SHAY single origin tea boxes SHAY single origin tea boxes SHAY single origin tea boxes SHAY single origin tea boxes

Shay — Single Origin Tea

One Leaf,
One Place

Eleven teas, eleven origins. Each one shaped by the plant it came from, the hill it grew on, and the person who made it.

See the collection

More than a cup

Tea is not a drink.
It's a Culture

There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into quiet contemplation — tea to the body as music is to the soul.

Tea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed, by the way people interact with it, and by the aesthetics that grow up around the drinking of it. Single origin is where that culture starts: one cultivar, one place, one maker, nothing blended away.

Organic, Pure and Natural.

11 origins No blends Named terroir
One cultivar

A Single Plant

Every tea here comes from one varietal, not a mix of whatever the season allowed. The plant's own character is what you taste.

One terroir

A Single Hillside

Altitude, soil, mist and the hours of sun a slope receives change the leaf entirely. We name the county, not just the country.

One maker

A Single Pair of Hands

Withering, firing, rolling, resting — the decisions a maker takes over two days decide what the next ten years taste like.

Our collection

Eleven distinct Expressions

Showing 11 of 11

Anji White green tea leaves — box Anji White green tea leaves — sachet Anji White green tea leaves — loose leaf
Green

GREEN TEA

Anji County, Zhejiang

Slender jade-yellow leaves. Sweet bamboo and bean sprout on the nose, a pronounced savoury umami in the cup.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Slender, flat and tender with a distinctive jade-yellow hue.
Aroma
Fresh and floral, sweet and vegetal — underlying notes of sweet bamboo and tender bean sprouts.
Taste
  • Exceptionally smooth, clean and round on the palate.
  • Pronounced refreshing umami — the hallmark of this tea.
  • Lingering clean sweetness in the throat.
Jasmine Pearl scented green tea — box Jasmine Pearl scented green tea — sachet Jasmine Pearl scented green tea — loose leaf
Green · scented

JASMINE TEA

Fuzhou, Fujian

Hand-rolled pearls flecked with white hair. Lively jasmine with a rock-sugar sweetness over a clean green base.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Tightly rolled pearls, visible white hairs, even in size.
Aroma
Lively, lasting jasmine with a rock-sugar sweetness, harmonised with a fresh green tea base.
Taste
  • Fresh, mellow and smooth liquor.
  • Jasmine deeply infused rather than perfumed on top.
  • Clear sweet aftertaste with lingering fragrance.
Shou Mei white tea leaves — box Shou Mei white tea leaves — sachet Shou Mei white tea leaves — loose leaf
White

WHITE TEA

Fuding, Fujian

Large army-green leaves with a few buds. Herbs and date on the nose, sweet and almost free of astringency.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Coarse leaves with some buds, army-green flecked with brown.
Aroma
Slight herbs and date, sweet floral.
Taste
  • Mellow and smooth with little astringency.
  • Distinct sweetness, especially in aged Shou Mei when boiled.
  • Smooth, enduring aftertaste.
Dried tangerine peel white tea — box Dried tangerine peel white tea — sachet Dried tangerine peel white tea — loose leaf
White · blend

DRIED TANGERINE PEEL WHITE TEA

XinHui chenpi + Fujian white

Aged citrus peel wrapped around white tea. Sweet, warming, and easy on the stomach after a heavy meal.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Chenpi wrapped around or mixed through white tea, yellowish-brown.
Aroma
Date and slight herbal notes over sweet citrus.
Taste
  • Smooth, sweet and mellow with a full body.
  • Chenpi's mellow sweetness balances the white tea's clean sweetness.
  • Warm, comfortable throat sensation; aids digestion.
Yellow tea from Anhui — box Yellow tea from Anhui — sachet Yellow tea from Anhui — loose leaf
Yellow

YELLOW TEA

Anhui

The rarest of the six classes. Sweet corn and toasted rice on the nose, low stimulation, no astringency.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Plump strips, golden to yellowish-brown, with fine hairs.
Aroma
Signature sweet corn or toasted rice, warm and comforting, with elegant floral notes woven through.
Taste
  • Mellow, sweet and smooth with low stimulation.
  • Prominent fresh sweetness, full liquor.
  • Clean sweet aftertaste, no astringency.
Ancient Narcissus oolong tea — box Ancient Narcissus oolong tea — sachet Ancient Narcissus oolong tea — loose leaf
Oolong

