Tea drinkers know not all tea tastes the same and can immediately distinguish poor tea from quality tea. To elevate your tea-drinking experiences, learn about the best tea brands in the world.
Not all tea is the same if you’re a tea lover with a more refined palate. To help you choose the most delectable products the next time you’re at the grocery store, I’ve compiled a list of the best tea brands in the world. Go stick on the tea kettle, fetch a tea cozy, and dive in.
1. Republic Of Tea
Republic of Tea’s “sip by sip” culture encourages a slower lifestyle in which tea lovers can consciously appreciate each sip and passing moment. The brand aims to uphold the gracious ceremony of tea drinking, as practiced in China and Japan.
As the name indicates, the enterprise functions as an independent republic might. Employees are referred to as “ministers,” stores are called “embassies,” and customers are regarded as “citizens.” Since the “republic” is highly philanthropic, it supports charities worldwide.
You can choose from more than 300 tea blends, including black, green, matcha, chai, white, and herbal teas. The company also offers flavored and iced tea. They sell whole-leaf teas and unbleached tea bags packed in beautiful air-tight tins.
Two of my favorite Republic of Tea blends are:
- White Emperor Tea: This white tea is one of the rarest in the world since the leaves are picked on only two days of each year, just before the tea flowers open. Apart from its delicate taste, I love how the tea is 100% non-GMO certified.
- Natural Hibiscus: You can enjoy this crisp and bold herbal tea in two ways; as a hot cup of tea or as iced tea. Made from ruby red hibiscus from Nigeria, this tea provides a tart and fragrant flavor. It’s also packed with antioxidants.
2. Yogi Tea
If you’re into herbal teas, you need to try Yogi Tea.
As the same suggests, Yogi Tea was founded by a Kundalini yoga instructor named Yogi Bhajan. Their blends are made from recipes based on the ancient Indian practice of Ayurvedic healing. All Yogi Tea ingredients are organic and free from additives and artificial ingredients.
You even receive a message of Yogic wisdom and a yoga exercise with each tea. I like that their brand’s philosophy is grounded in Ayurvedic healing and spiritual well-being. I think a Yogic message or two a day, complemented by a few yoga stretches, can only make your day better.
The brand offers a collection of just over 40 blends, including Maca Chai, Green Chai, Turmeric Chai, Ginger Orange. They also have fun blends like Moon Salutation and Bee Happy.
Two of the most popular Yogi Tea blends are:
- Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy: The sweet aromas of the lotus flower and lemon myrtle, together with a small dash of caffeine, are sure to give you a boost.
- Classic: The Classic blend, which was the first blend introduced by the brand, contains a mixture of black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and cardamom.
3. Yorkshire Tea
The Yorkshire Tea range will be a good fit if you like your black tea with a dash of milk and sugar. The company is said to offer the “best cup of tea in England,” which is worth noting since English citizens know their tea. Yorkshire Tea is a family-owned business founded back in 1886.
The company sources only the finest tea from farms in Africa and India. They take their quality control very seriously. Their buyers sip hundreds, or even up to a thousand teas a day. Apart from tasting each batch with and without milk, they also prepare the teas with hard and soft water.
The Yorkshire Tea range includes Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Tea for Hard Water, and Yorkshire Tea Decaf. Here are my two favorite blends:
- Yorkshire Tea Gold: This full-bodied tea is made from a blend of leaves from Kenya, Assam, and Rwanda. The leaves from the latter region give the tea its characteristic golden color.
- Yorkshire Tea Biscuit: I love this blend since it tastes like biscuits! It’s perfect if you have a sweet tooth.
4. Jade Leaf Matcha
The Jade Leaf Matcha company focuses exclusively on matcha. Their teas are produced by the Kizuna Tea Collective, which is a network of family-run matcha tea farms in Japan. The Kizuna Tea Collective has been supplying the Japanese market with high-quality matcha since 1858 and has had a presence in the U.S. since 2014.
The family-owned partner farms use traditional and modern techniques to cultivate matcha leaves.
