Exploring what flavored tea is and the most popular tea flavors
Introducing the top 14 flavored teas in 2026
Tips you should know when brewing flavored tea
Table of contents
Introduction
Flavored tea has become a must-have part of the modern tea experience. It's not just a cup of plain old tea leaves anymore, but a world of delicious possibilities for anyone who loves a good cup of tea. With people now craving rich taste, bright aromas and smooth textures, the demand for flavored teas is soaring and the range of options is staggering - from loose leaf and tea bags to powders, there's a format to suit every taste and occasion.
To find the top flavored tea of 2026, we pored over top reviews and bestseller lists. Our method was all about consistency, quality of ingredients and getting hold of these teas, so that our picks accurately reflected the best of the best for anyone who wants to sip on something truly special.
What is Flavored Tea?
Flavored tea starts with a basic tea base; be it black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, herbal tea, and then tea blenders get creative by adding all sorts of spices, fruits, flowers, citrus, herbs and natural flavors to come up with something really unique.
Some trickier blends use a combination of orange peel, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla - while others go all out on floral notes, mint and tropical fruit. The bottom line is you want the flavor to enhance the tea rather than overpower it.
Loose leaf tea often gives you more aroma and complexity because whole tea leaves and proper ingredients do their thing at a much gentler pace. Tea bags and sachets are great for convenience and still manage to deliver some fantastic flavor when done right.
Most Popular Tea Flavors
Some of the most popular tea flavor styles in recent years include:
- Earl Grey tea and blends
- Masala chai and spiced chai blends
- Green tea and jasmine green tea
- Peppermint tea and mint blends
- Chamomile and soothing herbal tea
- Oolong tea and lightly flavored oolong blends
- Lavender and floral black tea blends
- Vanilla flavored black tea and chai
- Lemon and lemon ginger tea
- Citrus forward tea blends with orange peel or bergamot
- Rooibos and honeybush herbal blends
Top 14 best flavored teas in 2026
1) Gardenika - Turmeric Ginger Tulsi Chai
Brand Overview: Gardenika puts all its energy into creating teas that are dead simple and totally honest. They rely heavily on USDA Organic teas and many of their blends, with a big focus on making sure everything they do won't hurt the planet. Their tea blends aim to be just as wholesome as they are delicious.
Flavor & Experience: Every time you sip this herbal chai blend its got that rich warmth from the spices, a subtle earthiness, and a really pleasant deep herbal undertone. The ginger and turmeric put some serious heat and depth in there while the tulsi, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves all contribute a lovely sweetness and a fragrant aroma.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Just grab a teaspoon of Turmeric Ginger Tulsi Chai and pour it into some fresh very hot water and let it steep for a bit and let all those gorgeous flavors come out. As the tea steeps the air is filled with this nice warm aroma of spice and herbs which just makes you want to grab a blanket and snuggle up in a good way.
2) Harney & Sons - Hot Cinnamon Spice
Brand Overview: Harney & Sons is family owned business that has been around since 1983 and they get serious about doing things the right way, putting major emphasis on sustainability. You'll find compostable tea bags alongside loose leaf and sachets to help keep the earth happy.
Flavor & Experience: When you take a sip of Hot Cinnamon Spice, the first thing you notice is how sugary and spicy it is, thanks to the cinnamon, orange peel and warm cloves all blending over a strong black tea that really stands out. It's got a depth to it, and that comes from a mix of the spices and the tea that all come together in a very complex and rich experience.
Brewing & Serving Notes: To brew a great cup of Hot Cinnamon Spice, all you need to do is steep one tea bag in hot water, let it steep and watch as the whole room is filled with this amazing spicy citrus aroma which just continues to deepen to a warm golden amber. It's got a really full and smooth texture, and the cinnamon just leaves a really sweet, vibrant aftertaste.
3) Plum Deluxe - The Self Care Blend Elderberry Apricot
Brand Overview: Plum Deluxe, a Portland-based outfit that's been around since 2008. They specialize in small batches of loose-leaf tea, taking that traditional tea craftsmanship and mixing it with some new and interesting flavors to come up with really unique, handcrafted blends that tea lovers just can't get enough of.
