10 Best Black Tea Bags in 2022 (Tea Blogger-Reviewed)

Darjeeling is a tea produced in the Darjeeling region of northeastern India, at the foot of the eastern Himalayas. Its unique scent–somewhat floral, light and refreshing–comes from its home. Since it’s cultivated at such high altitudes, the extra mist, the pounding sunshine, and the lower oxygen make Darjeeling a subtle, soft treat.

The taste of Darjeeling varies based on when it is harvested. Early harvests, also called first flush teas (March/April), present a light taste with lower catechin (a type of antioxidant) properties.

Second flush tea leaves are said to be of the highest quality. Rather astringent but sweet and full of flavor, leaves picked during this time frame are the most beloved. They contain the strongest floral (or fruity) scent. It’s called muscatel, which is like like the smell of tropical fruits in summer.

The last harvest–from October to November, also called autumn flush–produces leaves with a more mellow flavor. You’ve got less muscatel, but the tea’s more rounded, with hints of sweetness playing beneath.

Assam tea drunk by itself is typically a deep red. Like Darjeeling, the taste and aroma change depending on the harvest season, although differences among Darjeeling harvests are greater than those among the various Assam harvests.

First flush leaves (March/April) produce tea with a fresh, sweet flavor and scent. Second flush teas (April to June) are of high quality, with a mellow sweetness and a taste resembling malt. The high tannin content of second flush leaves can make the tea taste slightly more bitter, which some say best represents Assam’s true characteristics.

The last Assam harvest (September to November) produces teas with a stronger, more astringent taste. When brewed, this tea is more of a dark reddish-purple color.

You get the body and tropical sweetness of Indian teas and the light freshness of Sri Lankan teas. The fragrance is intense–forests, flowers, and muscat–but maybe because Nilgiri is so near the border of two countries, the tea it produces is balanced and appeals to many palates. It comes out to a vibrant orange.

High-grown ceylon teas are typically characterized by a floral aroma and taste. They’re refreshing and have a balanced flavor and scent to them. Some popular ones are Dimbula, Nuwara Eliya, and Uva. These all have slightly different characteristics and properties, native to the region they’re produced in.

Medium-grown ceylon teas have a slight astringent taste but a rich aroma. The most famous of these are called Kandy, named after Kandy district in Sri Lanka. Kandy teas are often said to have a caramel aroma, with grainy and twisted leaves and a bright amber color.

Ruhuna, the Ceylon tea leaves grown at the lowest altitudes in Sri Lanka, generally have a lighter aroma but a strong, sometimes bitter, taste. These leaves are dried at a high temperature, adding a smoky flavor to the tea. A slight sweetness like brown sugar balances out the smoky tones, and the light aftertaste unique to Ceylon tea makes Ruhuna most enjoyable.

With their sweet smokiness and medium flavor, you can enjoy these teas by themselves, or add a tad of cream and sugar if you really must.

Leaves from Kandy or Nilgiri make for good lemon tea (these don’t have much tannin), as does Earl Grey, whose bergamot scent pairs very well with lemon.

What is CTC, you ask? It’s a way to process black tea. The letters stand for crush, tear, and curl. Basically, the leaves are run through a special machine where they’re crushed and torn into little pieces, then pressed back together into balls. Since these pellets are so concentrated, the flavor comes out strong and kicking.

And that’s why, in general, CTC teas work well with milk. Teas that have got this deep sweetness, such as Ceylon (Dimbula and Uva especially!), are heavenly with milk. Keemun or Nilgiri teas also work well to this end.

Then you’ve got the wallflower, Nilgiri, and the Sri Lankan Kandy; both, because they haven’t got much tannin, are mellow and don’t cloud when chilled. They come out to this clear amber. Or, if you prefer, Earl Grey works well for iced tea also.

For the best chai, we recommend Ceylon and Darjeeling as their taste profiles are not too strong and will compliment the spice. If you like chai with milk, we recommend Assam.