OOLONG TEA

Yongchun, Fujian

Medium-fired Shuixian. Warm roast wrapped around a clear orchid heart, cooling and sweet at the finish.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Tight, curly strips, sand-green, black and glossy with a precious sheen.
Aroma
Warm roast from medium firing intertwined with orchid; a slight ripe-fruit sweetness, steady and lasting.
Taste
  • Mellow and smooth, with the roast character infused into the water.
  • Clear orchid base of the Shuixian varietal, balanced against the roast.
  • Cooling sensation and good salivation after swallowing.
Dan Cong oolong tea — box Dan Cong oolong tea — sachet Dan Cong oolong tea — loose leaf
Oolong

DAN CONG OOLONG TEA

Raoping, Chaozhou, Guangdong

Honey-sweet fragrance, high and clear. Gardenia and almond, with the brisk spicy "cong" bite that defines the style.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Tight, straight, robust strips, yellowish-brown to black-brown with an oily sheen.
Aroma
Signature honey-sweet fragrance with a high, clear floral note; sweet fruity hints of gardenia and almond, sharp and lasting.
Taste
  • Brisk and invigorating on entry.
  • A subtle spicy "cong" character, highly stimulating.
  • Fragrance carries well into the aftertaste.
Ying Hong No 9 black tea — box Ying Hong No 9 black tea — sachet Ying Hong No 9 black tea — loose leaf
Black

BLACK TEA

Yingde, Guangdong

Plump golden-haired strips. Honey sweetness, ripe fruit, and a strong brisk body that stands up to milk.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Plump, tight strips fully covered in golden hairs, black and glossy.
Aroma
Intense hairy sweetness with ripe floral and fruit notes; a distinct honey character.
Taste
  • Strong, brisk and fresh with good stimulation.
  • Mellow, full-bodied and rich liquor.
  • Sweet on entry, with a quick persistent sweet aftertaste.
Sheng Pu Er raw pu-erh tea — box Sheng Pu Er raw pu-erh tea — sachet Sheng Pu Er raw pu-erh tea — loose leaf
Pu-erh · raw

PU ERH TEA

Lincang, Yunnan

Young astringency giving way to floral honey. Robust and stimulating, with a fast cooling sweetness in the throat.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Loose, clear strips, dark green with visible hairs and slight signs of ageing.
Aroma
Youthful astringency fading as floral and honey-sweet notes emerge; still retains a fresh vegetal, sun-dried character.
Taste
  • Robust, fresh and stimulating, with astringency.
  • Quick, strong sweet aftertaste and salivation; cooling throat sensation.
  • A hint of fruit sweetness with more layers than new tea.
Liu Bao dark tea — box Liu Bao dark tea — sachet Liu Bao dark tea — loose leaf
Dark

LIU BAO TEA

Wuzhou, Guangxi

The betel-nut aroma prized in aged Liu Bao. Silky, congee-like body, cooling and very thirst-quenching.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Robust strips, black-brown and glossy, interspersed with golden hairs.
Aroma
Signature betel-nut aroma of aged tea — light smoke and wood — with cooling medicinal and woody notes.
Taste
  • Rich, mellow, sweet and harmonious with low stimulation.
  • Smooth liquor with a silky, congee-like entry.
  • Cooling throat sensation and a long sweet aftertaste.
An Hua dark tea brick — box An Hua dark tea brick — sachet An Hua dark tea brick — loose leaf
Dark

DARK TEA

Anhua, Hunan

Fu brick with abundant golden flowers. Pine smoke and age, then a rock-sugar sweetness that lingers and warms.

Caffeine
Body
Leaf
Loosened from the brick, black-brown, with abundant golden flowers (Eurotium cristatum) — the mark of quality.
Aroma
Distinctive golden-flower aroma reminiscent of China root, with pine smoke, wood and aged notes intertwined.
Taste
  • Mellow and smooth with no astringency.
  • Sweet on entry, prized for its rock-sugar sweetness.
  • Lubricating throat sensation that lasts, with a warming body feel.
A tea picker's hands plucking two leaves and a bud

Why single origin

Blending Hides. Origin Tells

A blend evens things out so every cup tastes the same. Single origin leaves it all in. You taste the hillside, the season, and the hands that made it.

Nothing Added. Nothing Rounded Off.

How to drink it

Four Things Worth Getting Right

01

Warm the vessel

Rinse the pot and cups with hot water first. A cold vessel drops the temperature and flattens the aroma before you've begun.

02

Match the heat

Green and yellow at 80–85°C. White and oolong around 90°C. Black, pu-erh and dark tea take a full boil.

03

Steep short, steep often

Start at 20–30 seconds and add a little each round. A good single origin will give you five or six infusions, each different.

04

Taste the empty cup

Smell the cup after you've drunk. The retained fragrance tells you as much about the tea as the liquor did.

Start somewhere

Eleven Origins.
One Place to Begin

Not sure where to start? The Discovery Box holds all eleven in tasting portions — a way to find your tea before you commit to a tin of it.