Black tea is simply a fully oxidized form of green tea. It s made by steaming and fermentation Camellia sinensis leaves. And this is why each black tea is slightly different. Not only do the flavors depend on the plant type alone, but also on several other variables:

  • First of all, when making black teas, you will need more of them. More rooibos tea, for instance, is made by steaming and fermenting very small amounts of tea leaves together to create strong, bold flavors. Other types of tea can be made in the same manner, but they lose much of their robust flavor when put in large quantities of water. It is these smaller-scale production techniques that give tea such a distinctively diverse flavor.
  • But when brewing a full-bodied blend, the rooibos and other leaves are typically cut into finely chopped pieces. This results in leaves that have lost much of their flavor, which can make a tea seem too bitter to drink. If you want a flavorful blend that still has some punch, however, then it is best to let the leaves steep for at least four minutes. Steeping the leaves will also help your tea retain more of its structure, as well as its original flavor. When the leaves steep, they become closer in shape to their natural state, retaining more of their original flavor.
  • When I want to brew the strongest black tea, I go with an English black tea bag. These bags have been dried over a hot fire and then made into a fine packet. (They are very convenient because there are no infusers to hassle with; they plug directly into the stove.) Because they are so dense, the tea leaves retain the most flavor after they are steeped, so if you want a tea that is strong, but not too strong, an English black tea bag is perfect.
  • But the best black tea brands aren’t always black teas. There are also blends that use other types of tea like Camellia Sinensis and jasmine. While these leaves are not as strong as black teas, they are certainly sweeter. And there are many blends that don’t use camellia Sinensis at all. Instead, they use other kinds of grasses and herbs.

But when I want to drink a delicious tea that is both strong and flavorful, I stick with a good brand like Earl Grey, which is made by Artemis Xanthocarpum. It is interesting to note that this tea brand was discovered by accident. The first Taylors were made from a root that was actually poisonous to humans; hence the name “dart”. The discovery of Taylors leads to the development of the world’s best black tea brands.