Tea is obviously the most popular beverage out there. And kombucha is one of the famous drinks that use this tea ingredient and makes the taste enhanced. That’s why kombucha is gaining vast popularity day by day. You may have heard about it, aren’t you? Honestly, it doesn’t require any unique ingredients or rules to follow.
You can simply have a DIY brewing tutorial and make your own kombucha with some sugar and water tea we usually have in our home. Wait! There are different types of tea, and all of them aren’t suitable for making kombucha, so you have to pay some special attention to that. However, if you want to make the kombucha, especially with black tea, then you need to find the best black tea for kombucha.
Frankly, the common types of black tea work well with the kombucha. Their intense flavor will give you the perfect taste and essence that you will always prefer to have. That’s why they are widely used for making the homemade kombucha. But due to their extreme popularity, they are outnumbered in the present market.
And as we’ve mentioned, you can’t use all types of black teas for making kombucha. Instead of getting overwhelmed into the infinite numbers of products, you can use our help. We have selected some of the best black teas for kombucha and put them into the comparison list accordingly. From there, you can see the key components and compare each product to acquire a perfect one for you. So, without any delay, let’s dive in!
Top 5 Best Black Tea for Kombucha List
Honestly, it was one of the hardest tasks that we have ever done. In order to take out the best products from the variety, we took the help of the key features. That’s how we were able to select the top five products. These are the following.
Davidson’s Tea Bulk
Davidson's Tea Bulk, Ceylon Op Black, 1 lb Bag
- Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) is a rich, Sri Lankan black tea. Davidson's Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) offers a robust, breakfast-like flavor profile.
- LEAF TO CUP: From our farms in India to your family, Davidson’s Organics is a vertically integrated provider of premium teas at affordable prices. We grow, import, blend, package, and sell - overseeing the entire journey of our tea from the leaf cuttings to the infusion in your cup.
- Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) is a rich, Sri Lankan black tea. Davidson's Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) offers a robust, breakfast-like flavor profile.
- LEAF TO CUP: From our farms in India to your family, Davidson’s Organics is a vertically integrated provider of premium teas at affordable prices. We grow, import, blend, package, and sell - overseeing the entire journey of our tea from the leaf cuttings to the infusion in your cup.
- ALWAYS ORGANIC: Davidson’s Organics is a 3rd generation organic tea grower delivering on its promise of providing top-notch USDA certified organic teas. Our teas are grown non-GMO & free from harmful chemicals and pesticides. We are responsibly sourced and sustainably farmed. We believe in the holistic health of our farms, farmers, plants & animals.
- A CUP OF WELLNESS: Davidson’s offers a diverse selection of tea blends for the most discerning palates. From loose leaves to tea bags & iced, and from ayurvedic to herbal, our organic teas deliver the perfect pick me up or a restful respite. Enjoy our balanced tea blends for optimal health and sipping pleasure.
- TRUST OUR TEA: Davidson's Organics was the first purveyor of fine organic teas. Since 1976, we’ve worked tirelessly to develop blends that are true reflections of their names, while being committed to sourcing healthy ingredients grown by generations of skilled small farmers. Enjoy Davidson's Organics, the organic tea that sets the standards for the highest quality.
Our review list starts with Davidson’s Tea Bulk. If you want to experience the most exceptional taste that will give you the reward of taking tea, then Davidson’s tea is undoubtedly the perfect item for you. Teas from this brand are made from 100% organic ingredients and avoids the use of all sorts of toxic elements. And that’s why you will get an unparalleled taste from every particular sip. When the ingredients are pure and uncompromised, you will definitely get your desired taste, that’s what actually Davidson follows. But you are actually going to buy it for making kombucha, so let’s see if it can be used for that or not.
Kombucha usually requires premium ingredients of tea that can give you the required amount of fragrance and increase the flavor. Well, the organic components of this tea will surely give you that. And that’s why it will be a perfect item to brewing with kombucha. Well, you are not the only guy saying this. Many of the users has made best tasting kombucha with this tea. So, you should try this out. Okay, if you have got still many questions about its organic part, stay relaxed. It’s because USDA and Fair Traded certify this tea. Therefore, you can fully rely on it.
Pros
- 100% organic
- USDA and Fair Traded Certified
- Contains Caffeine
- Comes in a premium package with aluminum foil lining
- Maintains freshness
Cons
- Some of the customers didn’t like the taste.
