Scottish Breakfast

So rarely overcast here in Los Angeles, I decided to brew up a strong Sunday morning cup. The leaves are tiny, so I used a Sowden Softbrew rather than a standard tea-pot.

It seems like the quantity (if not the quality) of Assam has dwindled in this blend as the resulting tea is significantly less malty than I remember it being a number of years ago.

While the tea stands up to milk, it reminds me more of an English Breakfast blend (with an emphasis on balance) rather than a more intense Irish Breakfast blend (which is what I recall this tea tasting like in the past).

Fairly one note, almost more fruity than malty, and growing slightly bitter without additional flavor once you pass the 8 minute mark, (though I have stepped this as long as 20 minutes in the hopes of finding more flavor) I don’t think I would buy this again. If I had to choose a tea from Taylors of Harrogate, I find I prefer Ntingwe Kwazulu for a hearty morning cup which has greater depth as well as complexity than this blend (and I recognize the irony of saying that, as I wouldn’t be hugely surprised if the “African” tea in this blend is from the zulu estate rather than Kenya).

This is my go-to tea in the morning, when I am bleary eyed and can barely get myself to the teapot, and nearly have enough coordination to get the water in the pot. Seriously, if I had to pick only one tea to drink for the rest of my life, this would be it, as it wakes me up as no other tea can. I steep it with warn milk added and a half teaspoon of raw sugar, sort of like a latte without the foam, and I find that it stands up well to long steeping times, anything under 10 and it will be okay, but probably around 7 minutes is ideal for me. I’m not so adept as describing tea flavors, but the flavor is definitely that of a good, strong black tea.

I was initially drawn to this tea because, being a big fan of Irish Breakfast tea, I was intrigued by the idea of a Scottish Breakfast Tea. I really enjoy this one and the bagged version has been in my breakfast rotation for the past few months. This tea is strong and malty but not quite as astringent as Irish Breakfast can be. I drink this straight and it really wakes me up! A couple of grocery stores relatively close to me have been stocking this lately, so it’s been easier to come by.

A terrific cup of tea. Bold tasting. A great way to greet the day.

Tried this tea for the first time and love it. Was looking for a strong morning tea. Something that would stand up to cream. This is the one for me.

This tea is smooth with a bit of bitterness if brewed too strong. Goes with anything from toast and jam to bacon and eggs.

Assam with a hint of some other tea types. Similar to their plain assam. I really like this tea. I’ve had it only in the bagged form. It’s quite good, very strong and aggressive, and quite fully of caffeine. Has a faint natural sweetness, no extreme metallic taste or astringency, a very nice blend. It’s strong, but it won’t be horrible at any time. Possible to become bitter if overbrewed, so I’d put 6 mins as the max. It brews in everywhere from barely lukewarm water to nice hot tea water, so it’s quite good for travelling when cafes serve you warm water instead of hot!

This is my daily wake me up cuppa. My day just doesn’t seem to go right without it. Stout, but lovely with milk and sugar.

This review is of the bagged version of this tea. It brews up a dark, rich rusty color that’s noticeable even after I add soymilk. There is some mild astringency, but it’s not the unpleasant “someone is rubbing sandpaper on my tongue” kind of astringency and it doesn’t linger very long after I’ve swallowed. The bags smell a little fruity but I can’t smell it after I’ve poured the water over the bags and I can’t taste it in the tea, so I’m guessing it’s just a little Earl Grey fannings contamination from the processing facility.

A good tea for morning.