Flavor & Experience: This one's a herbal blend, completely caffeine-free, so you don't have to worry about jitters or any other side effects, and it combines the tartness of elderberry with the soft sweetness of apricot and mellow honeybush to make a cup that's both light and comforting at the same time. It's one of those teas that just feels like a warm hug for your mouth, with a smooth texture and some nice floral notes.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Put a teaspoon of The Self Care Blend into hot water and let it steep until the color looks right to you. As it does, you'll get this lovely soft berry aroma and a mellow sweetness that makes the whole thing feel really silky and light, and when you take a sip the fruit notes just kind of drift across your tongue and leave you feeling all relaxed and happy.
4) August Uncommon Tea - Low Country Bourbon Sugar Black Tea
Brand Overview: August Uncommon Tea is based in California. This innovative tea company leads when it comes to experimenting with bold, one-of-a-kind tea blends. They pride themselves on sharing their expertise in all things tea, and delivering a genuine travel experience with every single cup.
Flavor & Experience: Imagine a black tea so rich, it puts caramel, cocoa and toasted grains on the menu - and those deep, velvety flavors take you on a ride. That bourbon sugar undertone is decadent without being cloying, giving you a silky and full-bodied cup that feels like a warm hug in a mug. There's a hint of smokiness and a whiff of sweetness to round it all out.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Put a teaspoon of Low Country Bourbon Sugar Black Tea into freshly boiled water and let it steep. Watch as the tea takes on a deep, glossy sheen and fills the air with a sweet, toasted scent. When you take that first sip, the smooth, velvety texture coats your tongue, carrying the caramel and cocoa notes over the top of the black tea, leaving you with a truly comforting cup that's a dessert-lovers dream.
5) Tea with Tae - Lavender Earl Grey
Brand Overview: Tea with Tae is a company on the rise, with a female-led team that's gained momentum in Colorado. They're all about creating teas that'll calm you down, floral blends that help you unwind, with a focus on luxury at an approachable price, while keeping the environment in mind.
Flavor & Experience: Lavender Earl Grey puts a bright bergamot together with some soft lavender and a hint of orange peel. It's got a bit of a boost from the citrus, but the floral notes balance that out and the whole thing just feels smooth and really fragrant.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Drop one sachet of Lavender Earl Grey into some hot water and let it steep. When you lift the lid, you get this gorgeous soft floral aroma floating above the citrus. The color of the tea is lovely, clean and silky, and when you take a sip, the lavender is just drifting gently above the black tea, so the whole thing just feels really refined and soothing in the mug.
6) Nepal Tea Collective - Kathmandu Cosmos
Brand Overview: Nepal Tea Collective is all about doing things with transparency and actually putting some real resources behind supporting local farmers in Nepal. This brand is all about taking the spotlight off its exceptional teas and putting the focus on the generations of skilled tea growers.
Flavor & Experience: Kathmandu Cosmos is a spiced black tea that combines citrus, ginger, cardamom and lemongrass to create this super lively, aromatic cup. It's like a warm hug but with a lively finish. The spices and citrus add loads of depth to the tea so it never gets lost in the mix. Just a perfectly balanced, smooth, and refreshing cup that tastes just like a great cup of chai.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Add a teaspoon of Kathmandu Cosmos to hot water and let it steep for a bit. As the steam rises, the citrus and spices start to come out and the color deepens to this gorgeous amber. The texture is silky smooth yet vibrant and lively - perfect. The ginger and cardamom dance through the black tea base giving Kathmandu Cosmos this amazing balanced personality.
7) Piper & Leaf - Front Porch Special
Brand Overview: Piper & Leaf is a small family-owned tea company in Lacey's Spring, Alabama that prides itself on making artisanal teas with a distinctly Southern twist. They specialize in giving gourmet black teas a local touch, blending them with all sorts of local fruits, herbs and spices to create unique and nostalgic flavor experiences that really stand out.
Flavor & Experience: Front Porch Special is a black tea that's got a bit of a floral, minty vibe going on. The combination of jasmine, spearmint and bergamot is like a breath of fresh air, and it leaves a fresh, lightly sweet taste that's just begging to be sipped over ice on a hot day.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Scoop a teaspoon of Front Porch Special into hot water, let it steep for a bit, and then enjoy the way that floral and minty aroma fills the air. The liquor remains light and clear, and when it hits your tongue, it's like a little spa treatment - the smooth texture and the way the jasmine and bergamot glides across your tongue just makes you feel like sipping tea is the best thing in the world.