Lipton Tea Bags For A Naturally Smooth Taste Black Tea
We have got the Lipton Tea Bags in the second position of our list. And yes, as it’s titled, it is a perfect item naturally smooth taste black tea. Lipton is one of the most renowned name for delivering premium tea. This means you will definitely get the best teas from them. Well, these tea bags maintain all the freshness to deliver you naturally smooth taste. That’s what you have always wanted. Actually, they carefully select fresh-pressed tea leaves to give you as much as natural tea taste.This black tea is 100% natural and certified by Rainforest Alliance. So, you can rely on its quality to the fullest. Moreover, it is a suitable item for both hot and cold coffee. The good thing is that it comes in a study and secure lock-box. As a result, the flavor and texture will be sealed until its arrival. Unlike the cheap tea bags, you won’t have to lose the textures of the natural ingredients. It delivers the delicious taste until the last piece of the teabag. By the way, it is also a suitable item for using kombucha.
Pros
- Fresh and naturally tasted black tea
- Comes in sturdy and secure lock-box
- Perfectly wrapped for preserving the aroma and texture
- 100% Rainforest Alliance certified
- Consumes flavonoids from your everyday diet
- Helps to maintain a healthy heart
Cons
- Contains tea powders, not leaves
Numi Organic Tea Chinese Breakfast
Then we have got the Numi Organic Tea Chinese Breakfast. You will obviously prefer something that tastes better than normal teas. If that’s the case then you can undoubtedly pick this for quenching your thirst. This Chinese breakfast black tea contains the flavorful golden tips of the tea leaves. That’s the actual secret of its gourmet Yunnan style of the tea. However, you will get the bold taste of black tea from every particular sip. Whether you are looking for a strong flavor or delicious taste, this tea will be the perfect addition that can make your breakfast taste far better.This tea is fully made from the premium quality of tea leaves. These tea leaves are organically grown and collected by Numi. As a result, you will naturally taste tea with some essential health benefits. Besides, the tea comes in a convenient and resealable pouch that will maintain the tea’s perfect texture for many days. The good thing is that this tea great for use in tea infusers and French presses. Moreover, it is also a perfect item for making delicious kombucha.
Pros
- Includes flavorful golden tips of the tea
- Delivers bold and natural tasting black tea
- Contains Numi’s organic full-leaf quality teas
- Comes in a convenient and reusable pouch
- Delivers the flavor with some health benefits
Cons
- The flavor doesn’t remain till the last.
Kombucha Loose Leaf Black and Green Tea
Next, we have got the Kombucha Loose Leaf Black and Green Tea 50/50 Blend. Honestly, kombucha also tastes great with the green teas. It can also increase the aroma and taste of kombucha. So, how about a mixture of black and green tea? As it is titled, you will get a perfect blend of both of these teas through this particular tea. This means you will definitely get the unique taste as you have always desired to have in your kombucha. Let’s find out more about it.This tea is completely hand-blended to maintain the perfectness with every sip. Besides, it has a unique combination of Keenum congou china black tea and Chinese young hyson green tea. Both of these teas are hand blended to ensure the appropriate balance of yeast and bacteria ratio. It will also provide you with a positive environment for brewing and fermenting. Thus, you will be able to make the best tasting kombucha. The good thing is that it contains special loose tea leaves that are imported by one of the oldest tea importers of America. Unlike the traditional Kombucha blends, this bag is almost double of their size. That’s why you will get more brews from this bag, which will give you good value for your investment.
Pros
- Completely hand-blended
- Contains a unique combination of Keenum congou china black tea and Chinese young hyson green tea
- Maintains a perfect balance of yeast to bacteria ratio
- Organic tea leaves imported by one of the oldest tea importers of America
- Delivers smooth and natural tasting kombucha
Cons
- A bit pricey
Mighty Leaf Loose Tea
After that, we have got the Mighty Leaf Loose Tea. Jasmine can also provide you with your desired taste. That’s why we have included this particular tea on our list. It’s because the enhanced ingredients of this tea have made it stand out among others in the market. It is completely made of smooth china loose green tea leaves. Moreover, it is scented by natural by the layers of Jasmine buds. This means you will get your desired scent and taste through this tea.This green tea is naturally collected from organic farms. Each of the leaves is handpicked so that you can get the desired taste of this tea. This is why you will get fresh and naturally tasted tea throughout the usage. With an intoxicating aroma, it is the perfect item to brew with your kombucha. And when you brew these two together, you will get the perfect aroma that can deliver you the best-tasting kombucha.
