Much of the Western world's introduction to tea is with the delightfully potent mixtures that are breakfast teas. “Breakfast tea,” is itself a truncation, the words “English,” “Irish,” or “Scottish” most commonly prefacing the name, indicating an obvious regional preference. Strangely enough, the origin of the blend that we know as English breakfast tea is in fact Scottish. The Scottish tea master Robert Drysdale is credited with creating the blend in 1892. Queen Victoria became somewhat entranced, the breakfast blend popularized by Queen Anne in the 1700s considered weak in comparison to the newer, stronger mixture. It didn’t take long for the Drysdale blend to be adopted as the new English breakfast favorite. Late to the party was the Irish variation, the often Assam heavy blend stepping onto the scene only after WWII.
There is no standard recipe for breakfast teas, though they are most often composed of black teas from China, Sri Lanka, Assam, Kenya, and Indonesia. While other breakfast blends exist: French, Russian, Yorkshire, Melbourn, Sydney, etcetera, none have gained the popularity and ubiquity of the “big three.” With no real canonical standard, each breakfast blend is unique in and of itself, though even the most mild of the blends is designed to hold up to milk and sugar better than just about any blend in existence.
True to form, the Scotts never stopped making bold tea blends, and our modern Braveheart Scottish Breakfast Blend is no exception. The strongest of our breakfast tea offerings, this punch in a cup is here to start your day off right. Its Irish Breakfast counterpart is no less robust, the Assam forward notes bringing a subtle smokiness that speaks well of our family’s heritage. English Breakfast is the mildest of our breakfast blends, though don’t let that “mildest” deceive you, as this yields a robust, full-bodied flavor that lingers on the palette like honey. An all-day tea that never says no to a little dairy.
The benefits of such blends go hand-in-hand with their purpose. Their strength was meant to cut the fattiness of a proper monstrous meal, which they do nicely. Taking the helm at the breakfast table means you have to be properly stimulating, and the caffeine in breakfast teas certainly does the trick.
Black teas taste best when brewed between 205° and 212° Fahrenheit. Our wide offering of unique black tea blends results in different optimal temperatures, so it’s best to experiment to find the best temperature range. As a general rule, black tea leaves should steep for at least 3-5 minutes and will grow stronger and more robust with each additional minute of steeping time. You can also refer to our packaging for specific brewing instructions to complement each tea. But most importantly, do what makes you happy!