What is black tea?
Quick answer
Black tea is fully oxidised tea from Camellia sinensis — the same plant as green and oolong, just processed further, which turns it dark and gives it bold, malty, sometimes cocoa-like flavour. It's the highest-caffeine everyday tea and the most forgiving, so a good baseline is 4 g per 100 ml at about 95 °C (203 °F) for gongfu, or 3 g per 250 ml mug for 3–4 minutes western-style.
What it tastes like
Full oxidation builds depth: think malt, dried fruit, honey, and sometimes cocoa or a brisk, tannic snap. Chinese black teas (like a Yunnan "dian hong") often lean sweet and chocolatey; Indian and Sri Lankan blends lean brisk and robust — the kind that stands up to milk.
How to brew it without bitterness
Black tea is forgiving, but long steeps in a big mug are what turn it harsh. Pour it off the leaves on time rather than letting it sit. For a 250 ml mug, start with 3 g, water just off the boil, 3 minutes, and taste before going longer.
Common questions
Does black tea have more caffeine than coffee? Usually less per cup, but it varies with leaf, amount, and steep time. Treat it as the highest-caffeine tea category and adjust to your own sensitivity.
Can you re-steep black tea? Yes — western-style gives you two or three infusions; small-pot gongfu gives more, each a little lighter.
Dial in your leaf with the grams calculator, get the right amount per cup, and remember that water quality matters as much as the leaf.