Pros
- 100% organic
- Made of smooth China a loose green tea leaf
- Naturally scented by layers of Jasmine buds
- Perfect for brewing with kombucha
- Natural taste with maximum freshness
Cons
- Comes in a plastic wrap bag
What Is Kombucha Tea?
Kombucha tea is a fermented beverage made by “culturing” the bacteria and yeast mixture that forms on top of sweetened black or green tea. The original recipe for kombucha was developed in ancient China, where it’s also known as Kambucha, “tea mushroom,” or “Immortal Health Elixir” because of its purported health benefits immunity-boosting properties and detoxifying effects.
What Are the Negative Effects of Kombucha?
- Kombucha is made by combining tea, sugar, and yeast.
- It has been known to have the same effects as a caffeinated beverage like coffee, including an increase in blood pressure.
- In some cases, it can lead to dizziness or headaches due to dehydration from water loss associated with kombucha consumption.
- Certain ingredients may cause allergic reactions, including those who suffer from latex allergies because two of its main ingredients are tree sap and black tea leaves.
Tea to Avoid When Making Kombucha
Flavored Tea: Flavored tea is a no-go. The oils in the flavorings can kill off your SCOBY and harm the delicate probiotic balance of kombucha.
Tannic Teas: Tannin compounds found in black, green, oolong, and herbal teas may inhibit yeast growth if added to kombucha during primary fermentation. And while they might not kill an active culture outright, tannins will likely shorten its lifespan by inhibiting reproduction or survival as well as inducing cellular stresses that impair enzyme function and nutrient uptake.
Herbal Tea: Herbal teases are generally high in antioxidants which bind up healthy enzymes produced by yeast cells; this will lead to poor quality kombucha with low fizziness. Both of which will affect the number of probiotics found in your drink.
Green Tea: Green tea should not be used as it contains tannins and caffeine – both ingredients that prohibit yeast growth and lead to poor-quality kombucha.
Decaffeinated Tea: Decaf Tea does contain some chemicals from processing that could potentially inhibit fermentation when added during primary fermentation, but levels are low enough where these effects might not even happen at all. Suppose you want a higher certainty of avoiding any risks though we recommend using decaffeinated black tea instead.
Jasmine Tea: Jasmine tea is a mix of green and black tea. Jaskin Tea contains tannins, which can inhibit fermentation, so it should not be used to make kombucha.
Brewing Tips for Kombucha
Tip-1: Brewing kombucha is simple. You can brew it as a continuous process or in batches, depending on your needs and available time. Continuous brewing will yield more tea per batch because the SCOBY culture remains in contact with the sweetened tea mixture for much longer than when brewed in batches.
Tip-2: For best flavor, use one of these three black teas: Assam, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), or Keemun; they are high quality and full-bodied enough to stand up well against the acidic nature of fermented drinks like Kombucha. Experiment by adding other flavors such as spices, fruits, sugar substitutes, dried flowers, or herbs like lavender. Just be careful not to add too many ingredients that could affect taste or spoilage.
Tip-3: To maintain a healthy culture, store your SCOBYs in fresh sweetened tea for up to three weeks at room temperature if they show any signs of mold or other contamination. Remove them from their old brew after 12 hours of brewing time when making continuous batches, so they’re not exposed to too much acidity for an extended period of time.
Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Black Tea for Kombucha
So, how to select the best black tea for kombucha? As we have mentioned above, all the teas are not suitable for adding with kombucha. That’s why you need to consider some required things before making the selection. If you can locate all those things in your tea, then that’s the exact product for you. Do you want to know what those are? Okay, let’s discuss them.
Flavor
The main reason for adding a tea into kombucha is to boost its overall flavor. In this case, you must pay special attention to the flavor part of a tea specifically. Well, the loose tea leaves of china and several other organic farms can deliver you with that flavor. So, you have to identify the ingredients that have been used for making tea. In order to maintain the flavor to the fullest, some of these teas are completely hand-blended. It will be better if you pick on from those. Check the specs and appropriately to acquire a perfect knowledge of all these things.
