The Best Tea Companies (updated - 2014!)

Winter is prime tea-drinking season. Nothing is more beautiful than curling up by the fire with a book and a cup of tea while the snow falls outside. As C. S. Lewis said, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

My favorite part of tea is that it's composed similar to an eau de parfum: you start with the "base notes" of the tea itself, whether it's rooibos from South Africa, black tea from India, Japanese sencha, or leaves from some other exotic locale; you then add "heart notes" or a fusion of fruit, spices, or fragrant flowers to add complexity; and finally, you top it off with an accent of something to draw in whomever catches a whiff... vanilla, lavender, a dash of mint... As with perfume, the possibilities are endless!

Zab and I have been tea connoisseurs for years now, so we're sharing with your our list of international favorites: brands, flavors, packaging, &c. Enjoy, and let us know your own favorites in the comments section! We're always eager to broaden our knowledge of this timeless, global beverage.

1. Tazo

Starbucks has made this tea company international famous, but did you know they have WAY more flavors than we've been led to believe? You have to check out their website, which has a fantastic aesthetic and beautifully-arranged teas. We're familiar with the classic "mood" flavors, like "Rest" and "Passion," but they also have "Thrive" and "Focus," the latter of which is "a cleverly invigorating mix of malty black tea, roasted yerba maté, orange essence & cocoa peel." They also carry their own variety of smoky Lapsang Souchong, as well as blends such as Phoenix Mountain (a honey & orchid flavor), Dragonwell (creamy green tea with subtle chestnut flavor), and Blush Berry Black (a ravishing blend of black teas with strawberry, black raspberry & blueberry).

2. Harney & Sons
Zab & I have been drinking Harney & Son's "Caribe" tea for as long as we've known each other! To this day the smell and taste of it remind me of afternoons hanging out on Zab's back porch on a sunny day after school. I'm going to put the entire description of this one here, it's just too delicious: "Breathe in the sweet aroma of Caribe, a light fusion of green and black teas enhanced by tropical flavors. The exotic tea mellifluously fuses hibiscus, guava, coconut and strawberry, accented with marigolds and cornflowers. The first sip tastes of green tea, trailed by an impressive array of fruit and floral surprises, revealing endless tropical notes tucked into each sip. A favorite for many, Caribe is an inventive and exotic blend softened into a serene escape."  Another timeless flavor of theirs is "Paris," which is "a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel flavors, and a hint of lemony Bergamot." We also are very fond of their spin on Earl Grey tea, "Winter White Earl Grey," which is made with Chinese Mutan white tea and comes in a beautiful robin's egg blue tin.

3. Mariage Frères
Founded in 1854 by brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage, this French emporium now boasts an incredibly broad and varied selection of blends. Their classical black tin collection includes mixes such as the popular "Marco Polo" ("a mysterious blend that will take you to distant lands and unforeseen territories...") and "Thé de Lune." They also have their own unique Earl Grey blend, "Earl Grey Provence," which incorporates notes of lavender.

4. Argo
Whenever I'm home in Chicago I always try to get to an Argo Tea. This Chicago-based company has taken over the city (and spread to St. Louis, NYC, and Boston) and is giving Starbucks a run for its street corners. Not only does it have its signature drinks for the regulars (my usual is their White Tea Acai Squeeze), they also sell packaged blends for every type of tea. Some of my top picks are Fruit Sangria, Pomegranate White, and Earl Grey Crème, all of which are sold loose leaf.

5. Løv Organic
This French tea company fooled me for a while with it's Scandinavian aesthetic - I thought it was based in Copenhagen for some time.  Their all-organic loose leaf tea blends vary from the fruity to the smoky, and they all come in adorable tins in vibrant colors.  My favorite of the moment is "Winter in Løv", one of their collection with plays on their name, which actually means "leaf."

6. Le Palais des Thés
Another fairly recent find, this international tea company offers incredibly impressive blends that convey the nuances and care of designer perfumes. Their Thé du Hammam is "inspired by a Turkish recipe using green teas that evokes the characteristic fragrances used to perfume a hammam: roses, green dates, berries and orange flower water. Sprinkled with flower petals in the pure Eastern tradition, its extraordinary fragrance comes from a subtle combination of Chinese green tea and rich, fruity aromas." Their Thé des Concubines recreates the atmosphere of a Chinese tea house by blending "green and black teas from China with rich, fruity notes of cherry, mango and vanilla." Nearly every tea can be bought in multiple types of packaging, such as 3.5oz pouch, a box of 20 tea bags, or a gorgeous metal canister. I've currently got my eye on their Thé N°25 Collection, particularly their N°25 Black Tea Holiday Edition, which is a Christmas blend of black tea with "orange, cinnamon, vanilla, rose and almond."

