Black Tea or Green Tea? Here's How I'd Help You Decide

This is the other question I get asked almost as much as the grades one. Someone's standing there looking at our range, and they ask which one they should actually get, black or green. So let's actually talk through it properly.

They come from the exact same plant

This surprises people every time I explain it. Black tea and green tea aren't different plants or different farms, they're the same Camellia sinensis leaf, just processed differently after picking. Black tea gets fully oxidised, basically left to darken and develop that deep, rich flavour. Green tea gets steamed or pan-fired almost immediately after picking to stop that oxidation, which is why it stays lighter in both colour and taste. Same leaf, completely different journey.

What that actually means in your cup

Black tea, like our BOP or BOPF, gives you that bold, full-bodied cup, dark amber to reddish, with a stronger presence. It's what most people picture when they hear "tea" and it holds up well with milk if that's your thing. Green tea is a different experience entirely, lighter, grassier, more delicate. Our Ceylon Green Tea is smooth without any bitterness, which honestly isn't always the case with green tea, a lot of people have been put off by a bitter cup somewhere along the way and assume that's just how it is. It's not, that usually comes down to over-steeping or water that's too hot, more on that below.

And the caffeine question, since everyone asks

Both contain caffeine, tea just does, but green tea generally sits a touch lower than black. If you're trying to ease off your coffee intake without a hard stop, green tea in the afternoon is a reasonable middle ground. Not a huge difference, but a real one.

So which one should you actually pick?

Honestly, it depends on what your day looks like. If you want something robust to start the morning with, black tea. If you want something you can drink through the afternoon without it feeling too heavy, green tea. A lot of our regulars actually keep both in the cupboard and just reach for whichever suits the moment, there's no rule that says you have to commit to one.

If you like the idea of green tea but want something a bit more interesting than plain, our Soursop Green is a nice way in, tropical and smooth, still gentle on the palate. And if you're somewhere in between and can't decide, Pearl of Ocean blends both black and green together, which is honestly one of our more underrated bags for exactly that reason.

One thing that actually matters more than which one you pick

However you brew it, don't drown green tea in boiling water, that's the single biggest reason people think they don't like it. Green tea wants water a bit cooler, around 80 to 85°C, not a full rolling boil. Black tea can take the full boil without any issue. Steep green tea for 2 to 3 minutes, black for 3 to 4. Get that right and a lot of the "I don't like green tea" opinions quietly change.

At the end of the day, neither one is the healthier or the better choice in some absolute sense, they're just different. Try both, see what your body actually reaches for on different days, and don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong.

Let me know which one you end up going with, I'm always curious.