Scottish Breakfast

I went to Haig’s Middle Eastern today which is a deli/food store full of wonderful things. In addition to food they have lots of bulk spices and the cheap Russian tea Czar Nicholas II which the BF loves for some reason. Anyway I got him some of that and I got this for myself, I am almost out of my other breakfast tea.

This says it’s a blend of Assam and an African tea, perhaps Kenyan? My cup is a dark reddish brown. At first I liked this a bit more but there is a definite bitterness present in the finish. I had to take this with vanilla soymilk this afternoon and then it was better.

This is for sure very stout and malty and will hopefully provide me with a bit of a kick in the morning even though I’m not in love with the flavor. Honestly sometimes I’m too sleepy to notice or even care. I can’t say I would ever go out of my way to find this again but at least it was inexpensive.

Picked up a box of the bagged for 2.50 at Big Lots…thought I would give it a whirl. It’s nice malty, sturdy, everything you would expect from a Scottish breakfast. I think they’re tea bags are very cool because you have to pull the string to expand the string. A little nerdy yes.

Spiked this with a little milk just because. Smells very thick and full-bodied so I’m liking that. A bit cardboard-y but with a little lightness or sweetness or something to keep it from smelling flat.

Actually, it’s not quite as thick as it smells which is a little disappointing. There’s a bright note in the tea and I think that’s one reason it doesn’t taste quite and chewy but also there’s not quite the starchy texture I was hoping for based on the smell. But it’s not thin bodied so I’m okay. It has a very nutty aftertaste that is pleasant – it doesn’t show up ever sip but frequently enough. There’s a little bit of astringent tingle on my tongue that almost tastes bitter. Out of curiousity for the second half of my cup, I’ve added a little sugar. Doesn’t change a lot of it except smooth out that end taste so that’s good. The cardboard taste goes a little more towards a slightly sweeter malty taste, too. The nutty end taste is still there.

I don’t imagine this is one I’ll be having straight but I think it will be a good travel tumbler tea so over all I am pleased.

^9g/24oz

I’ve been drinking this and I’m enjoying it. It can be the first cup in the morning. I put in a splash of milk and pinch of sugar and I’m good to go!

I am fascinated by the idea that everywhere in the UK needs its own breakfast tea. Scottish Breakfast Tea should carry me away to the highlands (at least in my imagination) right? I have the bagged version of this tea.

It brews up into a reddish brown brew with a sweet tea smell and the strong taste of Assam. It has some astringency but it’s not too bad. There is a slightly unusual note, perhaps a barely there floral citrus? Perhaps that is the African tea I’m tasting? It’s really quite pleasant.

It has nice caffeine kick, which I need since I didn’t get enough sleep last night. It is defnitely a tea I could drink a second time.

I prepare it with just-below-boiling water to mellow it a bit, a teaspoon of agave to sweeten it a bit, and milk.
Best for the first cup of the day but I also like it on a slow, gray afternoon.

Not entirely thrilled with this one, but overall it is fairly decent. I have this in teabag form so I’m not sure if the loose tea would be slightly different or not.

I drink this with milk and some kind of sweetener (brn sugar, honey, or agave depending on the day) and it is a nice morning tea. However it doesn’t have the depth of body that I was expecting, which is a little disappointing. The mouth feel isn’t anything to write home about either. Because I like my breakfast teas super strong, I usually leave the bag in while I’m drinking so that it continues to steep. I won’t be drinking this without milk as it’s a little too thin as it is. I was really hoping to like this Scottish Breakfast, but it’s a little too bland for me to get really excited over it.

An excellent wake-me-up tea. A flavourful reddish-dark brew, which may seem a little bitter for some palates but still, I prefer it with nothing added. Very similar in strenght to the Melroses´of Scotland Scottish Breakfast blend. A sharp, bold taste I enjoy in the mornings and at any time of the day.

Pretty good tea, a pretty smooth ending with a bit of astringency but is smoothed out, perhaps by the addition of milk. My uneducated palate says “tastes like tea.”

I love this tea. I use the bagged variety for convenience and add 2 bags to an 8-oz. mug of near-boiling water every morning. I usually take it with a splash of 2% milk but enjoy it with whole milk and a smaller splash of half-and-half occasionally also. No sweetener, ever.

Perhaps the milk smooths out the astringency others have mentioned. I have always found it mellow, a bit flowery (which I also attribute to the African leaves as someone else mentioned) and refreshing.

I discovered it when I was looking for a replacement for Twinings’ Russian Caravan tea, which is no longer sold in the US. Most Russian Caravan blends I have tried have varying degrees of smokiness, like mild Lapsang Souchong, but the old Twinings blend was not like that. However, my sister described Scottish Breakfast as “smoky” so others may detect that as well. I do not.

The front of the box says, “A rich full-bodied tea with a delicious malty flavour.”
I took mine with half a teaspoon of raw sugar and a splash of 2% milk. I found it very flavourful after about 3 and a half minutes steeping time, then the ‘full-bodied’ taste really comes out. I was delighted to find it remained sweet and tempered in flavour, not becoming bitter or over-powering too quickly.

Irish Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast – I’ve honestly never really known the main difference. I’m really enjoying this tea though. Very good for a weekend when you’re going to actually eat breakfast late and you just want the tea to carry you through the first couple of hours after waking up. There are plenty of hearty flavors in here.

I was excited when this tea popped up at my grocery store – something new! The flavor to me is mostly Assam, but quite good. I had it with a splash of milk.

Oh, and I forgot to mention – I bought a box of 50 bags for $5, so I would definitely say this is a great tea for the price!

Rich, bold flavor. A wonderful addition to any morning.

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.