Sloane Tea Company

Frequently Asked Questions

Sloane Tea Company has taken the liberty of listing questions and their respective answers on a variety of questions frequently asked by our customers. If there is a question pertaining to our products, policies, and or services for which an answer is not already listed, please submit it below. We will do our very best to provide you with an answer promptly.

Questions

What is a "tippy" tea?
The term "tippy" refers to when tea contains the new unopened bud of the new growing shoot of the tea plant, which appears as a tawny colour in made tea. The Assam region of India and the Yunnan .... Read More
What are your accepted payment methods?
Sloane Tea Company accepts Visa and MasterCard. If ordering from outside of Canada, your order will be processed in Canadian dollars with the daily exchange rate being applied. We also accept .... Read More
What is black tea?
Black tea is the most well-known tea type in the West and Europe, with Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea being especially popular.  It is also the most intensely processed type of tea. .... Read More
What is your returns policy?
Sloane Tea Company accepts returns for up to 30 days from the day the items ship. You are responsible for shipping your order back to us in order to receive a refund or exchange.
Is there an expiration date on tea?
There is no expiry date on tea, but after one year, tea will start to lose its freshness and flavour. At Sloane Tea Company, we work directly with the growers and tea estate owners to ensure that .... Read More
Do you offer tea samples?
Upon request, Sloane Tea Company would be pleased to provide two free samples with every order.
What is oolong tea?
Oolong tea is a large-leaf, semi-green tea that is partially-oxidized, and hence falls between the green and black tea categories. The leaves are withered and then tossed in bamboo drums, which .... Read More
What is a Darjeeling tea?
A Darjeeling tea is a high-grown Indian black tea originating from "Darjeeling", a geographic location in north-east India. It is a tea with unique flavours that cannot be replicated anywhere else in .... Read More
Milk in first or last?
This question has divided tea drinkers for quite some time. Pouring the milk in last was considered to be the "proper" thing to do in refined social circles, but the reason for this is often overlooked. .... Read More
Do you collect sales tax?
Sloane Tea Company is required to collect sales tax. Sales tax only applies to our teaware. Our selection of tea and Sloane Specialty Sugars are treated as food items and not taxed. Read More
Can I send my order as a gift?
Absolutely! Many of our customers give the gift of Sloane. During checkout, your shopping address may be different than your billing address.
With tea being a seasonal product, how is quality ensured throughout the year?
To deliver on our promise of an exceptional cup of tea, all Sloane Fine Teas are regularly cupped and assessed by independent certified tea specialists, gourmet chefs, culinary instructors and tea industry .... Read More
Do you offer gift wrapping?
Sloane Tea Company's line of products are designed as a finished gift product itself. You may choose to upgrade your selection to be packaged in one of our hand-crafted luxury linen gift boxes, .... Read More
Is ordering on your site secure?
Indeed! We use industry standard 128/256-bit SSL to ensure that your information is securely transmitted to our servers. We also display the Verisign Secured Seal on our checkout page. Please view our .... Read More
What makes Sloane Tea Company unique?
We take our tea seriously as each Sloane Fine Tea is individually sourced directly from growers abroad by certified tea specialists educated in culinary schools. Chosen from literally hundreds of .... Read More
Why the name Sloane Tea Company?
Sloane Tea Company is named after a delightfully quaint square on the boundaries of the fashionable London districts of Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea. Sloane Square was named after Sir Hans .... Read More
What is a tisane?
A tisane, or perhaps more commonly known to some as "herbal tea" includes practically anything that can be steeped in hot water that does not originate from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. As .... Read More
What are the health benefits of tea?
Research is constantly being conducted on the health benefits of tea. For a detailed summary of the wellness benefits of tea drinking, please visit Sloane Wellness. Read More
What are your Customer Service hours of operation
A Sloane Tea Company specialist is available for e-mail and phone assistance Monday - Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00P PM, Eastern Standard Time, excluding holidays. Our customer service toll-free number .... Read More
