Tea Details
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Tea Details
Harvest: Spring 2024
Region: Ailao Mountain, Yunnan, China
Elevation: Approx. 2100-2500 m
Cultivar: Yunnan small-leaf tea cultivar
Tree Age: Ancient tress, 300+ years old
Crafting Method: Traditional sun-dried sheng pu'er processing
Storage Tips: Store in an airtight container away from heat and light
Shelf Life: Suitable for long-term aging under proper strage
Raw Pu'er, Not Ripe Pu'er
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Raw Pu'er, Not Ripe Pu'er
Pu-erh tea comes in two main styles: raw pu-erh, also called sheng, and ripe pu-erh, also called shou.
Ripe pu-erh is dark, smooth, and earthy because it goes through an accelerated fermentation process. Raw pu-erh is different. It is made from sun-dried Yunnan tea leaves and develops slowly over time through natural aging.
This tea is a raw pu-erh. Instead of tasting dark, mushroomy, or deeply earthy, it feels more alive and aromatic: pine, cypress, forest air, gentle bitterness, and a returning sweetness after each sip.
Choose this tea if you want to explore pu-erh’s brighter, mountain-forest side—not the dark, mellow style of ripe pu-erh.
Brewing Guide
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Brewing Guide
Why Pine & Cypress?
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Why Pine & Cypress?
The name isn’t a metaphor.
These ancient tea trees grow in the forests of Ailao Mountain, surrounded by pine and cypress that have shared the same landscape for generations. Tea farmers often describe this distinctive woodland character as a reflection of the environment where the trees have grown for centuries.
Whether shaped by the forest itself, the ancient trees, or the unique mountain ecosystem, the result is unmistakable: a fresh resinous aroma balanced by gentle sweetness and a remarkably clean finish.
It’s one of the most memorable sheng pu’er profiles we’ve ever encountered.
A Living Mountain Forest
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A Living Mountain Forest
The story of this tea begins with its environment.
Ancient tea trees in Ailao Mountain grow within a diverse mountain forest, where lichens, mosses, and native evergreens quietly share the same landscape. The pale lichens covering the trunks are one small sign of a stable, living ecosystem.
Local tea makers have long described this distinctive profile as “Pine & Cypress”—a fresh, resinous aroma balanced by gentle sweetness and remarkable clarity.
It’s a tea that feels less like fruit or flowers, and more like walking through a quiet mountain forest after rain.