"This tea is okay and it is reasonably priced, but for the taste, it is not destined to become one of my favorites. " David’s Teaview: 6/10 Other Teaviews: Stephen gave it 5/10, Cindy gave it 7/10 Your Reviews: Add your review »

Breakfast teas are important to those of us who need a strong brew in the morning to help wake us up and get our engines going for the days’ work. Although I typically begin my morning with a bowl of matcha green tea, this is sometimes not quite enough to pry my eyes open. Thank goodness I’m not alone in this—hence the many breakfast blends available to come to my rescue! British Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, and French Breakfast are among the strong brews of black tea traditionally blended to be strong enough to the senses (both taste and smell) and to have a bit of a caffeine “kick” to awaken the body (although in a less jolting way than coffee).

Adagio’s Irish Breakfast certainly fits the bill in most ways as a breakfast tea: it has some strength, being a blend of Ceylon and Assam teas (according to their website), and it will stand up to some milk and sugar, if that is your preference. The maltiness which is characteristic of most Assams is present, but is muted (or overpowered, depending on your tastes) somewhat both in aroma and in taste by the smoother, more fruity Ceylon. This is an intriguing twist on the typical Irish Breakfast, which often is 100% Assam. Whether you are able to enjoy this version I think depends on how awake your taste buds are in the morning, and especially how much you like a very fruity Ceylon tea. I’m not particularly fond of most Ceylons—they remind me too much of my early experiences with cheap tea, and there are many other interesting tea flavors out there. In the case of this particular tea, the Ceylon fruitiness almost silences the Assam. I seldom take milk (soymilk) with a morning tea and never take sugar, yet it wasn’t until the third cup that I was able to appreciate the subtle presence of the Assam’s maltiness within the blend. The lack of this maltiness makes for a bit of a weaker morning cup, especially if the taste buds aren’t awake yet J. For me, then, this would be a better afternoon tea, when I am able to better appreciate the mixture of flavors. For a morning blend, I think I would prefer a straight up Assam or Keemun, such as Tea Embassy’s C.S. Lewis Blend (an Assam Irish Breakfast), or Harney and Sons’ Supreme Breakfast (a Keemun blend). This tea is okay and it is reasonably priced, but for the taste, it is not destined to become one of my favorites.

— To purchase Adagio Irish Breakfast, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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