Black Tea Recommendations

black tea

This is a crowdsourced list of recommended black teas—via Jane Friedman’s Electric Speed newsletter.

Popular suggestions: supermarket teas (widely available)

  • PG Tips was suggested by several writers, including Joe Roper, Phyllis Nichols, Sarah M. Peterson, and Valerie Brooks. Kimberly Fakih said, “A London friend calls it ‘the bog standard,’ and he’s right.”
  • Yorkshire and Yorkshire Gold was also recommended by Dr. Barbara Ellermeier, Keith Murphy, JS Savage, and Sharon Wagner. Claire Johnson advised, “Yorkshire Gold. Hands down the ‘meanest’ and best. Don’t pick up the Yorkshire tea with the red stripe. It needs to be the gold brand.”
  • Harney and Sons was a favorite, mentioned by AM Scott, Laurie Lisle, J.M. Elliott, Paula Chaffee Scardamalia, Nicole Pearce, Kathleen O’Neil, and Jennie Nash. Barbara K. Lane said, “I tried Harney’s Scottish Morn and it’s my favorite so far: brisk and flavorful, yet not highly tannic, and stands up well to milk and sugar or honey.” Several mentioned their devotion to Hot Cinnamon Spice.
  • A couple people were enthusiastic about Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast, including Victor Daniels and Judith Andersson.
  • Finally, Barry’s Tea was mentioned by a few, including Anjali Kapoor-Davis, who said it was the strongest tea she’s had.

Other supermarket tea suggestions

  • Twinings Irish Breakfast black tea. I use two bags to a cup and nothing else. As long as you don’t steep more than 5 minutes, you’re good. —Carole Troxler
  • I have been quite pleased with the selections from the Republic of Tea. I like the organic Assam Breakfast and the Downton Abbey teas. —Sharon Dooley
  • Typhoo. It’s an Assam tea, also known as an English breakfast tea, and it’s one of the few teas suited to tea bags. When we were stationed at the Military Academy at West Point, the wife of the English exchange officer told me about it. —Margaret Ashburn
  • I have been liking Numi’s Breakfast Blend the best. You can order 50 tea bags at a time which is much cheaper than getting it in the stores. —Jennie Nash
  • Welsh Brew is a good strong tea. Lifeboat is even stronger. —Pat Valdata
  • My go-to teas are Bewley’s Dublin Breakfast Tea, Bewley’s Irish Afternoon Tea and now the awesome Lyons Irish. Treat yourself with a little cream and mini touch of sugar. So delicious. —Judith Briles
  • When I lived in Ireland I was introduced to Lyons Original Blend (aka Green Label) tea. It was drunk morning, noon, and night. I got hooked. To this day nothing else gives me such a pleasant creative buzz in the morning. —Gesine Schulz
  • For a really good cup of Earl Grey tea, try Taylors of Harrogate. —Carol Michel
  • An easily available, very good and very strong black tea is the Tazo flavor Awake. —Jen Darnell
  • At the top of the heap, for high-octane plus traditional English tea flavor, would have to be Ahmad’s English Tea No. 1. Both of Twining’s Irish and English Breakfast Teas are very good as well. For sheer orange and spice flavor goodness, though, I would have to go with Bigelow’s Constant Comment. —Michael Sirois
  • My absolute favorite tea is pu-erh tea, which is aged over months or even years to give it a rich flavor. It is high in caffeine. As a lifelong coffee drinker I’ve come to appreciate the way the pu-erh wakes me up without leaving me jittery. Numi sells a fair trade, loose-leaf version that comes compressed into little bricks like a chocolate bar. I just break a piece off, brew it in a tea strainer, and finish with some almond milk and maple syrup. I swear it’s a little bit of heaven. —Elisabeth Staub
  • Namberie Irish tea is incredibly strong and good. —Kate Wrath
  • Ringtons Breakfast Blend and their English Breakfast Tea are fragrant, delicious, and have the robust flavor I was looking for in the morning. —Annette Leach
  • Kucha Tea has a fabulous variety of Earl Grey tea options, if you’re looking for an aromatic and flavorful black tea. I used to love their Lady Earl Grey for the additional hint of florals that floats above the bergamot and black tea flavor. Now that I can’t drink caffeine any longer, their Rooibos Earl Grey is a very satisfying herbal substitute, plus it’s really pretty in the diffuser. —Megan E. Freeman
  • For strong and full-bodied tea, King Cole Tea, packaged in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada—the only tea I drink after being introduced to it by my husband’s NB family. —Karen Smyth

