Red Tea from 90-Year-Old Shan Tea Trees
A tea nearly a century in the making.
Some teas are crafted for a season. Others become part of a family's life.
This remarkable red tea comes from an organically managed tea garden in Puli, in the heart of Nantou County, Taiwan. The tea trees were grown from seed nearly ninety years ago and continue to produce leaves from deep-rooted, mature plants that have quietly witnessed generations of change.
The story begins in the late 1930s with Guo Shaosan, remembered by his family as the "Grandfather of Black Tea." After studying agricultural chemistry in Japan and Taiwan, he devoted his life to understanding tea cultivation and producing exceptional Taiwanese black tea.
Family tradition tells of an expedition into the mountainous border region of present-day Thailand and Myanmar in search of outstanding large-leaf tea trees. There he encountered a population of native Shan tea trees whose leaves produced an unusually rich, fragrant black tea. Seeds were brought back to Taiwan and planted in the fertile red soils of Puli, where they eventually became the foundation of the family's tea gardens.
For decades, these teas were exported around the world. As global markets changed, many Taiwanese black tea gardens disappeared, replaced by other crops. This small planting survived. Left largely to nature for many years, the trees matured into a forest-like garden before being carefully restored and organically cultivated once again.
Today, each harvest is still hand-picked to the traditional standard of one bud and two leaves, allowing the character of these mature seed-grown trees to speak clearly in the cup.
The result is a tea with remarkable depth and clarity. Notes of wild honey, dried stone fruit, warm malt, and gentle cocoa unfold over a smooth, full body. A delicate fruit aroma lingers long after each sip, while the liquor remains vibrant, clear, and naturally sweet with very little bitterness.
This is not simply a black tea—it is the expression of nearly a century of cultivation, patience, and stewardship.
Tea Perspective
Some teas ask to be analyzed. This one asks to be appreciated.
Its long life is reflected not only in its depth of flavour but also in its quiet steadiness. Each infusion carries the character of mature trees whose roots have spent decades reaching deeper into the soil. It is a tea that rewards slowing down, lingering over conversation, or simply sitting in stillness for a while.
There is a quiet reminder within every cup: what is patiently tended over many years often becomes more beautiful than anything rushed.
Puli Heritage Red Tea
Shan native large-leaf seed-grown tea