7. Teavana
The ultimate tea-shopping experience! Seriously. It's hard to describe the sheer volume of eclectic flavors that Teavana offers, but I'm going to give it a shot. Their variety of white teas include "Dragonheart," a fusion of pomegranate and bamboo; "Youthberry," one of many superfruit-enhanced teas, and two of Zab's favorites: "Snow Geisha," which is flavored with delicate rose petals, soft white tea leaves, luscious cherries and candied cranberry, and "White Ayurvedic Chai," a modern twist on chai tea flavored with naturally sweet cinnamon with spicy pepper and robust clove. Teavana also has some crazy flavors of blooming tea, from "Pineapple Kawaii" to "Peach Momotaro" to the ancient and revered "Silver Yin Zhen Pearls White Tea," which are much smaller than the large blooming teas. In the oolong category they have so many mouth-watering blends that I don't even know what to do with myself, so here's the full list. Can I just throw a few of the oolong titles out there? "WonderBerry Chocolate Truffle," "Strawberry Rose Champagne Oolong," "Maharaja Chair Oolong," "Yumberry Wulong Oolong," and "French Spice Quartet Oolong"...

8. Tea Forté
Tea Forte's signature pyramid infusers showcase their huge variety of flavors quite nicely. Their black teas include some of my favorite flavors such as "Hazelnut Truffle," "Ice Pomegranate Blackberry," and "Orchid Vanilla." This company also has a unique line of antioxidant-amplifying beauty teas called "Skin Smart." Each gorgeous box contains a unique flavor of teabags which "support the detoxifying effect of abundant plant-based polyphenols and catechins, a strong tool in skin recovery and the fight against visible signs of skin ageing."

9. Twinings
Who can forget the English father of all tea companies? The founder of Twinings, Thomas Twining was born in 1675, and started his brand during an era of colonialism, mercantilism, and the domination of the East India Company. Today, they not only have some of the best versions of the most classic tea blends (their Earl Grey is hands-down the most time-perfected version I've ever had, especially English-style with milk and sugar), but also have launched a line of organic and fair-trade certified tea blends. Their chamomile with mint and lemon sounds like a deliciously healthy choice.

10. Kusmi
Tea therapy in every tin! Parisian Kusmi Tea has adorable colorful tins for all their flavors. I've currently got my eye on their Ginger-Lemon Green tea, a healthy blend to cure even the most finicky of colds. Kusmi also randomly has a collection of Russian teas: we like "Petrushka" and "St. Petersburg."

11. Tea Leaves
This is our newest discovery! The packaging and marketing aesthetic this company has is so wonderful. The individually-wrapped whole leaf pyramid teabags are fantastic, but they also offer loose tea in black tins. The blends are all numbered like Bellocq's, and a couple of our favorites are No. 7445 (Auberge Herbal Blend) and No. 3060 (Mango Oolong).

12. Bellocq
This one is one of my latest discoveries. Each of their teas is numbered (like a perfume!), and each is more exotic than the last! Some of my favorites are No. 45, The White Wolf (A refined and delicious blend of organic white peony, cedar, vanilla, and mint. Also wonderful iced.), No. 54, Gypsy Caravan (A beguiling blend of organic Indian and Chinese black teas, rambling rose and tongue tingling chile give way to soulful smokey notes reminiscent of a distant campfire. Full-bodied and smooth with delicate floral notes and a wistful, smokey finish. Gypsy Caravan is well-suited to holiday afternoons in a comfortable chair in front of the fire.), and No. 39, Hindu Holiday (Rich and smooth organic / fair trade South African rooibos, cardamon, fragrant cassia, and spicy ginger adorned with garlands of rose, jasmine and marigold petals.). Their bestselling tea is No. 1, Bellocq Breakfast, a blend of organic Indian, Chinese and Ceylon black tea with "round toasted notes of honey, malt and a touch of leather." For every tea, you can choose whether you want it in a yellow Bellocq box or a silver, yellow, or navy caddy.

13. Dammann Frères
Founded in 1692 in Paris, when Mr. Damame was granted the exclusive privilege of selling tea in France by Louis XIV, Dammann produces very high-quality teas with beautiful packaging.