8) Culinary Teas - Jasmine Decaf Green Tea
Brand Overview: Culinary Teas is a small family-owned company that's all about making amazing-tasting loose leaf and specialty teas that don't have to break the bank. They're all about the idea that tea should be a bit of a social thing, a reason to get together with friends and family and make some memories over a cup of something truly special.
Flavor & Experience: Jasmine Decaf Green Tea is one of their prettiest teas, a lush green tea that's wrapped in delicate jasmine scent, so you get this gorgeous floral thing going on. And even though it's decaf, it's still got loads of flavor. It's fresh, clean and quietly elegant, with just a hint of sweetness.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Put a teaspoon of Jasmine Decaf Green Tea into hot water and let it steep for a bit - it'll come out pale and pretty and smelling just amazing. The texture is silky smooth, and when you drink it you can really feel the jasmine floating above the tea, leaving a nice calm, smooth feeling in your mouth.
9) iLoLa - Royal Cream of Earl Grey No. 12
Brand Overview: iLoLa has got that special something - they marry up traditional tea style with a whole lot of modern wellness vibes. Their Tea Discs are a real game-changer that is super easy to use, sustainable, and thoughtfully put together from start to finish.
Flavor & Experience: This Earl Grey blend is a masterclass in balance. Rich black tea gets a bergamot and vanilla boost, with a hint of orange to keep things interesting. The bergamot keeps the whole thing bright and citrusy, while the vanilla rounds it all out so it doesn't feel too heavy.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Place one tea disc of Royal Cream of Earl Grey No. 12 and put it into a hot water. As it steeps, the room fills with this amazing citrusy aroma and the tea develops this gorgeous golden color. The texture is like silk - velvety smooth with just the right amount of body, and that vanilla just wraps around the bergamot making the whole thing feel super comforting and luxurious.
10) Teappo - Yuzu Black Powder
Brand Overview: Teappo is a California-based husband and wife team who've been in the tea game for years, drawing on a century of experience, mainly from Taiwan and Japan. They're all about delivering top-notch loose-leaf teas and tea powders, sourced from the best places and put together with real care.
Flavor & Experience: This Yuzu Black Powder is a total showstopper. Yuzu citrus just explodes over a full-bodied black tea base. The flavor is like a big ray of sunshine that is bright, zesty, and totally refreshing. The texture is smooth and dense - just what you need to balance out all that black tea richness, and it leaves your palate feeling nice and clean.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Just add a teaspoon of Yuzu Black Powder to some hot water and stir until it's fully dissolved. Straight away, you get this amazing citrusy aroma rising up to the surface, it's like a little burst of sunshine in a cup. The texture is silky smooth, with the yuzu cutting through all that richness to leave you feeling bright and energized.
11) Leafberri - Passion Fruit Purple
Brand Overview: Leafberri is a specialty tea company that brings some of Kenya's finest teas from the farm to your cup, all expertly crafted by their founder, who just so happens to have a deep connection to Kenyan tea rooted in her very own family history. The teas are grown in Kenya's highlands and let their distinct flavor profiles shine, while also highlighting the positive impact of buying from local farmers and supporting the local community.
Flavor & Experience: Passion Fruit Purple is a right vibrant purple tea blend; think passion fruit, hibiscus, lemongrass, and apple all mashed together for a taste that's absolutely tropical and with just a hint of tartness. The fruit notes are pretty bright and refreshing, but the tea base takes care of keeping the whole thing smooth and drinkable. The ending is a blend that is so colorful, fruity and lively that you can't help but enjoy every last sip.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Add a teaspoon of Passion Fruit Purple to hot water and let it steep, you'll see the color start to deepen out. Before long, the whole cup is this gorgeous jewel-like hue and the citrus and tropical aromas just start to waft up. The texture is clean and lightly tart, and the fruit notes glide beautifully over the soft, purple tea base.
12) Beach House Teas - Fog Horn Grey
Brand Overview: Beach House Tea is based on the American coast and run by people who are dedicated to capturing the essence of the Pacific Northwest in every cup. They're a small operation, so they make their teas in small batches using only the very best organic and wild-harvested ingredients they can get their hands on - all in the service of flavor and authenticity.
