Black

Africa

East African blacks, primarily from Kenya and Rwanda, are high-grown, sunshine-driven, and typically bold: bright liquor, strong color, clean brisk character, and often a fruity note that distinguishes them from Assam or Ceylon. Kenya produces largely CTC for the mass market but has a growing orthodox and specialty sector; Rwanda's specialty blacks have attracted attention for their floral-fruity profile. These are not the nuanced fragrance teas of Chinese hong cha or Darjeeling, but as clean, bold, well-sourced single-origins they are more than blending filler.

teabert, the tealytics teapot, keeper of the kettle

East African blacks are high-grown, bright, bold and brisk with a fruity lift, and most of them vanish into teabags, so a clean single-origin Kenyan or Rwandan is worth seeking out. The gardens sit high up and close to the equator, so the bushes get sun all year, and it shows in a cup that has never had a gloomy day in its life.

Styles in this family

Kenyan Black Tea

Kenyan black tea is the quiet giant of the tea world: Kenya is the largest exporter of black tea on the planet, and the overwhelming majority of it is CTC, the…

Rwandan Black Tea

Rwandan black tea is a high-altitude East African tea that mostly disappears into blends, prized by buyers for the bright, brisk, clean character that volcanic…

How it's made

The steps overlap in practice; this is a reading order, not a set of separate stages.