Help a non-tea guy out

I’m going to throw out a recommendation for Harney and Sons as well. The others aren’t kidding about them being a quality vendor. I am also, however, going to throw out Steven Smith Teamaker as a step up. I noticed that you mentioned three of their offerings by name, and yes, any of them would make a nice gift. Most of their black teas are available as silken sachets too, combining the ease of brewing a tea bag with the benefits offered by brewing loose leaf. I would also suggest their No. 9 Yunnan Full Leaf Black Tea. I feel it flies under the radar for a lot of people since there are so many quality Yunnan black teas on the market these days, but in my opinion, it’s a beauty.

I love Harney & Sons. They have a huge selection of black teas and black tea blends and they’re consistent — they don’t tend to discontinue blends, so if your friend likes one of them it’s likely to be available in the future, which is not true of a lot of other sellers that also have nice selections and tasty tea. Also, if your friend decides to give loose leaf a try and likes the Harney tea, chances are it will also be available in loose leaf.

A number of other companies I’d recommend are probably stronger in other types of tea than black. If you’re feeling adventurous, Mariage Freres also has a huge selection of black teas and black tea blends that tend to stay consistent — but they are a French company and French teas have a certain je ne sais quoi that I adore but that aren’t for everyone. But I don’t know how much they do in the bagged department as I only buy loose leaf except for a couple of grocery store herbal teas that I like.

Hi,
That’s a very sweet gesture. I hope you get the best teas for your co-worker.

I work at Vahdam Teas, an Indian premium tea startup. We have just launched a cool Christmas gift collection at www.vahdamteas.com which you might find interesting. We provide fast shipping so you will get your gift in plenty of time.

Thanks everyone! I went with Harney Tower of London and Vahdam Maharaja breakfast

I also vote for Harney and Sons. He’s currently drinking grocery store bagged tea at the moment and having him jump right to loose leaf and all the fiddling that can be involved can be overwhelming.

You might consider Royal English Breakfast.

While I love Harney & Sons – and since bagged teas seem to be a necessity based upon your original post – I personally prefer and would recommend Steven Smith – https://www.smithtea.com

The portland breakfast blend is really good: https://www.smithtea.com/collections/black-tea/products/portland-breakfast

As is their Brahmin blend: https://www.smithtea.com/collections/black-tea/products/brahmin