How to Pick Your Next New Tea

So many teas and so little time: how does one go about picking the next tea to try? Whether you’re a beginning tea drinker or a long-time tea connoisseur, you can sometimes feel like you’re at a crossroads for your next brew. With so many varieties out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but take a little time deciding what you want in a new tea and you can walk away with your next favorite tea in hand. Here are some things to consider when searching for the next tea to pour into your mug.

Tea Type

But aren’t all teas alike? Does the type of tea really matter? While having an open mind is essential to trying different teas, it’s a good idea to have an idea of what you’re looking for in a tea, and deciding what type to try next is a good starting point. Tea comes in different types depending on how it’s been processed: the most well known are black and green teas, but there are also white and oolong as well as lesser known types like pu-erh and yellow teas.

Additionally, there are herbal teas and other tisanes like rooibos. However, since they do not contain leaves from the tea bush (Camellia sinensis), they are more accurately infusions rather than tea (nevertheless, they are often included alongside their true tea counterparts).

There are a couple of things to consider with tea types. Maybe you want to gain a deeper understanding of a familiar type, or maybe explore a type you’ve never tried before. Or maybe you want to reap the benefits common in a certain type of tea; for example, green teas are loaded with antioxidants, oolongs are great for metabolism, and black teas are known for alertness.

If You’re Looking For...

• Black Tea: English Breakfast

Breakfast teas make up a large part of black teas, and English Breakfast is one of the most popular with its mildly bold flavors and energizing properties. Not too strong, not too weak: just right.

• Green Tea: Gunpowder

A classic green tea, Gunpowder is a popular Chinese tea with just a slight hint of smokiness. Easy to brew and a great introduction into the world of Chinese tea.

• White Tea: White Peony

Both warm and sweet, white peony is lovely tea and a great introduction to white tea. Straight white teas can be hard to come by, but with a mild flavor and an affordable price, White Peony is an accessible tea to become acquiainted with.

• Oolong Tea: Fujian Rain

Oolongs have a wide range of flavors, and this one is somewhere in between the milder green oolongs and bolder dark oolongs. Smooth and mild like a green oolong but also processed to have some of the characteristics of a darker oolong, Fujian Rain is the best of both worlds.

• Pu-Erh Tea: Pu-Erh Pearls

One of lesser known tea types, Pu-Erh provides an earthy flavor not normally found in other teas. It can be found loose, in pressed cakes, or in pearl form for easy brewing. Pu-Erh Pearls is great for simple brewing and to experience the unique flavor of Pu-Erh.

• Yellow Tea: Meng Ding Huang Ya

Not everyone has heard of yellow tea, but those looking for a deeper understanding of tea should definitely check out Meng Ding Huang Ya. Similar to a green tea but slightly fermented, this tea produces a warm, nutty, flavor from early spring tea leaves (the most prized in tea).

• Herbal Tea: Chamomile

Chamomile is one of the most popular herbal teas and is an excellent home remedy for nausea and anxiety. It even works well blended with other herbal teas (try Chamomile and Peppermint together for a great sleepy time tea)

Budget

Like with any kind of purchase, having a budget in mind will allow you to enjoy new flavors without breaking the bank. Maybe you’re branching out into a new type of tea, but you want to limit your budget just to see if you like a type before investing further. Or maybe you’re ready to try that luxury tea that’s been calling your name for months. Set limits on what you want to spend and follow it. It may even help to calculate the price per ounce before you buy (Price ÷ Ounces) so you can get more bang for your buck.

If You’re Looking For...

• Something Affordable: Genmai Cha

Originally developed as an affordable tea option, Genmai Cha is a Japanese green tea with popped rice that has developed a fanbase for its roasty-toasty flavor. For those looking to branch out into Japanese green teas, this is a great introduction that will keep your tastebuds and wallet satisfied.