Apart from pure matcha powder, you can buy café-style latte mixes and matcha & green tea bags. You can also invest in a matcha starter set, including a matcha product, an electric whisk, a steel sifter, and a recipe book.
My two favorite Jade Lead Matcha teas include:
- Ceremonial Grade: Ceremonial grade indicates that matcha tea is of the highest quality. Jade Leaf Ceremonial matcha is 100% USDA Certified Organic. The tea has a bittersweet flavor profile and a bit of a caffeine kick that will put a jump in your step.
- Matcha & Green Tea: This tea is conveniently packaged in pyramid sachets. I enjoy the combination of ceremonial grade matcha and the Japanese green tea, Fukamushi Sencha. You get a vividly green cup with ripe peach, honeydew, and umami notes.
5. Harney & Sons
Harney & Sons is often associated with top-quality black teas and attractive tins. However, the brand offers over 300 blends, including several varieties of matcha and more adventurous offerings, such as bamboo tea. It’s one of the best loose-leaf tea brands.
The fact that this is a family-owned and family-run business certainly boosts one’s confidence in the brand. Since founder John Harney started mastering the art of tea blending in his basement nearly four decades ago, the brand has remained in the family. Today, Harney’s sons are keeping his legacy going by ensuring they are producing the best quality tea possible.
Harney & Sons are Fair-Trade certified. They have also partnered with Planet for more than a decade and donate 1% of their sales to environmental causes worldwide.
Harney & Sons provides a wide range of teas, including white, green, oolong, black, organic, jasmine, and herbal teas, available in loose-leaf teas or pyramid-tea-bag form. Several collections are also offered, including Historic Royal Palaces and The Met.
My two favorite Harney & Sons teas are:
- Hot Cinnamon Spice: This is one of the brand’s oldest and most popular blends. It consists of a black-tea base infused with orange peel, sweet clove, and three types of cinnamon.
- Paris Black Tea: Paris is a fruity black tea that hints at lemony Bergamot and vanilla and caramel flavors.
6. Vahdam
When Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres feature a tea on their shows, it’s worth trying. Bala Sarda founded Vahdam Teas to keep the Indian tea legacy alive by introducing authentic Indian tea to the market.
Some of the best teas in the world are grown in India. Sarda sources his teas directly from tea gardens in over 100 tea-growing regions, including Darjeeling, Nilgiris, and Assam. Since Vahdam teas are packed at the source and sold directly to the customer online, you can be sure your tea will always be fresh.
Vahdam Teas is also one of the only certified plastic-neutral and climate-neutral brands. The company gives back to the community by directing 1% of its revenue toward the education of its tea growers’ children.
The company originally only sold loose-leaf teas, including black, oolong, white, and green teas. Nowadays, you can also buy tea bags, superfood mixes, and gift sets.
Here are my favorite Vahdam products:
- Earl Grey Citrus Black Tea: This is a blend of the finest Indian black teas and premium Bergamot oil. The tea has a fruity and fragrant taste with a refreshing citrus aftertaste.
- Turmeric Tea Tales: This loose-leaf tea set comes in a beautiful box. The set consists of a variety of teas, including Maharani cha-spiced oolong tea and ginger masala chai.
7. Tea Forte
Those who value the finer things in life will enjoy the beautiful Tea Forte packaging.
Although Tea Forte focuses on presentation, the company is serious about tea. They offer hand-crafted artisanal teas sourced directly from growers. According to their website, the ingredients they use represent “less than 1% of all the teas available worldwide.” All their teas are USDA Organic Certified, and many are Kosher Certified too.
The brand sells a wide variety of teas, including black, herbal, green, white, and oolong teas. You can also opt for decaffeinated blends, iced tea, organic tea, and Rooibos tea.
The company offers gorgeous tea assortments too. This includes the Tea Tasting Assortment, which includes delicious blends such as African Solstice, Black Currant Tea, and Chamomile Citron Tea.
