Just to start from the beginning. All tea comes from one plant, the Camellia sinensis, which surprisingly, many people are unaware of. The differences are the time at which the tea leaf is harvested (time of the year and at which time the leaf itself is taken) and processing steps.

Black tea is the most processed of all the teas, which does not necessarily mean that it is unhealthy or bad. It just means that it goes through a full oxidation process to get to the black tea state that we all know and love.

After the leaves are harvested (depending on the type of black tea), the leaves are withered (or dried) and heated to help speed up drying, then they are rolled (the oxidation process mentioned earlier), and the last step is to dry them to stop the oxidation process.

Black tea contains the highest level of caffeine of all loose leaf teas.

The flavor of black tea can be heavily influenced not only by the processing, but you also have to consider the climate, altitude and soil from the region the tea is grown. For example, Assam tea is going to have a crisp, full bodied flavor, whereas a Darjeeling tea will be more of an earthy tea with notes of florals and fruits. Let’s explore the many types of black teas and the unique flavor profiles they possess.

Assam

From the Assam region of India, this tea is known for its robust malty flavor that holds up well with milk and is often found in breakfast teas. 

Ceylon

Grown in Sri Lanka (a southern asian island), this dark tea has a crisp aroma with a bold, citrusy and sometimes sweet flavor.

Darjeeling

Also called the champagne of black teas, and grown in India, Darjeeling has a lovely light, floral, honey like flavor profile that makes it unique.

Keemun

Grown in China, the interesting flavor profile ranges from dried fruit, and cocoa to hints of pine! 

Lapsang Souchong

Another tea that is grown in China, and is known as ‘smoke tea’, due to being smoked over pine bark and needles. This tea has strong smoky notes as well as notes of tobacco and burnt sugar. 

Tips on making the perfect cup of black tea:

• Use spring water when making tea if possible to enhance your teas flavor (filtered water 2nd choice).

• Use 212 degree water.

• Steep your tea for 3-5 minutes.

For more tips on infusing and brewing, visit our other 101 pages for more in depth information.

Black teas are also amazing used in iced tea (being in the south, we know a thing about southern sweet iced tea!), cold brews, hot lattes and even used in recipes! You can find out more info in our blog!