Irish breakfast tea is one of my favorite morning teas. It is a perfect blend of Assam and Ceylon black tea varieties, with Assam as the most present, and other varieties of black are sometimes added as well, this depending on the company.
Well as its name implies, this tea is more commonly consumed in the morning and can be enjoyed straight or with milk. Some folks squeeze lemon in it as well.
In Ireland this tea is not called Irish breakfast tea, and instead is referred to simply as tea. And since the Irish consume more tea than any other capita in the world, it is drunk throughout the day.
Brand names such as Barry's, Bewleys's, Twinnings, and Stash Tea Company sell this tea as one of their products.
However if one really wants to experience the true taste of this tea, I recommend brewing it by loose leaf over tea bag brewing. You will definitely extract better flavor and quality!
Generally the leaves appearance of this tea are smaller than other varieties of black tea, and are "broken" rather than whole, with some revealing golden tips (or golden pieces). These are the Assam leaves you see present.
This tea should be brewed for about 4 or 5 minutes with natural spring or distilled water.
The liquor will turn a dark red which will produce a sweet aroma and have a pleasant full-bodied taste. If drunk straight, you may notice a slight bitterness to it as well.
Irish Breakfast tea is a variety that I will continue to brew in the mornings, and recommend it to folks searching for a new black tea to try.
