No Products in the Cart
The Quiet Pour No. 03: A guide to Indian black teas and their complex relationship with milk.
I was talking to a friend recently when she casually mentioned that her dad adds milk to our Darjeeling Golden Summer Muscatel.
I paused. Darjeeling, with milk?
It caught me off guard, not because it’s wrong, but because it’s unexpected. And it made me realize how often this question must come up quietly in kitchens everywhere.
Should you add milk to black tea?
The short answer is yes, you can.
The better answer is that it depends on the tea and on what you want from the cup.
From a tea expert’s perspective, not all black teas behave the same way once milk enters the picture. Some shine, some collapse. And some lose the very qualities that make them special.
A little science before we go further: Tea contains tannins, which are polyphenolic compounds that bind to proteins in your saliva. When milk is added to tea, the proteins in the milk bind to those tannins instead. Keep in mind that not all tannins behave the same way; we’ll get into this further!
So, why does milk work beautifully with some black teas and not others? It really comes down to three things: body, extraction, and flavor.
Body, or viscosity, is the first consideration. It describes how weighty or substantial a tea feels in the mouth. Teas that are light and thin can easily taste diluted once milk is added. Teas with naturally higher viscosity have enough structure to support the added fat and proteins from milk.
The second consideration is concentration and degree of extraction. A tea needs to be brewed strong enough to stand up to milk, but not so aggressively that it becomes harsh, bitter, or overly astringent. You know that dry, puckering sensation on your tongue when you sip a strongly brewed black tea? That feeling is astringency. When brewed correctly, the tannins in tea bind to the proteins in milk, softening astringency and creating a rounder, creamier cup.
This, by the way, is the foundation of chai. Chai is intentionally brewed strong so that once milk is added, the cup becomes balanced rather than bitter.
The third consideration is flavor. Warmer, deeper notes such as cocoa, malt, toasted grain, oak, and spice integrate naturally with milk. Lighter notes like florals, citrus, honeyed sweetness, and vegetal tones are more fragile and easily muted.
Within the Herbs & Kettles collection, there are several Indian black teas (outside of chai!) that can take milk well.
Assam black teas, especially our Assam Special Reserve, work beautifully thanks to their bold, malty character and naturally full body.
Sikkim Black Cosmos, an autumnal black tea grown in the high Himalayan mountains, also performs well with milk due to its viscosity and deeper cocoa and oak driven profile.
Our Jasmine Black Tea, made with a Nilgiri black tea base rather than green tea, has enough depth to hold its natural jasmine aroma and honeyed oak notes even with milk. My kids love this with boba!
Earl Grey can also take milk beautifully when it is built on the right base. When the body and maltiness of an Assam black tea are paired with real bergamot oil, the tea has enough structure to support milk without losing definition. The richness of the Assam anchors the cup, while the citrus oils lift it, creating a balanced, aromatic milk tea rather than a flat or perfumed one. This is why Earl Grey with a robust black tea base works so well as a London Fog, while lighter or thinner bases can disappear once milk is added.
Darjeeling teas behave very differently. They are lighter in body and prized for aromatic complexity rather than weight. Muscatel, floral, and vegetal notes along with a bright astringency define these teas.
When milk is added, those delicate characteristics are easily overwhelmed.
This is why Darjeeling is often referred to as the “champagne of teas.” The comparison isn’t about luxury alone but about structure and style. Darjeeling is meant to be enjoyed on its own so its complexity can fully unfold.
How milk is added also matters. Some people prefer to add a small splash of milk after steeping, which softens the edges while keeping the tea largely intact. For Assam and other robust black teas, milk can be added during brewing to create a more integrated cup.
Milk choice plays a role, too. Whole milk remains the most neutral option. Cashew milk offers creaminess but can sometimes congeal. Full fat oat milk works beautifully for chai, but I would keep in mind that it can overwhelm delicate teas. Almond milk is lighter and nutty but may just create a very diluted cup. Soy milk provides excellent body and stability, though its flavor can compete with nuanced aromatics.
It’s also worth being mindful of what is often labeled as “milk” in specialty drink shops. Many rely on non dairy creamers made from refined oils, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and added sugars. These create a creamy texture but often mask the tea itself and introduce ingredients many people prefer to avoid.
I’m also reminded of Taiwanese tea shops. There’s a rise in popularity of using special
“teaspresso” machines to create concentrated tea, brewed through a rapid extraction process. This tea works well with milk and sweetener, resulting in a rich and creamy dessert tea experience (sometimes, condensed milk is added!).
In the end, you can add milk to any black tea if it is brewed strong enough. Whether you should depends on what you want from the cup.
Understanding body, extraction, and flavor allows you to make that choice intentionally rather than by habit. And that intention, more than any rule, is what makes a good cup of tea. 🫖
