Sips by is shaking up how U.S. tea drinkers discover their new favorite teas and tea brands. Each month, Sips by delights both new and experienced tea lovers with a personalized tea subscription box. Members receive, taste, and rate personalized tea selections sourced from top tea brands around the world. In 2018, Sips by received more than 75,000 ratings from over 20,000 tea lovers.
Our members rated the top black teas from the best tea brands. From loose leaf tea to bagged tea and in all kinds of cozy fall flavors, here are the top rated black teas of fall 2018. Find your new favorite tea.
PARIS Sips by HARNEY & SONS
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Paris is a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel flavors, and a hint of lemony Bergamot. We love this tea on its own or with a spot of milk (or your favorite milk substitute).
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Harney & Sons was founded on a commitment to deliver customers the finest quality tea possible. This promise, made over 30 years ago, serves as the company's guiding principle. Founder John Harney's sons carry on the tradition. Today, Harney & Sons Tea remains family owned and managed, with three generations of Harneys preserving John's tradition of fine tea and traveling the world in search of the finest ingredients.
Harney & Sons Fine Teas is a staple in the tea industry and has a wide variety of modern flavored blends, as well as timeless classics, to choose from.
Learn more about Paris and access special offers from Harney & Sons here.
PEACH GINGER TWIST Sips by HARNEY & SONS
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This blend combines the irresistible flavors of fresh peaches with the zing of ginger, which complement each other well. Enjoy it hot or iced.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Harney & Sons was founded on a commitment to deliver customers the finest quality tea possible. This promise, made over 30 years ago, serves as the company's guiding principle. Founder John Harney's sons carry on the tradition. Today, Harney & Sons Tea remains family owned and managed, with three generations of Harneys preserving John's tradition of fine tea and traveling the world in search of the finest ingredients.
Harney & Sons Fine Teas is a staple in the tea industry and has a wide variety of modern flavored blends, as well as timeless classics, to choose from.
Learn more about Peach Ginger Twist and access special offers from Harney & Sons here.
NEPALI BREAKFAST Sips by NEPAL TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Start the day the Nepalese way with this unique Masala Chiyah, featuring a delicious homemade masala chai mix. Brew with milk and/or sugar for enhanced taste.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Nepal Tea brings the finest organic and high mountain teas from the foothills of Mt. Kanchanjangha, which is the third highest mountain in the world. They take responsibility for the entire supply chain – from production to packaging and distribution – and eliminate the middlemen who provide sub-par values to poor farmers in Nepal and increase costs for consumers. They not only empower their farmers economically by providing them better revenues, but also uplift them socially by providing free housing and free education to their children and distributing cows for additional income.
Nepal Tea LLC not only provides high quality, delicious teas to tea drinkers around the world, but is also committed to improving the living standards of villagers in Nepal. They provide a range of support and benefits for the farmers and their families, keeping them out of poverty, and help in various areas, from sanitation and medical facilities, to housing and education.
Learn more about Nepali Breakfast and access special offers from Nepal Tea here.
ASHEVILLE GREY Sips by ASHEVILLE TEA CO
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Asheville Tea Co collaborates with small farms in Western North Carolina to source fresh organic botanicals and herbs. This Earl Grey blend features locally grown Calendula flowers.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Asheville Tea Company was founded in 2016 by Jessie Dean, featuring craft teas blended with locally sourced ingredients. After experiencing tea in different parts of the world while traveling with her British-born husband, Jessie wanted to bring "everyday tea culture" to Western North Carolina. Noticing the lack of local tea in a town with a thriving craft beverage and farm-to-table scene, she set out to fill that gap and bring local tea to Asheville, partnering with local farmers to source organic ingredients that she uses in her handcrafted blends.
While most tea companies use ingredients from all different parts of the world, Asheville Tea Co is spearheading the farm-to-teacup movement by cultivating partnerships with farmers in their own hometown. This not only benefits the local economy and environment, but also the healthfulness, freshness, and taste of the teas themselves.
Learn more about Asheville Grey and access special offers from Asheville Tea Co here.
ORIGINAL CHAI Sips by CHICO CHAI
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This spicy aromatic tea is blended by hand in small batches in Chico, California. It can be steeped in hot water for a mild spiced tea, or simmered on the stovetop for a stronger brew. Serve with or without milk and sweetener.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Chico Chai began in spring of 2004, when owner Sarah Adams saw a need for fresh, handmade chai in her hometown of Chico, California. She had enjoyed brewing chai at home for years, and thought other people might too.! To this day, Chico Chai is blended by hand in small batches, combining fresh, organic spices and organic fair trade black tea. In addition to their Original Chai, you can also find delectable chocolate, turmeric, rooibos, and yerba mate chai blends
We love the freshness and burst of flavor that we get from each of Chico Chai's blends. You can tell that this is a truly artisan product. Chico Chai strives for sustainability by reusing, recycling, and composting - they're also very active in their community and you can often find them serving up chai goodness at local events and markets.