Popular suggestions: online and specialty purveyors

  • August Uncommon Tea was recommended by Wayne Meyers, Layla Khoury-Hanold, and Lynn Schuessler. Cassie Premo Steele said “Try Lowcountry and Painted Desert.”
  • Mariage Frères was celebrated by Joy Overstreet and Cynthia Morris. Charles Wood said, “The absolutely most amazing black tea is Marco Polo from Mariage Freres. My wife and I stumbled upon a Mariage Freres tea shop in Paris a few years ago and loved the tea, pastry and ambiance, but didn’t know its tea was world famous.”
  • Upton Tea Imports was mentioned by Bob Peterson and Ruth Harris. Maria Alexander says, “My favorite is their River Shannon tea, but I also adore the Scottish blend and one of the Colombian black teas. You can’t go wrong, honestly. And their website is amazing.” —Maria Alexander
  • Murchies, a Canadian company, was suggested by Jennifer McCord and Aline Soules, among others. Aline said, “I particularly like English breakfast, Scottish breakfast, Balmoral Blend, Earl Grey.”
  • Fortnum and Mason was recommended by Margie Ogawa and Terry Freedman. Terry said, “I like Assam, although their Irish Breakfast tea is stronger.”

Other suggestions for online purchasing of tea

  • A wonderful source for tea online is Janam Tea. I’ve been to the tea room in New York several times, and the tea, all of it from India, is exquisite. —Barbara Clark
  • I love all the teas I’ve gotten from The Simply Bookish Co. —Vanessa Rasanen
  • I get my tea from the Blue Monkey Tea Company in Pittsburgh. —Zoe Burton
  • My answer to top grade black tea is this Darjeeling from a small company, Vahdam, in India. It is so delicious and satisfying. —Susan Specht
  • Dryad Tea. I personally prefer the Dresden and Firebird’s Child Chai, but my daughter’s been drinking lots of the Winter Court and Queen Mab’s Wish this year. I adore their book-themed and author-affiliated teas. —Dave Reed
  • Dryad Tea is a boutique tea purveyor in Denver and impacted by the pandemic because they did land-office business at science fiction/fantasy/comic conventions. Tell them what you’re looking for and they’ll recommend a blend, or make one special for you. —Carol Van Natta
  • I buy my loose teas from Schuil’s Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I started using them exclusively because I usually drink Jasmine tea and it is very flavorful. —Diane Phelps
  • Verdigris Tea & Chocolate, Hudson, New York: Big selection of black teas, plus herbal and green teas and tea-related items like biscotti. The day your order comes in, they pack it up and take it to the post office, four blocks away. —Debby Mayer
  • I highly recommend Octavia Tea (loose tea). Fast turnaround + shipping and she usually sends a bonus sample pack to try. —Peggy Nehmen
  • I live in Tampa, Florida, and there’s a woman-owned business that is all about tea. The founder is phenomenal and knowledgeable about all sorts of teas. The company is TeBella Tea Company, and they do ship their teas. —Jenn Gilgan
  • The strong, smokiness of Davidson’s Lapsang Souchong Black makes even the fourth or so cup on any day as special as the first.  Love this tea. —Jenny MacEwen
  • I’m a tea enthusiast, and gladly point you to Two Leaves and a Bud. They are a small company, with delicious teas, and environmentally conscious packaging. I drink a mug of their Organic Assam tea every day. —Evelyn Starr
  • One of my clients gifted me tea from Simpson and Vail in Connecticut and I’ve been a fan ever since. They are a family-run tea company and their teas are superb, and as an added bonus their packaging is gorgeous. They also have a line of author teas ike Maya Angelou and Lewis Carroll. —Karen Fine
  • I drink tea from the Beesakopie estate (ordered from Simpson & Vail in CT) and it’s delicious. —Stephanie Spinner
  • Arbor Teas. Everything from black to herbal, Pu-erh to Oolong, and everything you ever wanted to know about tea. —Janet Vail
  • As a lifelong tea drinker, I’ve tried nearly everything and the black tea that does it for me in the morning is Marks & Spencer’s Luxury Gold No. 2 (they also sell an Extra Strong No. 3, which I’ve not worked up the courage to try, but one of these days I will). —Connie Shelton
  • I recommend Assam Braveheart from Imperial Teas in the UK, who ship worldwide. It really is strong and deliciously malty, a great Assam, and best drunk with full-fat milk.  The Kent & Sussex Tea Company sell Dimakusi and also ship worldwide. If you need teabags, their blended Portsmouth Tea is excellent convenience drinking for those of us who like big, rich teas. —Karen Traviss
  • I am a big fan of the Rare Tea Company and love the Rare Chinese Keemun black tea. —Brian Watson
  • I am very happy with loose tea from Positively Tea at Amazon. Many choices, always fresh, and comes in a resealable bag that stands by itself. —Ellen Kirschman
  • If you want quality loose leaf tea, two places are New Century Tea Gallery and Adagio Master Teas. —Cheryl Whitmore
  • Palais des Thes and also Earl Grey from Whittard—it is equally as beautiful. —Barb