Top O’ The Morning: The Best Irish Breakfast Tea Brands

Here is my list of the best Irish breakfast tea brands.

Twinings of London Irish Breakfast Tea is the best of the lot in my opinion.

I tried over 20 types before putting this list together. 

A lot of them while labeled as Irish breakfast tea, didn't have the strong taste that this type of tea is characteristic of. Needless to say, they didn't make it to this list.

Let's get right to it.

The Best Irish Tea Brands

These are some of the best Irish tea brands in the market:

Irish Breakfast Tea Bags

These brands will give you the best brew with their Irish breakfast tea bags.

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Twinings of London Irish Breakfast Tea

This is a well-known and reliable brand that works well for a hearty cup of Irish breakfast tea.

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What We Like:

• Strong Brew: this is quite a strong brew. So, if you are looking for a wakeup call in the morning, this is the brand for you.
• Good Taste: this is a full-bodied and robust tea, with a good malt flavor as well.
• Good for Regular Drinkers: the sheer number of tea bags ensures that you can enjoy your favorite beverage regularly.

What We Don’t Like:

• Not the Most Authentic Blend: while there is a notable Assam presence, there are many other teas in there which does take away from the authenticity of the brew.

Taylors of Harrogate Irish Breakfast Tea

If you are looking for a more authentic taste, consider this brand of Irish breakfast tea.

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What We Like:

• Authentic Blend: made from just Assam and African teas, this blend is quite authentic. As such, it is a great way to experience the true Irish breakfast blend.
• Good Strength: each tea bag is capable of producing an incredibly strong brew. Thus, you will get maximum flavor here.
• Lovely Flavor: In addition to the malty profile, you also get to enjoy a nice, rosy liquor with every sip.

What We Don’t Like:

• Easy to Oversteep: due to the strength of this tea, be careful not to oversteep it. Otherwise, you may be left with an overly bitter brew.

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Republic of Tea Lucky Irish Breakfast

If you prefer a lighter cup of Irish breakfast tea, you will appreciate the lighter notes of this brew.

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What We Like:

• Proper Blend: the tea leaves in the bags are well-sourced from high-grown Assam and Ceylon plants. As such, you are getting great quality.
• Decent Flavor: this tea has a nice malty flavor without being too strong, bold, or overpowering.
• Easy to Brew: these leaves are quite forgiving, allowing you to brew the drink to perfection.

What We Don’t Like:

• Subtle Brew: if you prefer a strong malty taste, then this may not be the brand for you.

Loose Irish Breakfast Tea

If you prefer brewing loose leaf teas, these are the brands to buy.

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Davidson’s Irish Breakfast Tea

If you are looking for good value for money with your loose Irish breakfast tea, look no further.

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What We Like:

• Decent Blend: this is a decent blend of Assam and Ceylon tea leaves and you will appreciate the distinct flavors.
• Organic Sources: all the tea leaves are organic. Thus, you can have peace of mind when drinking this brew.
• Good Value: it is fairly good value, particularly if you plan on drinking tea regularly.

What We Don’t Like:

• Not the Greatest Quality: it isn’t the greatest quality out there and may not be suitable for those with more experienced taste buds.

Harney & Sons Irish Breakfast Black Tea

This is a strong and full-bodied Irish breakfast tea that you are unlikely to find with other brands.

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What We Like:

• 100% Assam: this is all Assam tea so it is as authentic as it gets. This tea also results in a cleaner and clearer taste.
• Good Flavor Profile: this Irish breakfast blend has just the right level of briskness, body, and aroma – ticking all the right boxes.
• Great with Milk and Sugar: this black tea works especially well with milk and sugar, making for a treat in the morning.

What We Don’t Like:

• Some Loose Powder: there is some loose powder in the tins which need to be filtered out before using the larger leaves.

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Positively Tea Company Irish Breakfast Tea

There is a lot to like about this Irish breakfast tea, particularly if you have just been introduced to the blend.