Flavor & Experience: This Earl Grey blend is inspired by the coast and the result is a smooth, gently floral cup that's got a bright citrus taste and a hint of bergamot. In short, the citrus stays up front while the florals do a great job of softening everything down, creating a cup that's basically creamy, calming and just about perfectly balanced from start to finish.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Scoop a teaspoon of Fog Horn Grey into some hot water and let it steep. Almost immediately, the cup starts to release this lovely soft floral citrus aroma, and the liquor itself starts to mellow down and turn to this lovely golden color. The texture feels smooth and slightly creamy.
13) Danfe - 102° Vanilla Chai
Brand Overview: The approach of Danfe Tea is to put Nepal's absolutely amazing Himalayan teas under the spotlight, the ones that grow at dizzying altitudes. They're dead set on sharing these exceptional brews with the world and letting folks experience the unique taste of Nepalese tea for themselves.
Flavor & Experience: This black tea chai blend has a nice balance of spice from the cardamom and a soft sweetness from the vanilla. The tea base is fairly full-bodied, and the spices are warm but not overpowering, while the vanilla just adds a hint of creaminess. It's really the perfect cup for lazy mornings or quiet afternoons.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Place a teaspoon of 102° Vanilla Chai into some hot water and just let it sit for a bit. As you open the cup, the aroma hits you right away - all warm spice and vanilla. The liquor itself gets a bit darker as it steeps and the texture is rich but also surprisingly smooth and creamy.
14) Somage - Lemongrass & Ginger
Brand Overview: Somage is a brand that really knows its stuff. They take traditional tea ingredients and use some pretty clever techniques to come up with unique teas that really stand out from the crowd.
Flavor & Experience: This herbal blend has a nice balance of bright, citrusy lemongrass and a bit of warmth from the ginger. The ginger does add a bit of heat but the lemongrass keeps things light and feeling pretty refreshing.
Brewing & Serving Notes: Add a pyramid bag of Lemongrass & Ginger into some hot water and let it steep for a bit. As the cup steeps the aroma of citrus really starts to fill the air. Lemongrass and ginger mixed together, are pretty lovely. The liquor turns a nice pale gold and the texture is just light and clean, but with a bit of warmth from the ginger lingering in the finish.
Brewing Tips for Flavored Tea
Getting the most out of your flavored tea is all about using a few simple brewing tips:
- Use fresh, clean water that tastes good and decent quality tea leaves - that'll do it for the best taste.
- Take it easy when you're steeping - you don't want to knock out those delicate floral and fruity notes that make flavored tea so great. and to avoid bitterness.
- Strong black teas and chai blends will appreciate a bit of extra heat and a longer steep to get that rich, smooth cup that you and tea lovers around the world rave about.
- If you want to see what good tea is all about, get yourself a loose leaf blend. They give way more aroma and depth compared to those tea bags.
FAQ
What is the most delicious flavor of tea?
A lot of tea drinkers love blends with vanilla, cinnamon or citrus; these just balance out the sweet and bright taste with a smooth tea leaf that just seems to work.
What is the most popular flavored tea?
Earl Grey's one of those classic black teas that's really popular thanks to the bergamot citrus aroma and a rich black tea base.
What is the best tea for someone who does not like tea?
Things like vanilla chai, passion fruit or bourbon sugar black tea can make tea feel like a coffee or dessert rather than a cup of tea. It's amazing how many people who don't like tea will convert once they try one of these flavors.
Final Notes
The top tea of 2026 really shows just how wild and wonderful the world of tea has gotten. There's the spicy kick of chai, the deep richness of black tea, the delicate beauty of floral green tea and the fruity sweetness of herbal tea. There's something to match almost every mood and moment.
Whether you need a cup of tea to calm you down after a long day, a refreshing glass of iced tea to cool you off on a hot day, or a strong brew to kickstart your morning, the sheer variety of options means there's bound to be something for every tea fan out there.
Ready to find your perfect cup of tea? Visit Taste of Tea for our range of flavored teas. Get ready to discover the amazing, vibrant flavors waiting just for you! Whether you take your tea hot or iced, there's something out there to suit your taste and whatever occasion you've got in mind.
Behind the Cup
Further Reading