As the weather gets colder, I get a craving for sweeter, more dessert-like teas. So when it was the first real, cold and blustery day of the season, I was excited to taste Irish Whiskey Cream from Tea & Absinthe. The dry leaf smells mild but sweet, like black tea with a hint of caramel. When brewed, this blend smells amazing, as rich and decadent as crème brûlée. I take my tea without milk or sugar, and the dessert flavors were still very forward and enjoyable.
While there is “cream” in the name, the sweetness in this tea is less like vanilla frosting and much more like salted caramel or burnt brown sugar, with just a bit of vanilla underneath. Cocoa bits are listed in the ingredients, but any chocolate flavor gets buried under the more caramel and toffee notes. I’m sure the “whiskey” in the name is a recommended brewing partner for this tea on those evenings when you need a little bit more warmth and merriment. The tea itself doesn’t have any overtly whiskey tones, nothing smoky, but the roasted-sugar flavors do remind me of certain amber libations.
I was careful not to over steep this blend, as the Irish breakfast Assam black tea base could get strong very fast. Keeping an eye on my brew times, I’ve had no bitterness and all creaminess. I could definitely see myself brewing up a cup of Irish Whiskey Cream from Tea & Absinthe and topping it with whipped cream on a snowy day.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea & Absinthe
Description:
“The Other Irish Breakfast” – Black tea Assam, cocoa bits, flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Irish Breakfast Tea from Epi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Epi Tea
Tea Description:
Epi Tea’s Irish Breakfast is a great morning brew with a deep malty flavor and a smooth finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve been reading about Epi Tea all over Steepster, but this is the first chance that I’ve had to actually try one of their teas. Epi Tea have been actively promoting their teas offered in biodegradable pyramid sachets.
While I tend to prefer loose leaf, I do occasionally enjoy teas that have been bagged, and I really do like these pyramid sachets that Epi Tea uses for a couple of reasons: 1) they’re biodegradable and I appreciate any company taking steps to protect our planet; and 2) I can see the teas through the silken material that is used in these sachets, and it looks to be very high quality tea – not unlike what I’d use when preparing loose leaf tea. These pyramid sachets appear to offer offer the quality of loose leaf in a very convenient, biodegradable sachet.
I also like that the size of the pyramid sachet is sufficient to allow the tea to properly expand. After brewing, the leaves had plumped up, but, there was still a bit of room left in the sachet … telling me that the leaves had plenty of room to do their thing. That’s important if flavor is important … and flavor is the reason I drink tea!
Which leads me to the real test of these pyramid sachets: tasting … and this tastes great too. I love Irish Breakfast tea because it is usually offers a bolder taste than English Breakfast and it is also very invigorating. And this Irish Breakfast is indeed that. It is a bit milder than some Irish Breakfast teas I’ve tasted, and along with that milder flavor comes a smoothness that I was not expecting. Very nice.
But it wouldn’t be an Irish Breakfast (at least, not to me it wouldn’t!) if it didn’t have some of the basic characteristics of an Irish Breakfast tea: A delicious malty tone. A sweet, caramel-y undertone. And this tea brings those qualities to the cup. It is good and strong, and it tastes really good – and I can feel it start to work on my caffeine needs too.
Yes, I’m addicted to caffeine. I am sure that comes as no surprise to you. As a result, in the morning, I usually have a slight headache as a result from caffeine withdrawal.
But this Irish Breakfast has offered me a speedy recovery from my caffeine withdrawal, and I am feeling fit to face the day thanks to this tea.
Capricorn (Zodiac Series) Custom Blend from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
Capricorn people like gifts, not gaudy and expensive ones, but practical and useful. Why not buy a delicious blend of Irish Breakfast, coconut and vanilla.
Capricorn people like to take charge and give practical advice. They often hold executive positions in business, or have leadership roles in their communities. They are typically loyal, stable and dignified, and have a natural ability to provide rules and guidelines by which others can achieve and grow.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This custom blend was created by Adagio Teas customer Inguna Trepsa combining Adagio’s Irish Breakfast, Coconut Black, and Vanilla Black teas. I am very grateful to my tea drinking friend that sent me a sampling of it (thank you!) – I am happy to have this opportunity to try it.
The aroma of the brewed tea is very inviting with its notes of coconut and vanilla. Irish Breakfast blends are traditionally very stout, strong black teas with a vigorous flavor to get you going in the morning. This blend maintains that vigor, while incorporating the flavors of coconut and vanilla to give the bold Irish Breakfast an interesting and flavorful twist.
Of the two flavors, I find the coconut to be the most pronounced. I tasted the coconut right away, but it took a few sips before the vanilla tones could be fully tasted. The overall flavor is creamy and sweet with a strong, bracing taste of black tea in the background.
I have found that some of Adagio’s teas are a bit “too much” for me, that is to say, the black tea base that they use can sometimes be too harsh and brassy. However, I am not experiencing those harsh tones that I’ve come to associate with Adagio’s teas. Rather, this is a quite delicious! It does have a fair amount of dry astringency, something that can be curbed a bit with the addition of milk, which also enhances the creaminess of the flavors very nicely.
A very pleasant Adagio custom blend – I’m glad I got to try it!
Finnigan’s Wakeup from Chad’s Chai and Tea Company
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Chad’s Chai and Tea Company
Production Description:
The Irish are known to say that tea should be strong enough to stand you spoon up in it. This Irish breakfast tea is indisputably bold, yet lively with fun flowery undertones. And it will take all the milk and sugar you can give it!
Ingredients: Full leaf Black Tea from India and China.
Tasters Review:
Let’s just say – after tasting Finnigan’s Wake-Up…Finnigan can wake me up any day! This is a nice, solid black tea! Perfect for that first cup!
This Irish Breakfast Tea is wonderful! It has a great flavor. It’s very tasty. It’s bold and full and if I really try can pick out the slightest bit of floral taste hiding underneath.
The Product Description from the Company talks a lot about the traditional additives many Irish Tea Lovers may add to their cuppa but I drink ALL of my teas plain and still think this is a great cup!
I do have a lot of Irish in my background but also have a lot of Norwegian as well as some English, French, and German so let’s just say I am ‘well rounded’ with my likings for various morning and breakfast teas. Or at least I like to think I am. There are several I like and this is now added to my list of morning or breakfast teas.
Finnigan is my friend!