Can I customize my own flavour selection in a gift box?
Indeed you may! All of Sloane Tea Company's teas are packaged in our signature tea caddies. You may select a combination of either two, three or four teas to be packaged together in our hand-crafted .... Read More
How do I take care of the double walled glass tea cups?
As these double walled glass tea cups are each artisanally produced and mouth-blown, each one may have very slight variations in height, thickness and weight. Please use caution when using metal .... Read More
What is a Taster's Arc"?
Sloane Tea Company understands and appreciates the importance of all the senses, especially that of taste. This is why we have created a new and enjoyable way to explore the world of tea possibiliies. .... Read More
What is a Second Flush Darjeeling tea?
Fine teas from Darjeeling are divided into First Flush and Second Flush, which indicates when the leaves were plucked. A "flush" refers to a period of growth (or harvest), as tea bushes and trees .... Read More
What is afternoon tea?
Afternoon tea is traditionally taken at four o'clock- a respectable distance from lunch, and not too close to dinner so as to spoil the appetite.It consists of a complete four-course menu which includes .... Read More
Milk or no milk?
Many teas taste absolutely delicious with milk, particularly stronger teas such as Assam, where the milk tempers the strong flavour. Generally speaking, the lighter the tea, the less likely it is .... Read More
What is pu-er tea?
A category of tea unto itself, like oolong, black, green or white tea, pu-er has been produced in Yunnan, China, from ancient times. It was transported from the market town of Pu-Er until the tea .... Read More
What is the origin of tea?
The origin of tea is infused with a fine blend of fact, myth, and ancient concepts of spirituality and philosophy. According to an ancient Chinese legend, the story of tea was born over 4700 years .... Read More
How do you prepare a perfect pot of tea?
As you will see when you are browsing through Sloane Tea Company's teas, different leaves require different treatment. Some require boiling water, some less than boiling water, and all need to be .... Read More
What is tea?
Tea, being the most widely consumed beverage in the world, next to water, is derived from a single plant "Camellia sinensis". The plant thrives in tropical and subtropical climates where the rainfall .... Read More
How is tea graded?
Once the tea is processed by drying and rolling, there remains the final stage of grading the tea leaves. When the tea is "made", it consists of a mixture of leaf pieces of different sizes. .... Read More
What is "Jungpana"?
Single Estate teas are the equivalent of great wines- the Premier Cru of the crop. Jungpana is a classic Darjeeling estate known to produce some of the most sought after musatel Darjeeling teas .... Read More
What is white tea?
The least processed of all tea types are white teas. White teas consist merely of unopened leaf buds covered with down. Consequently, they are more rare and in many cases, more expensive. .... Read More
What is rooibos?
A tisane (herbal) produced from the leaf of Aspalathus linoaris, not Camellia sinensis. Grown only in South Africa, Rooibos means "red bush" in Afrikaans and is so called due to the colour of its .... Read More
Do you offer Corporate Gifts?
Specialty tea has always been associated with hospitality and distinction, and Sloane Tea Company's Corporate Gift Service is an ideal way to make a distinct impression with clients and colleagues, and .... Read More
What artisanal techniques are used in tea production?
Sloane Tea Company takes much pride in traversing the tea gardens of the world for the most magnificent teas available- both in shape and type.Our search has resulted in a most fine collection of rare .... Read More
What is yellow tea?
With a history of over 2000 years, yellow tea is similar to green teas, except that it requires an additional processing stage during which the leaf is piled, then covered so as to remain damp at temperatures .... Read More
What is green tea?
Best known for grassy vegetal notes and greenish liquor and leaves, green tea is promptly steamed or pan-fired to denature the oxidizing enzymes and to preserve its freshness. As green tea is un-oxidized, .... Read More
How do I return or exchange items from my order?
If you have an item that you wish to return, please contact us at info@sloanetea.com or 1 (888) 756-2630 to receive a returned merchandize authorization (RMA) number. You must contact us prior .... Read More
What is plucking?
Plucking is done when the tea bush "flushes" or pushes out new leaf shoots. In some places, such as northern India and China, plucking takes place in the growing season, between spring and autumn, .... Read More

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