Prince of Wales, English Breakfast alternatives

by **robgendreau** » Oct 12th, '11, 20:11

Prince of Wales, English Breakfast alternatives

by robgendreau » Oct 12th, '11, 20:11

Adagio hasn't had bulk English Breakfast in for a while, and I need something like it. I liked Twinings Prince of Wales tea, which I find to be a bit mellower than the English Breakfast here. I'm not a huge fan of the Irish Breakfast.

So I'm seeking alternatives. Either a variety/blend they sell here, or suggestions for a blend of stuff I could whip up by buying separate loose tea.

TIA,
Rob

by **Chip** » Oct 12th, '11, 20:28

Re: Prince of Wales, English Breakfast alternatives

by Chip » Oct 12th, '11, 20:28

Hi Rob, welcome to TeaChat.

Generally English Breakfast is traditionally 100% Chinese Keemun black tea. I know Adagio does have Keemun ...

English Breakfast is usually a more proprietory blend of various Keemuns which is fairly consistant from year to year to year. Buying a "Keemun" however usually has a lot more variability, which most of us would say is a good thing.

by **AlexZorach** » Oct 20th, '11, 13:24

Re: Prince of Wales, English Breakfast alternatives

by AlexZorach » Oct 20th, '11, 13:24

I think historically/traditionally, English Breakfast is Keemun, but most of the modern ones on the markets are blends and, in my opinion, are quite different from the Keemun-only English Breakfasts. I think the modern ones are a bit stronger / edgier.

But Keemun might be a great choice if you want a black tea that is a little mellower.

Another that you might want to look into, if you like lighter teas, is Darjeeling, although the aroma / overall qualities of that tea are also very different.

It's been my experience that when you pay more for tea (assuming you're buying from a reputable company), you tend to get smoother teas...so it might be worth shelling out a little bit more for something premium. I.e. a Yunnan Gold tea vs. a regular Yunnan black tea...they tend to be a bit smoother. I recommend trying a bunch of samples of different black teas, and seeing for yourself what you like! You're probably going to discover some teas you end up liking a lot more than the tea bags you were using before!

Good luck!

by **joelbct** » Dec 27th, '11, 22:27

Re: Prince of Wales, English Breakfast alternatives

by joelbct » Dec 27th, '11, 22:27

AlexZorach wrote:I think historically/traditionally, English Breakfast is Keemun, but most of the modern ones on the markets are blends and, in my opinion, are quite different from the Keemun-only English Breakfasts. I think the modern ones are a bit stronger / edgier.

But Keemun might be a great choice if you want a black tea that is a little mellower.

My favorite bagged Breakfast Blend, the only mass-market black tea I would speak highly of, is Tazo Awake, which I think is a Ceylon/Assam blend.