Single-origin, single-estate are terms used to describe where the tea has originated. Confused? Let me explain.

Single-origin teas generally share a certain similarity between them, as a specific region is renowned for distinctive quality, and the name of the place becomes the indicator of a certain standard. I.e. Assam (known for its strong dark malty teas) or Darjeeling (known for its light floral elegant teas.) Making this distinction helps you; the customer understands certain areas tastes.

You might find you prefer a black tea from Darjeeling, India over a black tea from Kandy, Sri Lanka (Ceylon). If you know its from Darjeeling, you will look explore the quintessential flavour and drinking experience from other teas that originate from Darjeeling.

The title 'single-origin' was popularized in the coffee world. At least for high-end teas, the concept of single-origin tea has always existed there for it was always implicitly assumed. But as tea is being rediscovered, it has become helpful to explicitly signify when a certain tea has not been blended with leaves from different regions in order to explore its individual terroir.

 

For most of us who considers tea more than just a tasty thirst-quenching drink, the origin is part of the tasting experience. Blending several origins together is sometimes used to create a blend that mitigates the “weaknesses” of the different terroirs or is used to create a consistent taste. With premium-quality tea leaves, there is no need to blend out any undesirable characteristics of great-tasting tea.

To dive deeper into specific tea tastes here, you can jump over to read about the exciting world of single-estate teas next.

Looking at single-origin black teas, here is a list of just two countries main growing regions. You might find you are already familiar with some of the names on the list.


When sourcing single-origin tea, we only purchase tea grown using all-natural cultivation methods, meaning there were no herbicides, synthetic fertilisers or pesticides used in the making of any of the teas that we sell.

As the demand for naturally grown teas increases, we look forward to encouraging those farmers that are not currently using natural practices into sustainable methods.

The most important thing about single-origin is its traceability, the fact that you know exactly where your tea has come from. Usually, of higher quality, it’s the acknowledgment that the tea is from a particular estate located in a unique setting, while its flavour depicts its origin. Or its origin depicts its flavour.