Irish Breakfast Decaffeinated

My Irish Breakfast ritual is the same as I used to do when I was a kid drinking black tea at a restaurant (with my parents looking askance at me, as if wondering, “Where did this kid come from? WE don’t drink tea…”): Lots of cream. I had a partly-used container of heavy cream at home, so this box of bulk tea bags kind of called out to me at TJ’s this afternoon.

My previous decaf Irish Breakfast was Stash, and I’m thinking after one cup of this that the Stash is tastier than this is. Maybe I understeeped (I’m too used to whites and greens, three minutes seems like an eternity to steep something!), but it just doesn’t have a lot of flavor. Tons of color—the spoon disappeared into the brew—but a less assertive, rich flavor than I’d like. The deep malty Irish Breakfast taste is supposed to blend into the cream and get deeper and richer, but this just sort of sits there in the cream, as though it’s been through a lot and wants to rest. For $3.49/box I guess I shouldn’t have expected much. It’s not that it’s bad—just that it isn’t standing up to my cream tea ritual. Sigh…

The best part about vacationing in the US is that I can go to Trader Joe’s. I picked up a number of bagged teas (all decaf/herbal tisanes) because most hotels only have lame English breakfast/green teabags. I didn’t realize there were 40 teabags in the box, so I guess I’m going ot be drinking this for a while to come.

This was not as brisk or acidic as I expected. If anything, it was more pleasant than English breakfast often are. Malty, thick mouthfeel, very flavourful. I really enjoyed mine with soy milk, but I imagine it would take well to being enjoyed straight. No sweetener needed, the leaf doesn’t need it. Nothing really stands out about this blend, other than not being unpleasant in any way (doesn’t over steep quickly, is smooth and palatable). This would make a really nice daily drinker in the evening.

This is my standby decaf black tea. i often brew a bag of this combined with a bag of something caffeinated because I like my tea fairly strong but can’t have the caffeine. It’s solid, unremarkable, great value.

Black ,smooth, and rich in flavor and can drink at night!

A straightforward, wonderfully drinkable black tea. Very smooth, not bitter, full-flavoured and not weak. A go-to decaf tea for me. It smells more fragrant and tea-like than my Harney & Sons Decaf Earl Grey.

My favorite decaf. Straight forward, and still rich flavor.

I think I score this tea it as highly as I do because I find it so unexpectedly drinkable. Normally, I dislike Irish Breakfast blends. I often find them too aggressive and too bitter. This is uncommonly smooth and surprisingly pleasant.