Learn more about Original Chai and access special offers from Chico Chai here.
DARJEELING Sips by teapigs
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This posh black tea is best without milk, and has a beautifully clean, refreshing taste. Traditionally drunk in the afternoon, it tastes equally good early morning in your favorite mug.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Nick and Louise started teapigs in November 2006 with one mission – to get people drinking real tea again. They met while working for a really big tea company, where they learned all about tea and drank lots of it. The more they learned, and the more they drank, the more they came to realize something: that there's a whole world of quality teas out there that simply aren't getting the attention they deserve. And so teapigs was born.
teapigs, hailing from the UK, has a "no air, no graces, just fine tea" approach. They have a "mix and match," where you can combine two of your preferred teas at a discount, and "piglets" which let you sample their variety of flavors.
Learn more about Darjeeling and access special offers from teapigs here.
BLACKCURRANT BURST Sips by AHMAD TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Ahmad Tea is a British family business with a long tradition - they supply & pack tea for the Royal Collection, including Buckingham Palace. Enjoy hot or iced, with or without a slice of lemon.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Ahmad Tea is a British family business with over four generations of passion for producing the finest teas. Their comprehensive range of classic black teas, delicious fruit teas, healthy green teas, and natural herbal infusions are sold in over 80 countries around the world.
Ahmad Tea combines heritage and innovation to provide some of the best classic English teas along with new and unique blends. Fun fact: in 2011, Ahmad Tea was awarded the responsibility of supplying and packing tea for the Royal Collection, including Buckingham Palace - their tea is truly fit for the queen.
Learn more about Blackcurrant Burst and access special offers from Ahmad Tea here.
PISTACHIO TORTE Sips by FAVA TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
The many flavors within this tea are just like the layers of a torte! The combination of pistachio, marzipan, and amaretto will bring forth memories of nutty holiday treats.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Fava Tea Company is a family-owned loose tea specialty retail store offering over 350 rare, classic and unique teas. It was founded in 2007 by Bryan and Melissa Stafford in Appleton, Wisconsin, and they now have three locations throughout Wisconsin. In addition to hundreds of varieties of tea, Fava Tea also provides brewing accessories, and education and tips for customers who may not be familiar with the loose leaf tea process.
Fava Tea provides an exciting, delicious and educational tea experience for their customers. Many of their teas are handcrafted in small batches, ensuring the freshest cup each time, and they are always coming out with unique and beautiful blends.
Learn more about Pistachio Torte and access special offers from Fava Tea here.
LEMON WEDGE Sips by TEA FOR THREE
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This blend of black tea and lemon myrtle leaves is truly delicious as a hot or iced treat. You will feel like there is a lemon wedge perched on the edge of your cup.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Tea For Three is all about being kind: (1) to our bodies, (2) to the earth, (3) to people around the world who help to grow and process our tea. That’s why all of their tea blends are made with organic and rainforest alliance certified ingredients, ensuring that they are processed in a sustainable and fair way.
We love that Tea For Three is providing amazing teas that are healthy, sustainable and fair - their tea leaves, herbs, and spices are sourced from various farms around the world and are then hand-blended in small batches in NYC.
Learn more about Lemon Wedge and access special offers from Tea For Three here.
KENYAN BLACK TEA Sips by AJIRI TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This robust and smooth black tea is strong enough to help you take on the day and polite enough to give you an afternoon lift. 100% of profits support orphan education in Kenya.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Founded in 2008, Ajiri Tea is a women-owned and women-run business that started with the social mission of creating employment for the people of western Kenya and educating the local orphans. Ajiri comes from the Swahili word "to employ." They specialize in Kenyan tea handpicked on small-scale farms and employ women in the Kisii district of western Kenya to produce the handmade labels and decorative features of each box of tea.! All profits from the tea go directly towards orphans' school fees and the purchase of books, uniforms, and school supplies.
We love the mission that Ajiri Tea owners Sara and Kate Holby are focused on - instead of just short-term aid, they have found a way to create a sustainable cycle of employment and education where it is truly needed, and are bringing us an incredible product as well. Plus, each box of tea comes with a beautiful and unique piece of artwork handcrafted by women in Kenya.
Learn more about Kenyan Black Tea and access special offers from Ajiri Tea here.
About Sips by: We’re a female-founded and led startup that makes discovering tea fun, personalized, and affordable. The Sips by Box is the only multi-brand, personalized tea subscription box. Each month, we match tea drinkers across the U.S. with delicious teas from over 150 global tea brands that we’re sure they’ll love. Based out of Austin, Texas, we are adept at savoring a hot mug even when it’s seasonally inappropriate.