Types of Tea

About All Teas

All true teas comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Herbal infusions are technically not tea at all and do not contain any of the same properties as tea.

Black

Black teas are fermented, or oxidized, completely which darkens the leaves and gives them their characteristic black color. It also generally gives black teas a full-bodied, deep flavor (some best described as “pleasantly harsh”). Longer brewing times brings out a bitterness, which some people choose to temper with milk and sugar. Others crave the bitterness as an energizing characteristic of the tea, and as a compliment to hearty foods.

Excellent black teas are made all over the world and like elsewhere in our selection, we have worked hard to bring you a mix of exotic and common, competition-grade and everyday, from established and emerging tea-producing countries. Black teas have high caffeine content.

Green

Green tea is steamed after plucking to neutralize active enzymes. After steaming, the leaf is withered then rolled, cut, or otherwise manipulated to achieve the desired leaf finish. Then it is steamed or pan fried. Less processed green teas can look more like white tea; more withered teas can look almost black.

Many studies have been dedicated to the health benefits of green tea, which has been shown to be high in antioxidants and useful for the prevention of many ailments. Green tea does contain caffeine, although its caffeine content is lower than that of black tea.

China and Japan are the world’s leading producers of green tea and we hope you enjoy our selection of their best-known tea types.

Chai

Commonly known as the national drink in India, a classic chai has a black tea base, blended with traditional Indian spices such as cloves, cardamom, pepper and ginger. Chai is popular not only for its distinctly spicy taste but also for its positive effects on mind and body.

Our chai tea selection offers both traditional and modern blends of chai, including a surprisingly delicious caffeine-free Rooibos chai. If you’re used to the syrups used in most coffee shops to make chai, you’ll be surprised by how deliciously complex real chai teas are.

White

The least processed of all the teas, white tea consists of just the youngest top bud on each branch of the tea plant. Therefore these teas are typically hand picked and then immediately steamed to prevent oxidation. This careful process results in a delicate, downy leaf with a light, sometimes sweet infusion.

The minimal processing also preserves the most nutrients in the tea and results in only the most minimal caffeine content in each cup. For these reasons, white tea is gaining popularity in the mainstream, although it has always been highly prized by connoisseurs.

Oolong

Oolong teas are fermented more than green teas but less than black teas. Because of the wide range of fermentation processes, brewing times may differ significantly between the oolong teas. Oolongs almost always come from China or Taiwan (Formosa)- but if that is all you are expecting here, we have a couple of surprises for you!

Because of their complex character, oolongs can be infused more than once and each infusion should surprise you with a new and interesting flavor profile.

Pu-Ehr

Pu-Ehr is black tea that has been aged for months or years before it is ready to drink. Traditionally, it pressed into cakes and then small pieces of the cakes were broken off and brewed. Pu-Ehr was used as a form of currency in China for a long time.

Today, pu-ehr is chosen for its unique earthy taste. It is also said to aid in digestion.

Caffeine:

Caffeine is a naturally occurring compound in the leaves of the Camilla Sinensis plant. However, the amount of caffeine that will actually make it from that plant into your drink depends on a number of factors, including where the tea leaves were grown, how long they were fermented, the size of their cut and how long you brew your tea.

Because of all these factors it is impossible to give a specific amount of caffeine per 8 ounce cup of tea but the following grid provides a good rule of thumb for each type of tea (and a couple other items for comparison):

Finer cut leaves infuse more caffeine, so drinks brewed with tea bags will be on the higher end of the range while whole leaf teas will be on the lower end.

Decaffeinating Tea

There are commercial processes for decaffeinating tea that reduces the amount of caffeine to almost zero (note that there is still a trace amount in decaf).

However, caffeine content should not inhibit you from enjoying any of our teas. Decaffeinating any tea in your own home is an easy process. Boil the leaves for 45 seconds, then pour off the liquid and brew the tea again according to the normal recommended brewing process. Up to 80% of the caffeine will have come out in the first boiling process, leaving you to enjoy a nearly caffeine-less cup!