Loose, Bagged, Organic:
Find the Best Black Tea on the Market
[2020 Update]
Black tea is one of the more popular types of tea around. It is drunk all over the world! Despite this, you may find that your morning brew just doesn’t offer up the flavor and aroma that you’re looking for.
If you are in the mood for a serious upgrade, then the following guide is for you. Here, we tackle how to select the best black teas and also offer up our own ideas on what you should choose.
Now, without further ado…
Twinings is undoubtedly one of the more famous tea brands around the world. We picked this as our favorite as the flavor profile strikes all the right notes for a wide variety of tea drinkers.
If you want an extra kick to get your day started, then this is a great breakfast tea to rely on.
Although this black tea is enclosed in black tea bags, it is as close to a loose-leaf brew as you can possibly get. This makes this brand quite difficult to beat.
How to Select Good Black Tea
No thanks, take me to the Best Black Tea Brands
The first step to enjoying delicious black tea is knowing how to select the right type and brand. What many people don’t realize is that there is a bit more to this process than they may have imagined.
Here are all the elements you will need to consider when selecting black tea:
Where Is Your Tea Grown?
The top tea growing nations in the world are China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. However, you are most likely to come across teas from India, Sri Lanka, and perhaps Kenya.
It should also be noted that tea is often categorized where it is grown within these countries.
Sri Lankan tea is often known as Ceylon tea and Kenyan tea is identified as just that. However, tea produced in other nations may have the following titles:
•India – Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri
•China – Keemun, Yunnan, Fujian
So, why is this information important? Well, research has shown that the tea produced in each of these places tends to differ in taste. This is due to the variation in the flavonols content.
Thus, it is a good idea to have a taste test and decide which flavor is most pleasant to you. Keep in mind, there is no “right” answer. Instead, it is all about which one you prefer.
Loose Tea or Tea Bags – Is One Superior?
One of the biggest debates when it comes to black tea is whether you should buy loose tea or tea bags. There are arguments to be made for both sides.
On the one hand, loose tea tends to be of higher quality. This is because most of the tea leaves in tea bags have been put through the CTC processing method. As such, the resulting taste is compromised.
Loose tea, however, is often gently plucked and rolled by hand. Due to this, the original flavor of the tea is maintained, making for a tastier cup.
Nevertheless, tea bags still reign supreme when it comes to ease of use. You simply dunk a bag in hot water for a few minutes and you have a steaming brew. The tea brewing process can take a bit longer with loose tea.
If you are trying to get the best of both worlds, look for tea bags that are larger in size and contain a higher quality of tea.
Features to Look For
Now, let’s take a look at some of the features you should watch out for when selecting your teas:
Long, Curled Leaves
As mentioned, uncut, long curled leaves are higher in quality. Furthermore, these leaves can unfurl in the water, ensuring that the full flavor is released. Typically, the longer the leaves, the better the tea.
Good Weight
If you imagine that tea leaves should not weigh much, think again! It is important for your tea leaves to have a little weight to them. This shows that it is fresh.
Noticeable Aroma
While you are it, why not take a whiff of the tea leaves before making your purchase? Good quality, fresh leaves will have a strong and noticeable aroma.
Does Organic Matter?
If you have been drinking regular tea your whole life, you may be wondering if it is worth it to switch to the organic kind. Well, there is some evidence for making this transition.
Traditionally grown tea leaves do contain a certain amount of pesticides. Some of these are removed during the processing procedures. Nevertheless, some of these substances can leach into your brew as well.
The Best Black Tea Brands
Now, let’s get to why you are really here – to identify the best black tea brands on the market. To make it easier for you to come to a conclusion, we have put our selections into various categories.
First, we have Loose, Bagged, and Organic. We have further broken things up to include a premium pick, a budget pick, and one that we felt was the best of both worlds.
So, let’s get started!
The Best Loose Leaf Black Tea
These are the best teas if you want to brew a cup in the most traditional way.
luxury Pick
Vadham Darjeeling Black Tea
value Pick
Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold Loose Leaf
our Pick
Twinings Traditional English Tea
Best Black Tea Bags
The following tea bag brands will make it easier for you to whip up a delicious brew.
luxury Pick
The Republic of Tea British Breakfast
value Pick
Bigelow English Breakfast Tea
our Pick
Tazo Awake English Breakfast Tea
Organic Black Tea
Here are the best organic black tea options for you.
luxury Pick
Positively Tea Company Organic Assam
value Pick
Davidson’s English Breakfast Tea
our Pick
Teatulia Organic Black Tea
There you go – the best black teas available. With this guide, you will have no problem finding the tea that hits the right spot each time.