After having our fair share of bubble tea (100s of cups)… we’re positive we can share the best black tea for milk tea, bubble tea, or boba.
We promise, we’ve done the research so that you don’t have too. Let’s just say it was quite the journey for us.
Are you looking to find black tea for homemade boba but you’re not sure where to start? Or you just had a delicious cup of Thai milk tea at your favorite local boba shop. And you’re wondering what type of tea is used?
Well, stick around for only the best. We’ll suggest the best black tea (loose leaf) for you to try at home while you make boba.
Continue below and you’ll find our go-to list for the best loose leaf black tea for milk tea below. You’ll be able to find info for what types of black teas used in boba or milk tea, the best black tea blends, the best black tea brands and more.
Have a look at our favorites below!
Quick Compare
Positively Tea - Assam Black Tea
- High caffeine level.
- Certified USDA organic.
- Sweet and full of depth in flavor.
This Assam black tea blend from Positively Tea is highly rated. With over 300+ positive reviews, you can bet that you’ll taste some great tea with their product.
This loose leaf black tea blend originates from Assam, India (home of the most popular type of black tea blends). The unique environment and tea process brings out robust flavors and texture.
For many, this tea is by far one of the more smooth tasting black teas around. In fact, it’s one of our favorite tea blends to use in milk tea or bubble tea due to its strong natural flavor. The addition of dairy or creamer does not subdue the natural flavors as other black tea would.
If you didn’t know, Assam tea is popularly used in Taiwanese milk teas (Thai iced tea). Be sure to try it out if you’re curious!
VAHDAM - Assam Black Tea Leaves
- Steep for 3-5 minutes for perfect cup.
- Originated from Assam, India.
- Great tea blend for milk tea, kombucha, black tea lemonade and more.
Here’s another favorite Assam loose leaf black tea blend perfect for a cup of milk tea or bubble tea.
Compared to Positively Tea above, we think that this one is a bit bolder and stronger. If you’re the type of person that likes more of a tea flavor in your milk tea or bubble tea then this might be your best bet.
The tea texture is just as smooth but the taste is more noticeable without any excess acidity or overwhelming bitterness.
Plus, Vahdam tea is tremendously rated across the board.
VAHDAM - English Breakfast Tea Blend
- Bold.
- Ethically grown and traded.
- Steep 2 grams for 3-5 minutes for best flavors.
Another VAHDAM black tea brand blend? You bet!
They do a great job with their tea blends and of course, this article only highlights the best black tea for milk tea. This one in particular is the English Breakfast tea blend from VAHDAM.
It is favored by many (not just us). This blend offers a strong and aromatic black tea flavor like no other. You can interchange this blend with their Assam black tea blend and taste a big difference.
Which is a good thing!
Changing things up sometimes is not a bad thing. Try our traditional black milk tea recipe with this English Breakfast tea blend and let us know how it goes! See if you can taste the difference between their Assam blend and this.
Did we mention this is our favorite black tea of the entire list? It helps us create the best milk tea at home consistently.
America’s favorite tea company, Lipton Tea.
You might be familiar with their black tea bags shown here. But surprisingly they also have loose leaf black tea. And it is really good!
Plus, many boba cafes will actually use Lipton tea for their tea bases. It’s affordable, accessible, and ultimately great tasting. And if it helps, it has over 1000 reviews on Amazon.
Lipton loose leaf black tea is the most familiar tasting black tea. So if you’re looking for something that you can’t quite mess up, have a go with Lipton tea.
And guess what? More than likely a boba shop you’ve tried before has used Lipton loose leaf black tea.
Wellness Naturals - English Breakfast
- Citrus and floral notes.
- Strong, rich and delicious.
- Perfect for your morning cup of milk tea.
With a whopping amount of reviews (1900 and counting). It’s no shocker that this English breakfast tea blend from Wellness Naturals is a bit hit.
It has your strong, bold, and rich taste like any other English Breakfast tea blend. However, this one is unique as it has a slight floral hint to it.
Having citrus notes (what normal English breakfast tea blends have) and the floral notes, you get a more unique tasting experience.
If you ask us, this will go quite well with any bubble tea.
Davidson's Tea - Assam Black Tea
- Most reviewed black tea.
- USDA certified.
- Malty premium taste.
Davidson’s Assam Banaspaty black tea blend might take the throne for the best black tea for milk tea.
Maybe even the best black tea in the world!
It boasts 10,000+ reviews averaging out to be ⅘ stars on Amazon. We’d say that’s a pretty amazing accomplishment in the tea world.
This best selling black tea originates from the best growers in India. It offers a malty, rich, and memorable taste.
Add this into your tea combination for boba or milk tea and you’ll never look back!
Mana Organics - Organic Assam Tea
- Light, sweet and smooth.
- Beautiful aromatics and overall flavor profile.
- Great for a lighter black milk tea in the morning.
This Assam black tea blend from Mana Organics is highly rated as well. It’s different in taste though, not as strong as the ones above.
In fact, it’s a bit sweeter and lighter than what we have been mentioning above. It’s definitely one of black tea blends that will be overpowered by your milk and sweetener more than you think.
We’ve found that brewing this Assam tea blend for 3-4 minutes creates a consistent taste, anything after 5 minutes seems to be a bit too much.
You’ll unpleasantly notice it too if you steep for too long.
Tetley - Premium Black Loose Leaf Tea
- Number 1 selling tea brand.
- All natural loose leaf black tea.
- 160+ years of perfection.
This premium black tea from Tetly is an English breakfast blend perfected over the course of 160+ years.
Apparently Tetly is the number 1 selling tea brand too, how incredible is that? That alone must tell you it’s a tea brand to consider.
The tea flavor isn’t as strong compared to the other blends above. But that is exactly why it pairs well with traditional morning breakfast foods.
If that’s your style.
It doesn’t overpower anything that you’re snacking on, it simply compliments your meal for the better.
Feel free to view the best Chinese buns to pair milk tea with here.
Numi - Organic Loose Leaf Black Tea
- Premium quality full loose leaves.
- USDA certified.
- High caffeine level.
A little bit on the pricier side of things when it comes to black tea brands. But, don’t shy away from that.
Using full leaves to create their tea blends, you’ll experience a very complete and full-bodied flavor profile.
From the subtle bitterness when you first drink it. To the citrus elements between. Topped off with a slightly sweet undertone. You’ll realize why this is one of the best black teas for milk tea.
Why the Taste of Different Black Teas Matter
For one, you’ll want to have a stronger tea taste for milk tea in general. Without a stronger tea base, the other ingredients tend to overwhelm the entire milk tea or bubble tea.
Which doesn’t make for a satisfying milk tea experience. You’ll feel like you’re drinking sweetened milk if you don’t get the right black tea blend.
Our favorite black tea brand out of this whole list has to be Davidson’s Assam black tea blend. The malty and premium taste carries through even after the extra ingredients are added. It actually compliments them very well!
Have a look at how to make black milk tea here and try it out with Davidson’s tea and let us know what you think.
Try it for Yourself
The 9 different black tea brands we mentioned above are all great for your next bubble tea at home. You can read a variety of boba flavors or recipes here if you’d like.
We hope this answered your search for the best black tea for milk tea. Here are a few related articles you might find useful. Thanks for reading and finding out some of our favorite black tea, share it with your friends!
1 thought on “Best Black Tea for Milk Tea and Bubble Tea”
Such a great guide if you want to try a DIY version of boba! Of course, it is important to remember that tea steeping times are quite important for the best tasting tea. Most loose leaf black tea should be steeped for between 3 to 5 minutes for the perfect cup.