Pre-launch · Taiwan-sourced tea · Illinois, USA

Mountain oolong, bold as the coast.

Ayla Tea imports small-batch Taiwan high mountain tea for cafés, bubble tea shops, restaurants and boutiques. Floral, creamy and easy to love, hot or iced.

Request wholesale samples & price sheet Join the waitlist

We're not selling yet. Samples and the price sheet go out after our launch permits are complete.

Illustration of misty tea mountains above a seaside lighthouse
Small
batch
oolong
porch blooms
two leaves & a bud

Our story

From Taiwan's tea mountains to a Cape Cod porch

Ayla Tea started with a love of New England summers: weathered shingles, sea breeze, and hydrangeas spilling over every fence. Taiwanese oolong tastes the way those summers feel, bright and floral and a little sweet.

High in Taiwan's mountains, tea grows above the clouds. Farmers pick it by hand and roll it into tiny pearls that slowly open in your cup. We're tasting our way through those mountains now to choose a first collection that's fresh, seasonal and easy for anyone to brew.

41.7° N · Cape Cod✿23.5° N · Alishan

  • Single-origin teas from named Taiwan growing regions
  • Seasonal spring and winter harvests, labeled on every tin
  • Pure leaf. Our core teas are just tea, with nothing added

The first collection

Six teas, six moods

Our launch lineup is still being finalized. Here's what we're dreaming up.

Light & floral

Alishan · Chiayi County

Cloud Garden

Alishan High Mountain Oolong

  • orchid
  • sweet cream
  • fresh spring greens

Hot Cold brew

Price sheet on requestComing soon
Creamy & smooth

Jin Xuan cultivar · Taiwan

Butter Cream

Jin Xuan “Milk” Oolong

  • buttery
  • vanilla custard
  • soft florals

Hot Cold brew

Price sheet on requestComing soon
Honeyed & fruity

Hsinchu & Miaoli · Taiwan

Beach Rose Beauty

Oriental Beauty Oolong

  • wildflower honey
  • ripe peach
  • muscat grape

Hot Cold brew

Price sheet on requestComing soon
Bold black tea

Sun Moon Lake · Nantou County

Ruby Sunset

Ruby #18 Black Tea

  • cinnamon
  • fresh mint
  • dark cherry

Hot Great as milk tea

Price sheet on requestComing soon
Deep & fruity

Specialty process · Taiwan

Lavender Hour

GABA Oolong

  • dried plum
  • cocoa
  • warm spice

Hot Cold brew

Price sheet on requestComing soon
Toasty & cozy

Lugu · Nantou County

Bonfire on the Dunes

Dong Ding Roasted Oolong

  • toasted honey
  • caramel
  • roasted nuts

Hot Cold brew

Price sheet on requestComing soon

Final teas, sizes and pricing will be confirmed at launch. Tasting notes describe typical flavors for each tea style.

Why Taiwan oolong?

A small island with big tea

01

Grown above the clouds

"High mountain" oolong comes from gardens above 1,000 meters. Cool, misty air means the leaves grow slowly, which gives the tea its sweet, floral flavor.

02

Somewhere between green and black

Oolong is partly oxidized. It can be fresh and flowery, or roasted and caramel-y, and Taiwan's tea makers are known for both.

03

One scoop, many cups

Those rolled pearls unfurl a little more each time, so good oolong can be steeped again and again. Each cup tastes a little different.

04

Made for iced tea

Taiwan is the home of bubble tea. Its oolongs and black teas cold-brew beautifully, smooth and never bitter.

Wholesale · cafés, bubble tea shops, restaurants & boutiques

Pour Ayla Tea at your counter

We're building a wholesale program for independent businesses that want Taiwan-sourced tea with a story behind it. Tell us about your shop and we'll follow up by email.

  1. 1
    Send your inquiry

    Share what you serve, where you are and which teas you're curious about.

  2. 2
    We confirm by email

    We reply with what we can offer and where we are in the launch process.

  3. 3
    Samples & price sheet

    Sent after our launch permits are complete. We can't give delivery dates yet.

  • Bulk bags of milk-tea-ready oolong and Ruby black tea
  • Small trial orders, so you can start without a big commitment
  • Cold-brew and milk tea recipe guidance

The wholesale program is in development and subject to completing our permits. Nothing is for sale yet.

Wholesale inquiry

Request samples & our price sheet. They're sent after launch permits are complete.

Which teas interest you?

We only use your details to reply to your inquiry.

Find your Ayla tea

Three questions, one tea

Tell us how you like to sip and we'll match you with one of our six.

Brew guide

Easy as a beach day

No fancy gear needed. A mug, a jar or a teapot all work.

Hot

Leaf
1 heaping tsp (about 3 g) per 8 oz cup
Water
195°F (90°C) for oolong, 205°F (96°C) for black tea
Time
3 to 4 minutes
Again!
Re-steep the same leaves 2 to 3 more times, adding a minute each time

Cold brew

Leaf
2 tbsp (about 10 g) per 32 oz jar of cool water
Chill
Leave it in the fridge for 6 to 10 hours, or overnight
Strain
Strain out the leaves, pour over ice and sip
Keep
Drink it within 2 to 3 days

Porch milk tea

  1. Cold-brew Butter Cream or Ruby Sunset a little stronger, with about 15 g per 32 oz
  2. Fill a glass halfway with ice and the tea
  3. Top with milk or oat milk
  4. Add brown sugar syrup or honey to taste. Boba is optional, but highly encouraged

Gift boxes

Wrapped like a bouquet

Pastel boxes, pressed-flower details and a handwritten-style card. Made for birthdays, besties and "just because."

The Porch Sampler

Four mini tins to find your favorite: Cloud Garden, Butter Cream, Beach Rose Beauty and Ruby Sunset.

Coming soon

Hydrangea Cold Brew Kit

Two cold-brew-friendly teas, a glass brewing bottle and a recipe card for iced tea and milk tea.

Coming soon

Seasonal Harvest Box

A planned subscription with a new Taiwan harvest each season, plus tasting notes and a little story about where it came from.

Coming soon

Join the waitlist

Be first to sip

Sign up to hear about our first harvest, launch-day gift boxes and early-bird perks. No spam, just tea.

You can unsubscribe anytime.

Questions

Good to know

When does Ayla Tea launch?

We don't have a launch date yet. We're picking our first teas and finishing our permits now. Join the waitlist and you'll be the first to hear.

Can I get wholesale samples or a price sheet?

Yes, send us the wholesale inquiry. Samples and the price sheet go out after our launch permits are complete, and we'll tell you by email where things stand.

What's oolong, anyway?

Oolong is a traditional tea made from the same plant as green and black tea, Camellia sinensis. It's partly oxidized, so its flavor falls somewhere in between: floral and fresh, or toasty and sweet.

Does it have caffeine?

Yes. All of our teas are true teas, and true tea naturally contains caffeine.

Where will you sell?

We're starting with wholesale to independent shops, with a direct online shop planned after that. Join the waitlist for updates.