Why Dominion tea?
As a small, private, family company, Dominion Tea has significant flexibility to explore tea that would normally not be purchased by larger companies. Larger companies need to ensure, high volume, long term flavor availability, and other requirements imposed by stockholders or venture capital backers. As a small, bootstrapped company, Dominion Tea is free to explore all that the world has to offer in tea and tisanes and is able to experiment and purchase small batch and rare teas.
How do I learn more about shipping and return policies, including free shipping?
Please review our Shipping & Return Policy to learn more about how free shipping is calculated, how we ship, and how returns are handled.
Why is the maximum package size only 8oz?
A pound of tea lasts approximately six months when drinking a single cup a day. Given that tea is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture and aromas readily) we believe that large packages do a disservice to our customers in terms of overall freshness and taste. Your last cup should taste as good as your first. Purchasing smaller sizes allows individual customers greater flexibility to explore with less risk of any individual tea degrading and loosing its freshness.
Why do you offer so few decaffeinated teas?
The decaffeination process, using carbon dioxide or water, has a significant impact on the taste of the tea. Additionally, the FDA requirement for decaffeinated tea allows for 3% residual caffeine. So we feel the taste suffers significantly and the end product isn't even caffeine free. We prefer to focus on the very few decaffeinated teas which still provide a quality taste experience with greater offerings of naturally decaffeinated rooibos and other tisanes.
Do you carry organic products?
Many of the products we carry were originally certified organic. However, to label the products we sell as certified organic we must have our own certification. This is something we are actively working on and expect to have soon.
Do you carry Kosher products?
Many of the products we carry were originally certified Kosher. However, to label the products we sell as Kosher we must have our own certification. This is something we are actively working on and expect to have soon.
Why is there no focus on tea and health?
At Dominion Tea we are focused on the intersection of tea with history and culture. While there are undoubtedly health benefits to tea, many of the claims made in the industry lack rigorous scientific study and validation, as well as agreement by the US Food and Drug Administration. We prefer to focus on the enjoyment that tea provides and the learning and cultural growth found through exploration and upgrading your tea experience.
How does Dominion Tea select the teas it offers?
Tea is an agricultural product affected by the soil, climate, air, manufacturing process, and ultimately how it is brewed. There is tremendous variability from year to year and even among the same named tea from batch to batch. We focus on selecting a broad range of high quality teas which represent some of the best options available at reasonable prices. Our selections seek to provide great experiences for those seeking conventional, adventurous, and connoisseur tea experiences. Some teas will be selected for great experience and consistency while others will be selected for their uniqueness and rarity. We hope to support your learning and exposure to a broader range of great teas.
Why cold brewed tea?
Iced tea in America is often made at home by steeping tea with boiling water and pouring over ice. While this method generally works well for black teas, boiling water results in bitter tasting green or white teas. Cold brewing allows the enjoyment of ice cold green teas without the bitterness. Cold brewing also results in a completely different taste profile for your black teas. For example, iced tea made from English Breakfast will taste completely different, sweeter, and more mellow, when cold brewed.
How do you make cold brewed tea?
Making cold brewed tea couldn't be easier. Simply add loose leaf tea to cold water and refrigerate for about 10 hours. We recommend 7-10 tsp of loose tea leaves to 48 oz of water. This is roughly 1 tsp for every 5 to 7 oz water. When complete simply pour through a strainer to separate the leaves from tea. We use a specialty FORLIFE Tea Jug for this with a built-in strainer but a simple kitchen strainer will do fine for most loose leaf tea.
Is caffeine from tea less jolting?
Despite what might be read on some websites, caffeine is caffeine regardless of source. What might be different is how the body reacts to caffeine in the presence of other substances found in tea. There is interesting research which looks at caffeine and L-theanine (an amino acid) which is also found in tea. However, current studies involved L-theanine amounts typically much higher that amounts typically found in tea. We wrote about this topic in more detail in our blog post Is caffeine from tea less jolting? and would welcome feedback.
How much caffeine is in tea?
Tea, specifically the product of camellia sinensis, has caffeine. It occurs naturally in the plant and is a part of its natural defensive system. All varieties of true tea including white, black, green, and oolong, come from the leaves of this plant. The specific amount of caffeine in any given tea product is driven by the variety of tea plant, period of growth during the season, and pluck of the leaves. It is not driven by processing method so there is no way to say that black tea more caffeine than green tea or any other type of tea. The amount of caffeine in any one type of tea (lets say Earl Grey) will vary greatly from batch to batch. Read Your caffeine assumptions about tea are wrong! (Sorry) on the Dominion Tea Blog.