R-tea sells six single origin loose leaf teas, in order if strength, they are; Kenya,Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Blue Mountain and Nepalese. We sell these teas individually but we also blend them together to make delicious blends such as Gold Standard which has a delicious well rounded flavour or Normal tea which is strong and malty. We also blend the single origin black teas with other ingredients such as lemon and orange peel to make Lord Grey, coconut to make Malibrew tea, juniper berries to make Gin tea, cocoa nibs to make Chocolate Orange tea or real mint leaves to make Blue Mint. Alot of tea company's sneakily use syrups and flavourings in their blends, however we only ever use 100% real and natural ingredients. Have a look at the ingredients on our labels,or just look at the tea blends themselves. That is also the reason why we use clear capsules, so you can see everything inside, we believe our tea is beautiful.

 

Although breakfast teas are by far the most popular, there are actually a multitude of different black teas to choose from. Just like wine,varied growing conditions such as the amount of heat, humidity, sunlight, rainfall, terroir and altitude all play factors on the flavour. Low grown teas from places such as Assam and Kenya are strong and malty, high grown teas from Darjeeling or Sri Lanka are subtle and sweet.

 

In the UK black tea is the most widely drunk type of tea because it is used to make up the english breakfast teas that are so enshrined in our culture. Normally strong breakfast teas are created by blending a combination of Indian, Sri Lankan and Kenyan teas. There can be up to 20 different teas used in a breakfast blend, the reason for this is to maintain consistency of the flavour. As tea is seasonally grown and differs in flavour with every yield, there is a constant process of swapping components with every blend. The more components, the less impact those changes have. The main job of the commercial tea taster is to select teas which fit similar taste profiles and blend them seamlessly in throughout the year.

 

We love black tea because it's got a stronger flavour and it's easier to brew. With green, white and oolong teas you need to reduce the temperature of the water to get the best flavour. Black teas just use boiling water and brew for 3-4 minutes,depending on personal preference and leaf size.the quality of our black teas also mean that you can drink them with or without milk. If you have ever tried to drink a supermarket brand teabag without milk then it is horrible and bitter. All our black teas are smooth enough to drink without milk, but a number of them such as Gold Standard, Normal Breakfast, Assam, Kenya and Blue Mountain all have enough body to quite happily accommodate a bit of milk.