If you’re making a switch from coffee to black tea for any one of the various reasons to take such a drastic change– such as looking for healthier alternatives to caffeine rush, to expand your palate, or to simply scratch at that curious itch, knowing how to brew a perfect black tea is crucial to enjoying a cup on your own. Strongest of all kinds of tea, black tea is often times the crowd-pleaser. Maybe it’s the beautiful colors or the delectable flavors or it might just be the low maintenance method of preparation that makes it so. One can brew black tea in any way and they wouldn’t end up with a bad batch of tea. It takes the next level of creativity to brew a black tea wrong. 

Why is black tea such a crowd-pleaser?

All tea location generates tea with exceptional character, zest, and color, and to really comprehend them, it’s essential to know what temperature will bring out the best in your tea. 

What is Steeping?

When we pour hot water over tea leaves, the dried leaves slowly release an array of colors and flavors into the cup. This process of soaking tea leaves in water is known as steeping. It’s an infusion of water. When the hot water contacts the tea leaves, nutrients are extracted from them and launched into the water. 

Black Tea 101

One of the most amazing facts about teas is that every single true tea you can think of, come from the same plant called Camellia Sinensis. In between the plucking of fresh leaves from the plant to packaging, the tea leaves go through various processes. One of them is called oxidization i.e. exposing the green leaves to air at different levels, temperatures and intensities. The variation in oxidization level results in various teas like white, green, oolong, and black teas. The longer a tea is allowed to oxidize, the darker it becomes. Black tea is oxidized the longest.

This early exposure to an intense environment results in black tea being nearly impossible to brew wrong. Hot water while usually tend to ruin the taste for the more delicate teas like green and white teas, only strengthens the flavors for black teas. Black teas can also withstand a longer infusion time. 

Black Tea Flavor Profiles

Black tea’s intriguing flavor profiles range from bitter to slightly sweet. It is sourced from all over the world and its growing region greatly influences its flavors, which can include floral, fruity, and nutty.

Black Teas in Nepal Tea Collective’s Collection

• Kumari Gold 
• Kanchanjangha Noir 
• KTE #1
• Baraha Black 
• Golden Needles
• Kaalo - Special Black 
• KTE Muscatel

How to brew black tea

You can brew black tea by using either the standard western method or eastern brewing technique. Some teas are more suitable for regular brewing, while others may reveal exceptional notes only when brewed multiple times. Both steeping time and water temperature will influence how many cups of tea you will get from loose leaf teas. 

Follow the following instructions for best results on Nepali black loose leaf teas

• For best flavor, filtered water to a boil (210℉).
• Preheat your vessels by pouring some hot water into it, and then discarding it.
• Measure your tea leaves. We recommend using 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea for every 8 ounces of water.
• Place your leaves in the teapot and pour 8 ounces of boiled water directly over the leaves.
• Ensure all the leaves are soaked
• Allow the leaves to steep for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, place our foldable tea strainer in your cup and pour the tea. 
• Serve the contents of the teapot and enjoy. 

Note*- You can re-steep good loose leaf teas like all the black teas in our collection. Second steep usually brings out softer flavors and colors. 

2 grams of black tea will be enough for a great-tasting cup. Nepal Tea Collective recommends 2 grams for every 8 oz of water. 

Few things to keep in mind while brewing loose leaf black tea

• Use less leaves

With loose leaf black tea, one teaspoon will almost always be enough. The leaves will have enough room and time to expand freely in the pot. Adding too much leaves will constrict the opening of dried leaves and your brew will not be as flavorful. 

• Clean the vessel afterward

Black tea stains are near impossible to clean. So clean whatever vessel you’re using immediately by hand.

• To understand the natural deliciousness of any brew, it is essential to try the tea without sweeteners. We encourage you to let the tea in all its natural sweetness win your over. But if you want to add milk or sugar to your brew, don’t do it directly to the teapot. Add them to your own cup according to your preference.

• Use double the amount of leaves for iced tea

For making black iced tea, use more leaves than for a regular cup of hot tea. Otherwise, flavor will get lost easily.