Barista Life Blog · 1 min read

brewed oolong tea vs Pure Leaf black iced tea: which has more caffeine?

Pure Leaf black iced tea carries more total caffeine per serving (54mg per 18.5 oz bottle vs 37mg per 8 oz cup), but ounce for ounce brewed oolong tea is actually the stronger drink at about 5mg per fluid ounce against 3. Which one "has more caffeine" depends on whether you measure the container or the concentration.

brewed oolong tea vs Pure Leaf black iced tea: the numbers

brewed oolong tea Pure Leaf black iced tea
Caffeine per serving 37mg per 8 oz cup 54mg per 18.5 oz bottle
Caffeine per fl oz 4.6mg 2.9mg
Servings to reach 400mg (FDA context) 10.8 7.4

Sources: brewed oolong tea's figure is verified in our brewed oolong tea caffeine guide against USDA FoodData Central (source); Pure Leaf black iced tea's figure is verified in our Pure Leaf black iced tea guide against PepsiCo label data (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick brewed oolong tea when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Pure Leaf black iced tea when you actually need the bigger hit and know your tolerance. If you are stacking either with other caffeinated drinks through the day, run the math against the 400mg reference rather than guessing.

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

Related reading

FAQ

Does brewed oolong tea or Pure Leaf black iced tea have more caffeine? Pure Leaf black iced tea: 54mg per 18.5 oz bottle versus 37mg per 8 oz cup for brewed oolong tea.

Which is stronger per ounce? brewed oolong tea, at about 4.6mg per fluid ounce versus 2.9mg for Pure Leaf black iced tea.

Comparing caffeine? The caffeine comparison tool puts hundreds of drinks side by side, and the caffeine curfew calculator can check your cutoff time for tonight.

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