Wondering what tea is Lipton and if it’s any good? Here’s everything you need to know about this world-renowned brand.
Lipton tea is a leading brand in the teabag market. Going strong since the end of the 19th century, Lipton today is a beloved brand that goes beyond just tea bags. It has developed a wide range of products, including loose leaf tea and ready-to-drink teas made of dust and fanning to collect fragments of broken tea leaves that fall to the bottom of the pile.
There have been a few misconceptions about this great brand for the past century. Does Lipton use “real” tea? Is it any good? And how many types of Lipton tea are there?
What Is Lipton Tea Made Of?
Lipton tea uses real Camellia sinensis tea leaves.
The brand has a dedicated procedure to curate and process good quality and different types of grades to create various blends. Lipton tea offers 20 different tea types, including exquisite iced teas, black teas, matcha mixes, fruity infusions, and green teas.
After the harvest, Lipton tea leaves go through the fannings and dust in the making of commercial tea bags. The target market that Lipton is aiming at is not the higher-end section.
Its tea bags have a lower flavor profile when compared to high-end loose leaf tea. However, Lipton tea contains more tannin, which will satisfy the palate of those who prefer the bitter fix in their morning brew.
The History Of Lipton Tea
It all began with the story of Sir Thomas Lipton. In 1871, he started with a humble beginning from a small namesake grocery in Glasgow, Scotland. A short while after his first store, Lipton moved on with a huge purchase of five different bankrupt plantations in Ceylon, which is now in Sri Lanka, before turning them into some massive tea plantations under his own brand and production.
From there, Lipton started to process and distribute his own brand of tea to the market. Lipton was a marketing genius in his era. By taking full control of the tea production and quality, Lipton could sell his own tea at whatever price he wanted.
In 1889, Lipton celebrated his first 20,000 tea chests arriving in Glasgow by throwing one of the biggest parades the public has ever seen. And along with his “Lipton Currency Notes,” Lipton successfully pulled out a staple position in the modern tea market.
But do you also know that Lipton is the first brand in the world to introduce tea bags? Before his time, loose leaf teas were distributed throughout the world in crates.
Lipton weighed his tea into smaller bits and packaged it into bags. Ever since, his method has changed the way we drink tea. Tea bags have become a staple in everyone’s household, a quick fix for a busy day, as long as an economical solution for cafeterias and restaurants.
How Many Types of Lipton Tea Are There?
Today, Lipton has over 20 different types of tea, ranging from traditional tea to instant tea mix. Black tea is not the only thing you can find from this brand. From fruity iced tea to spicy turmeric, there’s always something for everyone and every occasion.
And of course, the position that Lipton makes its way in is at a middle price in the market, serving the masses.
Is Lipton Instant Tea Real Tea?
The name “Lipton Instant Tea” is not a hundred percent true. Let me put it this way: the Lipton instant tea we are talking about is actually Lipton iced Tea Mix. There is a range of different products that fall within this range.
As claimed by the brand itself, Lipton Iced Tea is made from real tea leaves, sun-drenched, and mixed with purified water. You can see it as an equivalent of instant coffee. But the powder used in Lipton iced Tea Mix is finely grounded tea leaves added with Maltodextrin to thicken it or as a filler.
Lipton Iced Tea Mix is a handy way to give busy bees a kick in the morning. Lipton iced Tea Mix’s health benefits cannot outrival those of traditional tea. However, its tasting profile is a bang for your palate to get you through the day.
You might also enjoy Medicine Ball tea.
What Is Lipton Yellow Label?
Lipton Yellow Label is the signature line of the brand using premium black tea. Going as one of its pillar products, Lipton Yellow Label experiences fine processing to bring out the best properties compared to other standard black tea products.
You might also be interested in our Dieter’s tea explainer.
Lipton Yellow Label is also known as one of the most popular products. It’s easy to drink with a decadent, outstanding black tea with accentuated benefits.
Little do you know that Sir Thomas Lipton created Lipton Yellow Label over a century ago. He introduced a full-bodied flavor profile by blending the finest tea leaves carefully sourced from different parts of the world. Lipton Yellow Label is still a dominant product researched and curated by the brand’s team of experts.
