As much as I love sipping on a delicate green tea and contemplating the universe, there’s something so homey, genuine, and comforting about a hearty English Breakfast tea. That’s what this New English Teas’ loose leaf is all about. It’s a simple tea tin full of rich, malty black tea that’s dying for a drop of milk (and maybe a stack of pancakes on the side).
Whether you like a sweet breakfast, a full fry-up, or nothing at all, this is a good tea to brew up and sip in the mornings.
But how does it compare to other English Breakfast tea offerings? Read my full review below to find out.
English Breakfast Tea at a Glance
- Tea: CTC Ceylon black tea
- Flavour: Malty, smooth, and rich black tea with distinct bitterness
Woah! This is a strong and rich black tea with a defined bitterness that really shines through when you drink it without milk. Serve this one with a generous splash and some sugar too.
Full Review – New English Teas English Breakfast
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: CTC black tea
- Origin: Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Flavour Notes: Malt, smooth, rich, bitter, bold
- Aroma: Light, smooth, Ceylon tea, tannins
- Milk or Lemon: Milk and sugar
- Where to Buy: New English Teas or Amazon
When I first popped open the metal tea tin, I was a little concerned. The dry leaf aroma has no malt notes or real strength, which a true English Breakfast tea needs. Instead, it’s smooth and light like a gentle Ceylon black tea.
But I needn’t have worried.
It brews into that classic English Breakfast tea colour – dark red-brown. For my tea reviews, I try the tea without milk, as you can see in my photos. But I’d recommend always drinking this tea with milk as the flavour has a very strong bitterness to it otherwise.
It’s a slick, silky black tea with a slightly drying sensation. The aroma is rich with tannins and malt – it’s unmistakably bold. The flavour is smooth and malty, but quite simple and one dimensional. With the addition of milk and sugar, it is beautiful!
Overall, this is a simple and easy-to-brew English Breakfast tea that won’t let you down. It’s a welcome addition to my Best English Breakfast Tea list.
How to Brew English Breakfast Tea
If this is your first time brewing loose leaf tea, you’ll need to use a tea strainer or infuser. Just add 2g of tea (or 1 teaspoon) to your infuser, submerge it in 100°C water for 3 minutes, then strain out the leaves.
If you don’t have a tea infuser, you can make do with a paper coffee filter.
3 minutes provides a decent strength brew, but if you like a lot of milk in your tea then brew for 5 minutes total.
As mentioned, milk is a must for New English Teas English Breakfast blend. I don’t take sugar in my tea, but you can certainly add a teaspoon or two if you like! As for food pairings, any hearty breakfast will go nicely with this bold tea. Cakes will go beautifully with it too.
Why New English Teas Tins?
This is my second review of New English Teas and I quite like their brand values so far. They list the origins of their tea – Ceylon/Sri Lanka – and they don’t add unnecessary flavours.
I’m reviewing the limited-edition Alice in Wonderland tea tins set, but you can also find this tea in other loose leaf tins and sold as teabags. As far as I know, the actual tea leaf in all these products is the same.
New English Teas use a CTC (crush, tear, curl) method for the English Breakfast tea. This refers to the method of oxidising and fixing the black tea. It results in a very strong tea that is designed to be consumed with milk and sugar. It’s not a sign of high-quality, however.
Summary
Overall, I do recommend this English Breakfast tea. It isn’t a fine, high-quality tea, but it is hearty and comforting – which is really what you want from an English Breakfast blend! Use the button below to track down New English Teas English Breakfast tea on Amazon. It’s usually sold in both the UK and USA as both loose leaf and teabag formats. You can also find a link to buy this tea directly from New English Teas in the full review above.
Tea Recommendation
If strong English Breakfast teas always make you happy, then you’ll really enjoy malty Assam teas. Assam is a region in India where many of the teas have rich, malty and strong flavour notes. Check out What-Cha Assam Prithvi tea next.