Two of the most popular Tea Forte blends are:
- Bombay Chai Tea: A firm favorite of mine, this Kosher Certified chai blend contains a delicately balanced mélange of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, ginger, and cardamom.
- Blueberry Merlot Tea: This herbal tea was named Best Herbal Tea at the North American Tea Championships. The blend consists of sweet berries and savory sage and provides a mixture of tartness and sweetness with a spicy undertone.
8. Twinings
Twinings is synonymous with tea since this brand has been in the business for more than 300 years.
They do not just supply the average tea drinker with their fix, but royalty too. Twinings have been the royal family’s tea provider since the days of Queen Victoria. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite Twinings tea is Earl Gray, with a dash of milk.
The company supplies teas with full-bodied flavors sourced from Kenya, Malawi, and Assam. They also offer teas with milder and more subtle flavor profiles.
Twinings remains committed to ethical practices when sourcing its ingredients and strives to uplift tea garden communities despite how far the brand has come.
You can choose from over 300 blends, including black, green, herbal, decaffeinated, chai, and Rooibos tea. Their tea is sold in neat individual packets or loose-leaf form.
Here are my favorite picks:
- Twinings Pure Green Tea: This light and refreshing tea is created through gentle sencha steaming and pan-firing, giving the tea a light, toasty flavor.
- English Strong Breakfast Tea: This is a strong, fragrant, and full-bodied tea, perfect to kickstart your day.
9. Bellocq
Based in a quiet corner in Brooklyn, the Bellocq Atelier offers single-estate teas in whole-leaf form. The teas are all organic and herbal blends assembled by hand. Their attention to detail and quality motivates drinkers to enjoy slowly sipping tea and forgetting the bustling world outside.
The company sources its ingredients from high-elevation gardens in India, China, Vietnam, Nepal, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and Malawi. They ensure the quality behind their teas’ cultivation and processing by constantly revisiting estates and sourcing new teas.
You can choose from a collection of single-origin, pure teas, a selection of herbal blends, and also rare Puerh. The pure teas range includes delicious options such as Yunnan Golden Tips, Darjeeling 1st Flush, and Lapsang Souchong.
Two of my favorite Bellocq indulgences include:
- Jin Jun Mei: Sourced from the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province, this sought-after and fully-oxidized black tea provides a rich and smooth flavor with clear notes of malt and cocoa.
- Jasmine Silver Needles: This delicate white tea provides a crisp jasmine flavor and notes of hay and apricot liquor.
10. Dilmah
Back in 1988, when Merill J. Fernando founded Dilmah, he went against industry standards by declaring a commitment to authenticity. The company was the first producer-owned tea in Sri Lanka, with their teas being picked and packed at their place of origin. The company supports sustainable practices and ethical sourcing.
You can choose from a wide range of unblended teas. Although the company is known for its Ceylon tea, it also offers green tea, natural infusions, flavored iced tea, and organic products. In addition, you can choose from a gourmet tea selection, which includes Ceylon Supreme, Irish Breakfast, and English Afternoon.
Here are two of my favorite Dilmah teas:
- Premium Ceylon: This blend offers a bold richness and a delicate aroma with notes of citrus, chocolate, and Sri Lankan spice.
- Pure Green Tea: This is 100% pure Ceylon green tea, made from handpicked buds and leaves. The tea is mildly astringent with fresh herb notes, resulting in a refreshing and refined taste.
11. Pique Tea
Pique tea is a high-quality, organic, and pricey tea. It tea comes in the form of crystals that dissolve in water, making it a great option for people who are on the go or who don’t have time to brew loose-leaf tea. Pique tea is made from tea leaves, and is free of any additives or artificial flavors. It is also sustainably sourced. Pique tea comes in a variety of flavors, including black, green, and herbal teas, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. Read our Pique tea guide.
12. Rishi Tea
Rishi Tea is a high-quality tea brand founded by Joshua Kaiser in 1997. The brand offers a wide range of flavors and types of tea, from traditional black tea to exotic herbal blends. Rishi tea is known for its taste, aroma, and health benefits.
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