2025 Wilderness Forest Shai Hong
Weight
Tea Profile
| Tea Type | Red Tea (Hong Cha 红茶) |
|---|---|
| Style | Yunnan Shai Hong (晒红) sun-dried red tea |
| Origin | Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China |
| Year | 2025 |
| Material | Yunnan large-leaf tea material |
| Leaf Style | Broad, mature loose leaf with visible stems and mixed dark, russet and copper tones |
| Brewing Style | Gong Fu or Western |
Origin and Character
This 2025 Wilderness Forest Shai Hong comes from Dehong in western Yunnan and is made from broad Yunnan large-leaf material. The finished leaf is long, dark and loosely twisted, with reddish-brown and copper-toned variation together with visible stems. Its appearance is open and natural rather than highly sorted or bud-focused.
The tea is finished as Shai Hong, using sun-drying rather than the more conventional drying methods associated with many Yunnan red teas. Once infused, the leaves open substantially into long, broad chestnut and copper-brown leaves with visible stems and good overall integrity, retaining the character of substantial mature leaf rather than finely broken material.
In the cup, the tea develops in distinct stages. The opening infusions are honeyed, floral and fruit-led, with preserved plum, fresh red plum, raisins and currants alongside lilac and violet. The middle of the session turns towards caramel, English rose, milk chocolate, chocolate malt and cereal, while later infusions become lighter and more mineral, with preserved citrus, lemon iced tea and a cleaner classic red-tea character.
Aroma and Flavour
| Aroma | Honey, preserved plum, raisins and currants, followed by lilac, violet, caramel, English rose, milk chocolate and cereal |
|---|---|
| Liquor | Clear and bright, beginning amber-gold and deepening through copper towards reddish amber |
| Flavour | Honey and fresh red plum with a tangy tomato-vine edge, developing into caramel, chocolate malt, preserved citrus and lemon iced tea, with mineral notes in the later infusions |
| Mouthfeel | Thick and silky through the opening infusions, gradually settling into a medium body later in the session |
| Finish | Floral and cereal-like at first, becoming malted and nutty before finishing with clean citrus and mineral sweetness |
✦ The Astraluna Perspective ✦
I was particularly impressed by how clearly this tea changes during a single Gong Fu session. The opening is bright and aromatic, moving through honey, plum, lilac and violet before the profile softens into caramel, milk chocolate, chocolate malt and cereal.
The texture is equally important. It becomes thick and silky almost immediately, yet the tea does not need aggressive brewing to show body. In fact, the fruit and floral notes are clearest when the first infusions remain short. Pushed too hard too early, it becomes more conventional; brewed with restraint, it is considerably more expressive.
As the session progresses, the sweeter notes gradually recede and the tea moves towards preserved citrus, lemon iced tea and a cleaner mineral finish. I find this transition particularly appealing because the tea remains cohesive while still revealing distinctly different phases.
For me, this is a very comforting Shai Hong: rounded and warm in character, but kept lively by its floral, fruit and citrus notes. Compared with our 2026 Wild Dehong Shai Hong, this 2025 tea leans more towards malt, caramel and chocolate through its middle and later infusions.
Brewing Notes
| Method | Leaf | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gong Fu | 7 g per 140 ml | 90°C | 8–10 sec initially, then gradually extend |
| Western | 3 g per 250 ml | 90–95°C | Approximately 3 min |
For Gong Fu brewing, keep the first infusions deliberately short. This tea develops body very quickly, and its honey, plum and floral character is most distinct before stronger extraction begins to pull it towards a more conventional red-tea profile. Once the leaves are fully open, extend the infusion times gradually. Around ten infusions can be expected, with the later steeps lengthened as required.
Storage
Store in a clean, dry and odour-free environment away from direct sunlight, excess humidity and strong surrounding aromas. Shai Hong can change gradually with time, but clean, stable storage is the priority. Keep it well sealed and away from spices, coffee, incense and fragranced products.