As (self-diagnosed) obsessive tea drinkers, we have a weakness for luxury teas that make the world stand still and transport us from a life-in-motion to a moment of calm. That being said, we’re equally obsessed with finding unique blends to try and ethical brands to support.
Though there seem to be plent-tea (sorry we had to) of variations out there, most blends fall into one of five tea types: white, green, black, oolong and pu-erh. All of these tea types are made from the leaves of the same plant, Camellia sinensis, with the key difference being how the leaves are processed.
After water, tea is the most consumed drink in the world. So it’s safe to say that it’s a household staple (well, it is in ours at least.) And while, we once grabbed whichever box looked best off the supermarket shelves, over the past few years, we’ve come to appreciate the obvious difference between an average tea and a luxury premium blend.
After all, we wouldn’t reach for just any wine, chocolate or coffee. We always do our due diligence (read: a lot of tasting) before committing to a brand.
Put the kettle on, will you?
BEST OVERALL
Vahdam
Hearty and fresh, Vadham sources its leaves directly from tea growers in India and is enjoyed by A-listers around the world.
BEST sUBSCRIPTION
Atlas Tea Club
Atlas Tea Club sources exotic loose-leaf blends and delivers them to your door with its hassle-free subscription service.
BEST ORGANIC
Tielka
Sustainably and organically sourced, Tielka is a luxury-infused cup of eco-chic, with eccentric flavor profiles.
Why you can trust Luxe Digital?
Well firstly, we drink a lot of tea at Luxe Digital. And over the years, our team of highly discerning editors have acquired a taste for premium blends.
For this article, we sampled dozens of top-selling luxury tea brands from around the world. We joined online tea communities and international tea associations to learn about new brands. And while sipping away, we evaluated things like taste, caffeine content, ingredients, sourcing and popularity in order to distinguish the best of the best.
As advocates for sustainability and wellness, we favored brands that are organic. And we looked for blends with minimal ingredients that are sustainably sourced.
For more on how we evaluated every tea brand, see our Buyer’s Guide below. And for more on how we test products in general, see our HAPPY philosophy for buying luxuries.