250g of loose leaf tea for cafés, restaurants and hospitality. Choose a paper bag for refilling your tea storage, or a labelled caddie to keep on your tea shelf or counter.
Ai Lao Red — Spring 2025
Grown at almost 2,000 metres in the Ai Lao Mountains in Zhenyuan, Yunnan, this high-elevation red tea is made from the first flush of spring. The leaves are lightly oxidised using a Taiwanese-influenced style of processing, giving the tea some of the richness of a red tea while preserving a brighter, more aromatic character.~
The first steeps are fruit-forward, with dried plum, longan, and a gentle woody sweetness. As the leaves open, honey and warm floral notes begin to emerge, while a clean mineral quality runs underneath. The liquor is smooth and rounded, with enough structure to keep the sweetness from becoming heavy and a lingering dried-fruit finish.
Bright and aromatic for a red tea, but still warming and full in the cup. It sits somewhere between the depth of a traditional Yunnan red and the lifted character of an oolong.
Tastes like Dried plum, longan, sweet wood (Top); Honey, baked florals, mineral edge (Base);
Brewing 5g tea / 100ml water / 90–95°C Steep for 30–60 sec. Re-steep several times. Shorter steeps emphasise the fruit and aromatics, while longer infusions bring out more body and warmth.
In the cup Ai Lao Red has a warm, steady character with a brighter edge than many fully oxidised red teas. The caffeine provides a noticeable lift, while the rounded texture and sweetness make it an easy tea to settle into over several infusions.
A good afternoon tea when you want something warming and substantial without the heavier character of a darker red tea.
