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.
Interested in trying these teas and others? Subscribers receive 4 teas chosen just for them in every box. Learn more about our tea subscription box or explore the loose leaf tea shop.
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 winter flavors, here are the top rated black teas of winter 2018. Find your new favorite tea.
EARL GREY IMPERIAL Sips by HARNEY & SONS
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This tea tastes great with milk and sugar. A perfectly traditional Earl Grey, with notes of bergamot.
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 Earl Grey Imperial and access special offers from Harney & Sons here.
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.
CARDAMOM FRENCH TOAST Sips by DAVIDsTEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
This sweet and buttery cardamom-spiced black tea with a dusting of cinnamon sugar is rich, spicy, and tastes just like the decadent breakfast of our dreams! You'll be craving this brunch tea all day long.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
DAVIDsTEA opened their first store in 2008 in Toronto, Canada, with a mission to provide great tea, friendly stores, and above-and-beyond customer service. Today they have over 240 stores across Canada and the United States, providing over 150 types of teas, including exclusive blends, limited edition seasonal collections, traditional straight teas and exotic infusions from around the globe.
DAVIDsTEA has something to satisfy every palate and every craving, whether you're looking for a sweet treat or something more traditional. They also will help you make your best cup of tea possible, providing a line of innovative tea accessories designed in-house, from spoons and infusers to tea sets and travel mugs.
Learn more about Cardamom French Toast and access special offers from DAVIDsTEA 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.
CHAI TEA Sips by teapigs
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Variations of aromatic, spiced, milky tea have been the Indian drink of choice for hundreds of years. This blend encapsulates all the color and vibrancy of India in a cup.
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 Chai Tea and access special offers from teapigs here.
APRICOT SUNRISE Sips by AHMAD TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
The distinctive flavor of apricots makes this black tea particularly wonderful. Surprise yourself and your guests at teatime by serving it hot with warm scones or iced with fresh fruit. Add a slice of lemon if preferred.
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 Apricot Sunrise and access special offers from Ahmad Tea here.
CHRISTMAS TEA Sips by DAVIDSON'S ORGANIC TEAS
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Synonymous with holiday activities and good cheer, Christmas Tea is a magical combination of complex herbs, pungent spices, and rich black tea, bringing you all the best of the season.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BRAND
Based in Reno, Nevada for over 40 years, Davidson's Organic Teas is a third-generation, farm-to-cup tea company that prides itself on offering healthful, organic, high quality teas, herbs and spices. The family-owned company operates nearly a dozen bio-dynamic, organic tea gardens in Darjeeling, India. That means that Davidson's grows, imports, blends, and packages their own tea.
With over 40 years of experience, Davidson's has worked tirelessly to develop tea blends that are true reflections of the flavor profiles for which each blend is named. Davidson's believes that organic farming works in harmony with nature, and they are committed to promoting the health and safety of their small farmers, in conjunction with preserving the rich environmental diversity in the regions where their tea is grown.
Learn more about Christmas Tea and access special offers from Davidson's Organic Teas here.
KENYAN BLACK TEA WITH MANGO Sips by AJIRI TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
A full-bodied and smooth black tea with a hint of mango. Great over ice!
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 with Mango and access special offers from Ajiri Tea here.
FAVA'S WINTER BLEND Sips by FAVA TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
The scent of sweet homemade treats and fresh winter fruits and spices accompany the crisp black tea flavor like warm cookies on a cold winter's day.
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 Fava's Winter Blend and access special offers from Fava Tea here.
ENGLISH BREAKFAST Sips by AHMAD TEA
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TEA
Wake up every morning in England with this quintessential, full-bodied black tea - a blend of malty Assam, bright Ceylon and robust Kenyan teas. Enjoy this 'British cuppa' with milk and sugar to compliment your breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea.
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 English Breakfast and access special offers from Ahmad Tea here.
Want to learn more about our top rated teas?
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.