Black tea
6 teas in this category
Black tea — what the Chinese call 红茶, red tea, after the liquor color — is the fully oxidized end of the camellia spectrum. Cheap tea bag dust is also black tea, which has done the category lasting damage in the West. Real Chinese hong cha drinks nothing like a Lipton bag. Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, the original) is malty, smoky, and surprisingly sweet; Jin Jun Mei is its more famous cousin, made from buds and tasting of cocoa, sweet potato, and longan fruit. Yunnan Dian Hong leans into honey and dark chocolate with a peppery edge, and the Anhui keemuns (Qi Men Hong) are the floral, winey reference for English breakfast blends — except none of those blends actually use real Qi Men Hong any more. Brew temperatures are forgiving (95–100°C), the schedule is short, and a quick rinse is optional but rarely wrong. The teas below skip the Indian and Sri Lankan classics and stay inside the Chinese tradition the rest of the site is built around.
Teas in this category
- Dian HongFeng Qing, Lincang, Yunnan, China
Rich and malty with a natural sweetness that sets it apart from other Chinese reds.
- Jin Jun MeiTongmu Guan, Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China
A luxurious single-bud tea with honey sweetness layered over rose and lychee florals.
- Qi Men HongQimen County, Anhui, China
Called the 'Champagne of Black Teas' for good reason.
- Sun Moon Lake Red TeaYuchi, Nantou County, Taiwan
Unmistakable cinnamon and fresh mint character that no other red tea matches — the signature of the Ruby cultivar.
- Ying De HongYing De, Guangdong, China
A creamy, velvety red tea with pronounced honey-floral aromatics and a maple-syrup sweetness.
- Zheng Shan Xiao ZhongTongmu Guan, Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China
The original black tea, with two distinct styles.