Pinkies Up: The Best English Teas

My favorite English tea set is the Taylors of Harrogate Assorted Specialty Teas Box. This set comes with 48 tea bags in eight flavors, including English breakfast, decaffeinated breakfast tea, lemon and orange, earl grey, green tea with jasmine, organic chamomile, organic peppermint, and Assam tea. The selection of teas runs the gamut from malty to zesty and zingy black teas and soothing herbal teas. Each bag comes individually wrapped and labeled, so you always know what you are grabbing. 

My favorite of the box was the organic peppermint. This tea was uplifting and awakening but had a smoothness that made it an excellent choice for all-day sipping. Each tea only takes a few minutes to steep, and the teabags can be reused, although the flavor diminishes each time. If you aren’t an avid tea drinker, this box makes a lovely gift for a loved one for any celebration and allows them to explore a curated selection of high-quality tea from England. Read the in-depth review here.

When I first sipped the Harney & Sons Tower of London tea, the wave of sweet black currant greeted my tastebuds and promptly woke me up. This sweet black tea contains notes of black currant, honey, vanilla, and caramel. The combination of flavors kept the typical black tea bitterness at bay and instead provided an uplifting and exciting brew that will brighten any morning. 

Inside the aluminum tin are 30 tea bags ready for steeping. The container is a gorgeous royal purple, and with a nice bow, it would make a perfect gift for tea lovers for a birthday or other celebration. Additionally, this tea is kosher certified, and Harney & Sons is a part of 1% for the planet, meaning the company donates 1% of its total sales to environmental organizations. Read the in-depth review here. 

The second American-made tea on our list has a new take on tea in general. The Cusa English Breakfast Tea is an instant tea, meaning you add the packet to water, so a tea bag or tea strainer is needed. Cusa sources their certified organic tea from Asia. The scent was aromatic, deep-bodied, and layered with flavors, especially when I drank it black. It was bold enough for a breakfast tea and tasted fresh even though it came from a packet. 

There are no wasteful tea sachets on top of the delicious and bold taste, and the packaging is recyclable. The convenience alone made them perfect for traveling, camping trips, or stashing a few in my office desk or purse. If you want to expand your palate, we recommend trying Cusa’s lemon black tea or herbal tea variety pack.

When it comes to British tea brands, few are as well-known as Twinings. Twinings of London Earl Grey is a classic brew of black tea and bergamot for time-tested earl grey flavor. No tea flavor is as beloved and well-known as earl grey. This tea blend was one of my all-time favorites and brought back memories of cozy afternoons with friends laughing while sipping tea. 

In this package, you get 100 tea bags making this perfect for avid tea drinkers, families, and those who love to buy in bulk. Twinings began selling tea in 1706, giving them over 300 years of experience in producing high-quality teas. For more must-have products for tea lovers, check out our list of the best tea makers for your home.

For those who love earl grey but want something new, the Fortnum & Mason British Tea in Countess Grey is a light and refreshing option to provide your tastebuds with something new. The blend includes the traditional bergamot but adds citrus notes for a zingy flavor that will perk you up in the morning. 

This tin contains 250 grams of nearly 9 ounces of loose-leaf tea in a decorative light blue tin. You will need a tea bag or tea infuser for steeping, but generally, loose-leaf teas provide the best flavor even if they prove to include slightly more work. Once you’ve finished up your tea, you can repurpose the tin. I use my old containers to hold paintbrushes or coloring pencils. Alternatively, this tea and tin make an excellent gift that is so beautiful, it doesn’t even need wrapping. 

In the foothills of the Himalayas in India lies the Darjeeling district. Tea from this region has a reputation for its medium body and bright aroma. The tea leaf harvest occurs during the first flush or first picking season; this tradition results in bright, light teas, including the Harney & Sons Black Darjeeling Tea. Four ounces of tea fill this simple but decorative tin that will look beautiful on your kitchen counter. 

Harney & Sons is one of the best English tea brands and promises to present only the most high-quality teas. Additionally, this brand donates 1% of its profits to environmental organizations. Who doesn’t love a tea with a cause? 

Afternoon tea is an important occasion across the United Kingdom, and the Brodies Scottish Afternoon Tea makes an excellent addition to any teatime. With origins in Sri Lanka, India, and Kenya, this black tea has a lighter flavor than traditional breakfast teas that complements pastries and scones well. 

Fifty tea bags fill this paper and aluminum tube, more than enough for plenty of gatherings with loved ones or nearly two months of daily tea for an individual. Brodies has over 150 years of processing quality teas in Scotland, so you know your tea comes with the care that only experience brings. If you love having tea time in the summer, too, browse our selection of the top iced tea makers everyone is buying right now.

When it comes to a proper English brew with milk and sugar, Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold is the perfect tea for the job. This box comes with 160 tea bags, an excellent choice for large families, avid tea drinkers, and anyone who tends to host afternoon tea for others. 

When steeped, the tea is a rich golden color and a brisk and refreshing taste—perfect for a warm afternoon. One of the things I love about this tea is the focus on the environment. All Yorkshire tea comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified Growers, and the box carries the mark of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Smith Teamaker is one of two American companies featured on this list. Smith Teamaker’s Lord Bergamot No. 55 is closely related to earl grey teas with some slight differences in quality and taste. Generally, earl grey teas use Ceylon teas and bergamot oil to create the classic flavor we all know and love. 

Smith Teamaker ventures creatively with this blend and opts for a mix of Ceylon and Assam teas with bergamot oil to create a flavor that closely resembles earl grey but stands higher in quality and with new notes from the Assam tea. In the box, you’ll receive 15 plant-based sachets for adding to your teapot or your mug to celebrate afternoon tea. 

Keurig lovers rejoice! If you have a Keurig and want to keep your tea brewing easy, the Twinings of London English Breakfast Tea K-Cups are for you. This 24-pack of K-cups makes concocting the perfect cup of tea available at the touch of a button. 

The main downside of tea via a K-cup is that you could have a coffee aftertaste in your drink because your Keurig uses the same parts for brewing coffee as it does for brewing tea. However, when it comes to convenience, K-cups take the cake.