CTC Irish Breakfast Blend (TB12)

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Malt, Metallic, Tannic, Astringent, Toast, Roasted
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Vegan
Edit tea info Last updated by Rumpus Parable
Average preparation
Boiling 3 min, 15 sec 3 g 10 oz / 299 ml

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From Our Community

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37 Tasting Notes View all

  • “So in my Monday morning haze, I had this made and in my travel mug before I realized that my travel mug smelled like the armpit of hell because I’d forgotten to clean it after having a tea latte...” Read full tasting note
    68
  • “2nd of 5 breakfast blend samples from Upton … tested with T. of honey. I remember testing Adagio’s Irish Breakfast and liking it … setting it aside to retest later, and it seems to have gotten...” Read full tasting note
    54
  • “2/8/14 Sipdown. 3g/60z/212F/3min. This is the first CTC tea I can remember having loose, though I’ve seen plenty in tea bag dissections. It’s made a good pot of tea, properly...” Read full tasting note
    68
  • “Ok… no more trying new teas in a travel mug. I swear to you, even the least offensive travel mug I own gives a faint plastic taste to tea. I gave this one a second chance with the same parameters...” Read full tasting note
    84

From Upton Tea Imports

The Crush-Tear-Curl manufacturing method produces quick-brewing teas with full flavor. We highly recommend this blend of Assam teas for those who like a very hearty cup. Exquisite with milk.

About Upton Tea Imports View company

Company description not available.

37 Tasting Notes

300 tasting notes

My first Irish Breakfast. I really only ordered this sample to compare to the River Shannon blend that seems popular on here. I brewed this right after Bond Street this morning. Cute little grape nut like pellets, I’m used to whole leaf.

First brew seemed strong, singular, dry on the tongue and finally bitter. So I assumed the fault, tossed it and lowered the water temperature down to my normal 195 rather than the recommended 212.

The second brew smelled brighter, taste was certainly lighter though it deepened as it sat. I did not find this enjoyable straight, there was still a dryness with a note of butter toward the end (a good thing for me) but the dryness is what stayed on the tongue. Sugar did not improve this but cream certainly did.

I like this better with cream and sugar than the Bond Street but it would honestly be the only way I would enjoy it and I don’t want to make a habit of that. So I made a cream and sugar blend in my tall claddagh mug, set it on the mantle and offered it up to Brighid and moved on to the River Shannon blend which was a vast improvement.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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55
72 tasting notes

Check out our video review here:
http://healthyprofessionals.blog.com/the-tea-show/

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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82
36 tasting notes

Tasted three Upton CTCs today. The leaves for the Irish Breakfast were darker in color than the Upton CTC BOP Estate Blend Organic (TA15) and the largest in size of the three I tasted (Halmari CTC is the third tea). The Irish Breakfast leaves/granules also seemed to have the strongest scent. I tasted all three teas with milk.

The Irish Breakfast is a little malty, with good body, not bitter at all. While not as exciting as some of the single estate assams I’ve had lately, it is very good for a CTC tea. Would probably also be good blended with other teas. I tried adding a tiny touch of honey and it went well with the tea. It developed a creamy feel as it cooled.

I did try brewing (with fresh leaves) a second time at 5 minutes but while it was still not bitter, the flavor seemed better at 4 minutes.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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70
439 tasting notes

Not a sipdown since this was a sample, but definitely a black tea for chess day.

Wow I think I’ve met my CTC match for a strong morning brew. This makes an intense cuppa, and I am usually all for that in the morning, but this is just too much. I’m not sure how a brew this strong manages to be not bitter or astringent, in fact its quite nice tasting with malty, peppery, and metallic notes. I suppose I could add a bit of Yunnan or lemongrass to sip this blend, but this is just a sample and I’m not inclined to purchase a whole bag. There are much better ways to make a strong tasty morning brew (the ctc assam from S&V comes to mind).

Flavors: Malt, Metallic, Tannic

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11 tasting notes

Nice flavor but fairly bitter. Better with milk and sugar.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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78
20 tasting notes

I’m not normally a fan of CTC tea, but this is all you can ask for in a breakfast tea! Full bodied, aromatic, energizing. A very satisfying wake-me-up brew even sans sugar/milk

Flavors: Astringent, Malt, Roasted

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 30 sec 3 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML

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85
2 tasting notes

Very good flavored tea. You must respect the steep time. 3 minutes is the limit. More time will give you a bitter cup. Produces a red-ish liquor and scent of honey. I believe this will be one of my go to teas when I want just a straight up black tea flavored tea.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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80
672 tasting notes

Perfect cup for a gray morning.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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50
673 tasting notes

an ok tea. i’m not much for black teas unless it is a kind of lapsang souchon (or however you spell it.) i may buy this again, however i’m not sure.

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37
20 tasting notes

I received a free 15g sample from my first order from Upton Tea. Que buenísimo.
Note: I recommend erring on the smaller side of the teaspoons (if you use said units of volume to measure your tea) as the CTC tea is a little more dense than other loose leaf teas. Thus, the Irish Breakfast Blend can quickly become bitter if you are generous with your servings or steep time; furthermore, it may help to let the water cool to about 205F before steeping as this may relieve some pressure on the tea and save it from bitterness towards you!

Drinking the tea neat:
The Irish Breakfast Blend pours a coffee black that emits a golden gradient halo along the concave meniscus of the cup. The tea, neat, produces a defensive odor akin to a lone cactus in the middle of the desert warding off thirst-hungry wanderers. The first sip aggressively fills to the roof of the mouth and seemingly attacks both the front and back of the tongue simultaneously. Waiting a few seconds, you find that the astringency of the tea swells the lips and inner cheeks – leaving you with a finish as if you had suckled on the Gumball seeds from the Sweetgum tree. The tea therefore tastes similar to coffee but with a more watery feel in the mouth. After having cooled down, the tea loses its biting potency and allows for a more gentle swallow.

Adding Milk:
Throw a splash of milk into the Irish tea and watch the thick liquid swirl as clouds do in a lightning storm until the reaction settles into a misty, ubiquitously caramel color. This tea with milk tastes just as coffee does with milk but retains its distinctive punchy smell.

Overall, this filling little tea when drunk neat may overwhelm those unaccustomed to black or assam teas. However, one or two teaspoons of milk helps to neutralize the astringency and bitterness of this tea and allows for a sweeter and calmer experience. Aside, this tea pairs perfectly with thick, creamy sides: I recommend a honey greek yogurt to go along with this breakfast tea for your morning.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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