• Something Midrange: Ti Kuan Yin

Though Ti Kuan Yin is one of China’s most beloved oolongs, it’s not the most expensive tea and is quite affordable. Closer to a green tea (with some of green tea’s mild astringency), Ti Kuan Yin is perfect for those looking for a high quality tea with a smooth flavor at a reasonable price.

• Something Luxurious: Shincha Gyokuro

Japan’s finest green tea, gyokuro exhibits the best qualities of green tea: grassy yet sweet. The inclusion of shincha tea leaves (the most sought-after in Japanese tea) makes a cup of this prized tea a true treasure worth every penny.

Caffeine Content

Though true teas have less caffeine than coffee, they nevertheless do contain caffeine. However, different teas have different caffeine levels, so even if you’re trying to watch your caffeine intake, you can still enjoy tea at a low caffeine level.

As a rule of thumb, black teas have the most caffeine while green and white teas have the least; oolongs are somewhere in the middle depending on its oxidation level (ie: if it’s closer to a green or black tea). Most herbal teas, on the other hand, do not contain caffeine. Of course, there are exceptions like yerba mate, which is an herbal tea that promotes alertness.

Adagio has a helpful caffeine content chart here and you can use the advanced search to sort by caffeine level here.

If You’re Looking For...

• High Caffeine: Matcha

Though a green tea, matcha is an energizing drink on par with a lot of black teas. Because matcha is ground down tea leaves that you mix with water, you’re ingesting the entire tea leaf, all its nutrients and caffeine, rather than just drinking an infusion.

• Moderate Caffeine: Golden Flower

Golden Flower is an example of the lower oxidized oolongs. This is a great oolong with not too much or not too little caffeine: it’s a nice balance to help keep you alert without keeping you awake too long.

• Low Caffeine: Jasmine Silver Needle

It’s a tradition to combine white tea and jasmine flowers. Low caffeine with a lovely floral scent, Jasmine Silver Needle combines the gentleness of white tea with the freshness of jasmine flowers.

• No Caffeine: Peppermint Tea

A favorite flavor of candies and other sweet treats, peppermint is also a popular herbal tea with zero caffeine. Not only will it calm an upset stomach, but it’s a wonderfully cool flavor to relax you at the end of an evening.

Flavor Profile

But wait a minute: isn’t this the same as what type of tea? Not necessarily. While a lot of black teas might be considered bold and a lot of green teas might be considered mild, there are exceptions.

Something like Golden Monkey is both a black tea and pleasantly mild, while something like Hojicha is both a green tea (despite the color) and uniquely toasty and smokey. Oolong is notably has a wide range of flavors, with some flavors closer to a green tea and others closer to a black tea. It all depends on what you’re looking for.

Note: In general, white teas are going to stay mild. However, this makes them a perfect candidate for flavored teas which can offer a wide range of flavors.

You can use Adagio's advanced search to sort by taste profile and ingredients to find the flavors you're looking for, try it here.

If You’re Looking For...

• Bold Flavor: Lapsang Souchong

Few teas are bolder than this black tea from the Fujian Province of China. With a pungent, smokey flavor, this tea packs a woodsy flavor that keeps fans coming back.

• Mild Flavor: Black Dragon Pearls

With a naturally chocolate flavor, Black Dragon Pearls is a mild black tea for those looking for that caffeine jolt with a gentler flavor. It even adds to the ambiance of brewing tea, as the pearls unravel as it brews. Tea time and a show.

• Spicy Flavor: Masala Chai

What better suggestion for a spicy tea than the original Spiced Tea? Masala Chai literally translates to “Spiced Tea”, and whether you take it with milk or nothing at all, the aromas and flavors are sure to never bore you. Even try making your own blend with spices and some Assam.

• Grassy Flavor: Sencha Premier

A staple in Japanese Tea, Sencha is enjoyed as a daily drink, delighting those who drink it with its mildly astringent and grassy flavor. This tea is possibly the closest you’ll get to drinking tea right off the bush.