toasty bread finish that lingers nicely. The tightly rolled balls unpack slowly, so you get several good steeps before it fades — pretty solid value for the price.

Elizabeth ★★★★★ Sep 8, 2026

The pellets are so tight and uniform that they take a few steeps to fully unfurl, but that patience pays off—the caramel sweetness gets deeper with each cup. The toasted bread finish makes it dangerously easy to keep refilling my mug all afternoon.

Madison ★★★★★ Sep 7, 2026

The honey and toasted bread notes really come through as it brews, and I love how the leaves unfurl from those tight little balls after a steep or two. The caramel sweetness on the finish makes it an easy daily drink.