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What We Like:

• Good Blend: this is a blend of Indian and Sri Lankan teas, offering up that heavier and bolder profile you might be looking for with Irish breakfast tea.
• Good Flavor: there is a good balance of malty flavor and tartness, allowing this blend to have a good kick to it.
• Lasts a Long Time: you can make this quantity of tea last a long time, even if you drink it daily.

What We Don’t Like:

• A Bit Weak: the brew is a bit weak. Fortunately, this can be improved by allowing the leaves to steep for longer.

How to Choose Irish Breakfast Tea

Here are some points to consider when choosing the best Irish breakfast blend:

Where the Teas are Sourced

As mentioned, Irish breakfast tea is known for its high level of Assam tea. Thus, if you want the real deal, make sure that your blend contains Assam tea.

As for the other options, the exact kind of tea will depend on the brand. It isn’t unusual to find the Assam tea mixed with Chinese, Ceylon, African, or Indonesian teas.

The Blend Ratio

Some brands mention the proportion of each tea type that is used. If this information is available, you should examine it.

There should be more Assam in the blend than anything else.

Of course, there isn’t an exact ratio for this blend so it is up to you to decide how much of the other types should be included.

Keep in mind that each type of tea has its own flavor profile.

Malty Taste

This brings us to the malty taste of the tea. It is practically a signature with the Irish breakfast blend.

So, if you want to know whether you’re sampling an authentic cup, look for this flavor. It should be readily available, particularly over the other flavors of the other teas.

Strength

Irish breakfast tea is known for being strong. At the same time, it isn’t overly bitter.

So, keep your taste buds ready for a brew that is bold but not too astringent.

Oh, and a high caffeine content will not hurt either. 

How to Make Irish Breakfast Tea

Most brands will offer specific instructions with their Irish breakfast tea bags or loose tea. It is always best to follow these steps.

Each blend is different and typically, the manufacturer has the most knowledge regarding how to brew their tea perfectly.

In case there are no instructions, you should brew Irish breakfast tea the same way you would black tea.

Use two teaspoons of tea leaves or one teabag for every 6 to 8 ounces of water.

Heat the water until it just begins to boil. Take it off the heat immediately.

Allow the bag or leaves to steep for 3 to 5 minutes.

How to Drink Irish Breakfast Tea

Irish breakfast tea is known for being quite strong. As such, you aren't expected to drink it black.

Most people will add milk and sugar (or honey) to this blend. This helps to balance out the robustness of the tea.

The exact amount will depend on your preference. Of course, it is best to add just enough to still be able to enjoy the malty tones of the Irish breakfast blend.

A Brief Introduction of Irish Breakfast Tea

Even if you have had the chance to taste Irish breakfast tea, you may not know much about it.

So, what is this tea blend?

Irish breakfast tea does consist of black tea. However, the main component is Assam tea.

As such, the drink is quite robust and has a malty taste.

The resulting brew is also reddish. 

Caffeine in Irish Breakfast Tea

The actual caffeine content in Irish breakfast tea will vary from one brand to another. This is because each brand has its own blend.

However, if a brand does stay true to a high Assam content, you can also guarantee that the resulting blend will have high caffeine content.

On average, Assam tea offers up about 80mg of caffeine per 8 ounces of tea.

The significant caffeine jolt is one of the reasons that this drink is consumed early in the morning.

Irish vs. English Breakfast Tea

So, what is the difference between Irish breakfast tea and English breakfast tea?

Well, they are both black teas.

While Irish contains mostly Assam tea, though, English tea has a higher content of Chinese tea.

On average, the Irish blend is also stronger and bolder than the English breakfast blend.

These are the best Irish breakfast options on the market. Thus, if you want to develop a new tea-drinking habit, you know just what to look for.

If you want to learn more about the different kinds of blends, make sure to head over to our Pinterest page.