Organic
An organic tea will give you the freshness you have desired to have. Moreover, it can provide you with some health benefits. That’s it is crucial to pick those teas that are organically made. But this thing is only available in the premium versions of teas. However, the cheap options will not give your organic ingredients. And for maintaining their freshness and texture, they add some toxic materials which are really harmful to our health. So, it will be better if you avoid those and pick something unique from the above list.An organic tea will give you the freshness you have desired to have. Moreover, it can provide you with some health benefits. That’s it is crucial to pick those teas that are organically made. But this thing is only available in the premium versions of teas. However, the cheap options will not give your organic ingredients. And for maintaining their freshness and texture, they add some toxic materials which are really harmful to our health. So, it will be better if you avoid those and pick something unique from the above list.
Frequently Asked Questions of The Best Black Tea for Kombucha
Let’s discuss some frequently asked questions and make all these more clear for you.
How Is Kombucha Made?
To make kombucha, you need to mix sugar (to feed the culture), water (the liquid base), dried active microbial cultures, heat-sensitive juice extract from fruits such as grapefruit or apple cider vinegar for flavor (optional), and then allow it time to ferment before bottling it.
Is There Alcohol in Kombucha?
Kombucha has less than 0.02% alcohol by volume, which is below the legal limit for non-alcoholic beverages and would not be considered a source of reliable calories in someone’s diet. Since there are no sugars or grains used to make kombucha (unlike beer), it does not have any carbohydrate allotment.
How Long Should I Wait For My Kombucha To Ferment Before Drinking It?
Fermentation time will depend on the temperature and other factors such as how much sugar was added to start with and what type of culture you are using, but most batches take anywhere from one to three weeks before being ready for consumption.
What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Kombucha?
Many people drink kombucha because they believe that it offers health benefits, including replacing lost minerals from other sources such as dairy products and also helping with digestion due to its probiotic content. It may also help some people fight off allergies since many allergic reactions come from an imbalance of gut bacteria, but this is still debatable.
Are These Teas Organic?
Not all of them. But most of these teas are organically made so that you can gain the bold flavor.
Do They Have the Annoying Mold Problem?
Actually, they come in a secure lock-box or in a resealable pouch. With the benefit of these, the freshness of the teas is appropriately maintained for long time use. Thus, you will be able to get the natural and better taste from the first to last. And the most important thing is that they prevent all types of molds from growing in the packets.
Conclusion
Who doesn’t want praiseworthy compliments from the guests? You can obviously acquire those compliments by serving the best tasting kombucha. But for that, you have to get the best black tea for kombucha. So, choose one of those items from the above list that accurately suits you.
Let’s Check Our Best Pick:
Davidson's Tea Bulk, Ceylon Op Black, 1 lb Bag
- Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) is a rich, Sri Lankan black tea. Davidson's Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) offers a robust, breakfast-like flavor profile.
- LEAF TO CUP: From our farms in India to your family, Davidson’s Organics is a vertically integrated provider of premium teas at affordable prices. We grow, import, blend, package, and sell - overseeing the entire journey of our tea from the leaf cuttings to the infusion in your cup.
- Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) is a rich, Sri Lankan black tea. Davidson's Ceylon OP Black (Loose Leaf) offers a robust, breakfast-like flavor profile.
- LEAF TO CUP: From our farms in India to your family, Davidson’s Organics is a vertically integrated provider of premium teas at affordable prices. We grow, import, blend, package, and sell - overseeing the entire journey of our tea from the leaf cuttings to the infusion in your cup.
- ALWAYS ORGANIC: Davidson’s Organics is a 3rd generation organic tea grower delivering on its promise of providing top-notch USDA certified organic teas. Our teas are grown non-GMO & free from harmful chemicals and pesticides. We are responsibly sourced and sustainably farmed. We believe in the holistic health of our farms, farmers, plants & animals.
- A CUP OF WELLNESS: Davidson’s offers a diverse selection of tea blends for the most discerning palates. From loose leaves to tea bags & iced, and from ayurvedic to herbal, our organic teas deliver the perfect pick me up or a restful respite. Enjoy our balanced tea blends for optimal health and sipping pleasure.
- TRUST OUR TEA: Davidson's Organics was the first purveyor of fine organic teas. Since 1976, we’ve worked tirelessly to develop blends that are true reflections of their names, while being committed to sourcing healthy ingredients grown by generations of skilled small farmers. Enjoy Davidson's Organics, the organic tea that sets the standards for the highest quality.
