Tea, how simple word this is… What’s hiding behind this simple word is anything but simple. Dozens of tea producing countries, 6 tea types, thousands of sub-types, hundreds of varieties and leaf shapes. Every big tea lover was once a tea beginner, and had to explore dozens of types before finding the right one. We made a list of best green, oolong, black and herbal teas to get you started.
Best tea for new tea drinkers
Although every tea drinker has its own preferences, there are some teas that may get you hooked on tea drinking and exploring tea. For whatever your reasons might be, health benefits, unique flavors or just leading a more joyful life with tea, finding the right type of tea is never easy. On the bright side, tasting tea is one of the most fun things to do.
The best tea for a new tea drinker should have some of the following qualities. It should:
- be easy to brew
- give you an opportunity to fall in love with tea
- amaze you with either scent, flavor, color or appearance – or all of them
- give you a chance to experience unique characteristics of tea
Learn what are the best real and herbal teas to try if you are a tea beginner.
Best tasting green tea for beginners
1. Japanese sencha
Being one of the most popular types of green tea in the world, sencha is not only unavoidable, Accounting for more than 70% of Japan’s total tea producing, it’s a definite must if you want to understand tea better. It’s refreshing, easy to brew and deliciously vegetal. Japanese sencha is one of those teas that can convert a non tea drinker into a passionate tea lover. Japanese and Chinese sencha are two different types, but both can offer a good introduction into the world of green tea.
2. Dragon Well green tea
Trying a real pure Chinese green tea will help you understand the difference between steamed and pan fried green teas. The best one may be Dragon Well. This tea is one of the top ten most famous Chinese teas for a reason. Unlike sencha, it has a more delicate, lighter and a nuttier flavor, sometimes as light as you would expect from white teas. This tea can be brewed in a tall glass, and drank without straining.
3. Jasmine green tea
Jasmine green tea has one of the most soothing tea flavors among green tea. It’s a great choice for beginners because it’s somewhere in between pure green tea and flavored blends, but without the strong and possibly bitter notes of both types.
Flavored green tea
Flavored green tea is probably the best type if you want to incorporate green tea into your lifestyle in an easy and fun way. Every type, regardless of ingredients, will taste amazing when cold-brewed. Try cold-brewing any type of flavored sencha (such as Sencha Blossom or Lemon Mint Sencha).
Best tasting black tea for beginners
1. Masala Chai tea
There is nothing more soothing than a warming cup of spicy milk tea in the cold afternoons. It’s impossible to understand the Indian tea culture without trying Masala Chai. What to expect? Think about that warming and satisfying feeling of drinking a hot cocoa drink. Amazingly, a blend of real tea and spices can give that same feeling. Try decaf Chocolate Chai or Simple Chai tea, blended with tiny CTC leaves.
2. Earl Grey
Earl Grey is a blend of different black teas scented with bergamot oil. What makes it special is light citrusy flavor, that goes well with milk. It’s one of the most popular tea blends in the world and without a doubt, a tea every tea drinker should try at least once in life.
How to choose the best Earl Grey? Find out here.
3. Lapsang Souchong
When you first try Lapsang Souchong, you will be wowed by the world of real tea. Although Lapsang Souchong can be either smoked or unsmoked, the smoked type is what attracts even those who don’t necessarily love black tea. This tea has a very unusual flavor that might not appeal to everyone, but it will give you a great foundation for exploring the world of black tea further.
Flavored black tea
Black flavored tea is always a good choice is you are still not accustomed to the flavor of pure tea. If you like sweet nougaty and marshmallow flavors, Black Caramel or Summer Nights are a true delight. Light fruity flavors work well with some black tea leaves too, for example, blueberry and prickly pear.
Best tasting oolong tea for beginners
1. White tipped oolong
A champagne tea among oolong teas, White Tipped Oolong or Oriental Beauty comes from Taiwan and has a unique, delicate, a muscatel and honey-like note. This tea owes its special aroma to bug-bitten leaves, and it’s only one of a very few bugs-bitten teas in the world.
2. Ti Kwan Yin
There is no better introduction into the world of ball shaped oolong teas than Ti Kwan Yin. This tea comes with a dozen of different flavor notes. The best one may be the modern green type that shares much more with green than black tea. This tea has a light floral notes and is very easy to brew. You can use a simple mug, a proper western style teapot or Chinese gaiwan.
3. Red Robe
Red Robe is a true delight for those who prefer stronger, more oxidized and heavily roasted oolong teas and would rather choose black tea over green tea. This full bodies oolong can have both fruity and floral notes, a hint of molasses and mineral notes.
Best tasting herbal tea for beginners
1. Mint
You haven’t tried the real mint tea unless you tried it in a loose leaf tea style. Refreshing, invigorating and delicious, this tea is a great choice for almost any occasion. Mint teas usually include a mix of peppermint and spearmint, and both of them are great on their own too. A big plus is that mint, both spearmint and peppermint, are rare herbal teas you can actually grow indoors on your own.
2. Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the most popular traditional herbal tea in the world. It’s lightly sweet, delicious, soothing and caffeine free, and may even help with a good night sleep. Our favorite blends? Chamomile Lavender and Honey Ginger Chamomile.
3. Rooibos
Rooibos, a true wonder among herbal teas is one of rare teas that can compete with green tea. It’s full of antioxidants, caffeine free, very easy to brew and has no bitterness at all. There are two types of rooibos tea – red and green. Red is the most common one, with a stronger, slightly earthy and sweet flavor, and green with very light, a bit sweet and refreshing green flavor. You can brew both of them with hot water for even over 10 minutes, and they won’t become bitter at all.
