Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Tea Description:
Irish Breakfast Green is full bodied with the ‘umpf’ of black tea but the gentleness of green tea. Enticing toasty hint of flavour. Massively Irish.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t usually turn to a green tea as a breakfast tea. I usually want the kind of gusto a black tea provides, but this green tea packs a swift kick! Yes, the “kick” is a bit milder than what I’d get if I were drinking a strong Assam black tea, but I could see grabbing this tea as a breakfast tea (even though I’m drinking this as an afternoon tea at the moment.) It has a very satisfying flavor.
Yes, this is a blend, but that doesn’t make it complicated to brew. I grabbed my Kati Tumbler – really, this is one of the greatest tea brewing systems that I own! I turn to it frequently because it works great for teas that I have just enough for 1 serving of. And since I’ll be sharing this sampling with my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, I want to make sure I have enough left to send her way!
I used 1 bamboo scoop of tea for 12 ounces of hot water. I heated the water to 180°F and I steeped the blend for 1 1/2 minutes. And wa-lah! A lovely green tea!
This really is lovely! A very flavorful green tea blend. I knew when I brewed the tea that the teas were from China, Japan and Kenya, but I wasn’t sure which teas from these regions were used int he blend. From looking at the dry blend, I would guess that the Chinese tea is a Gunpowder. It’s a little harder to distinguish which teas from Japan and Kenya were used, but I think that the Kenyan is the larger, rolled green tea (see the photo above) and I think that the Japanese tea is a Houjicha (or a roasted Bancha type tea). Of those three guesses, the only one that I’m pretty confident about is the Gunpowder.
I like the way the flavors come together. The sip starts out sweet. Right away I start to pick up on the toasty, nutty flavors. It’s not an overly vegetal/grassy tasting tea but there certainly is a “green” sort of taste to it that’s a little vegetative. There’s a hint of buttery flavor. After my palate becomes acclimated to the nutty, buttery, and vegetal notes of the tea, I start to notice floral notes. There is also a fruity note that I taste that is vaguely reminiscent of melon. In the distance, I pick up a light “smokiness” to the cup that is quite intriguing.
Overall, I found this tea to be a rather enjoyable cuppa. If you’re looking for a way to start your day with a green tea, this would be a great choice. I wouldn’t add milk to it the way many do with a breakfast blend – I think that milk would really overwhelm the tea.
Plus: Milk + Green Tea usually = ICK. So best not to try that.
Instead, try this one straight up. It’s got a really nice flavor without any additions at all. If you must add something to your breakfast tea, try a dollop of locally harvested, raw honey (added health benefits with that!) or even better: a thin slice of lemon or lime!
