Scottish Breakfast Tea

Scottish people know their whiskies and teas.  Their forefathers played critical roles in the history of Indian and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) teas.  Examples: Robert Fortune introduced tea plants from China to India.  James Taylor commercially planted tea in Sri Lanka.  Robert and Charles Bruce pioneered India Assam's tea industry.

It is said that Scottish Breakfast Tea is blended to accommodate Scotland's soft water, which could make tea taste flat or highlight its flaws.   Similar to its cousin English Breakfast Tea,  this Scottish Breakfast is a classic blend of Assam, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and African teas.   It is a nice malty brew that takes milk and sugar well.   Drinking it straight, Scottish Breakfast Tea is bold enough to pair with haggis on Robbie Burns Day.

In honor of Robbie Burns, the Scottish poet from the 18th century,  Scots and non-Scots alike celebrate his January 25th birthday every year with a traditional supper of haggis and Scotch whisky.  

Scottish Breakfast Tea

Type:  Black     Producing Country: Scotland (blender)    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The fine dark granules are malty and reminiscent of Horlicks.
Wet Leaf:  The wet brown leaves have typical Assam (malt and wicker) notes.
Liquor:       This breakfast tea, brewed with filtered water, is dark brown.  It is astringent, bright, full-bodied, malty and strong.  It is flavorful with or without milk.   The proportion of Assam, Sri Lanka and African leaves harmonizes the tea.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

English Breakfast Tea

Was it Drysdale or Richard Davies?   Either one might have contributed to the invention of English Breakfast Tea.  It is said that Drysdale, a tea master in Edinburgh, Scotland, marketed his blend of robust tea as "Breakfast Tea", which became popular in England in the late 19th century.   Richard Davies, an apothecary from England, set up Canton Tea Co. in New York in 1848 and conceived a blend called English Breakfast tea, including Chinese black, tippy green and oolong.  Mr. Davies exported his tea to England.

English Breakfast Tea is essentially a black tea blended from teas grown in various countries or regions.   It is strong and goes well with milk to accompany a hearty breakfast.   The traditional blends usually contain Assam, Ceylon, Kenya or Keemun.   In recent years, almost every large tea merchant has its signature English Breakfast blend.  Furthermore, some interesting blends take on different personas, such as Irish, Scottish, French and New York Breakfast teas.

Each of the following three English Breakfasts has its own tea combination to achieve its 'briskness':

• Selridges is Assam, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Darjeeling.  It is lighter.
• Twinings is Assam and Kenya.  It is more malty.  
• Partridges is Kenya.  It has a cocoa note. 

English Breakfast

Type:  Black     Producing Country: England (blender)     Preparation:  95°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  Selfridges leaves are larger and floral.  Twinings are quite malty.  Partridges leaves are very fine and seem to be subdued.
Wet Leaf:  Selfridges wet leaves smell like wicker.  Twinings leaves are malty and Partridges leaves are again subdued.
Liquor:      Selfridges tea is sweet with a hint of malt.  Twinings tea is malty with some astringency and its color is brown with a reddish tint.   Partridges tea has a slight cocoa flavor.   Adding milk, all three teas are equally enjoyable.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Yunnan Black

China's Yunnan province is thought to be the place where the tea species originated.   Yunnan is also synonymous with Pu'er tea (fermented).   Although Yunnan began cultivation of black tea (oxidized) only since 1940, it is producing some of the best black in the world.  Yunnan black is generally characterized by  an abundance of golden buds and by its rich flavors, nicknamed "the mocha of tea".   It even takes milk well.

Emperor Yunnan

Type:  Black     Producing Country: China   Preparation:  95°C 5 Min

Dry Leaf:  The golden and brown tiny buds give a strong scent of prunes in a wicker basket.
Wet Leaf:  The dark brown buds are sugary and also smell like wicker.
Liquor:      The dark brown 'ale' is maple-sweet or sugary.  It is smooth, peppery, full-bodied, lengthy in the mouth, and slightly earthy.  In other words, it is deliciously complex.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Keemun Black

Keemun or Qimen black teas are named after Qimen town in Anhui province of China. Qimen is known for its fine green teas (e.g., Huang Shan Mao Feng) and did not start producing black teas until 1876 when Yu Ganchen retired from Fujian to his native village of Qimen.  Mr. Yu applied the processing techniques he observed while he was a government official in Fujian to manufacturing black teas.  Keemun black has been a favorite in breakfast blends.

Two of the Keemun black teas are Mao Feng and Hoa Ya A.   Keemun Mao Feng is likely from the same tea bushes that yield Huang Shan Mao Feng green tea.  Mao Feng simply means fur peak or young downy buds.  Keemum Hoa Ya A is also a bud tea (Hoa Ya). The 'A' indicates that it is a highest grade.  Hoa Ya B is a lower grade.

Keemun Mao Feng

Type:  Black     Producing Country: China    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The twisted dark leaves are quite herbaceous.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are a bit smoky and wet-mossy.
Liquor:      The amber brown tea is smooth and slightly smoky.  It is not astringent but lacks complexity and cocoa notes.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Keemun Hoa Ya A

Type:  Black     Producing Country: China    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small black pieces have notes of spices, dried mushrooms and anise.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves smell floral and wicker-like.
Liquor:      The brown tea is full-bodied, rounded, smooth and not astringent.  It has nice cocoa and molasses notes.  It is not smoky.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Jasmine Pearls

The effort that goes into making Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea justifies its price.

In the Spring, young tea buds are plucked and individually hand-rolled into little beads to dry.   In the Summer, a large quantity of jasmine flower buds are picked during the day and layered with Spring's green tea pearls for several hours during the night.  When the jasmine flowers bloom before midnight, they release their perfume that is absorbed by the tea pearls.  Afterwards, the flowers are separated from the tea.  This infusion step may be repeated a few times for a premium grade tea.   A genuine jasmine tea is 'scented' by flowers.  A 'flavored' one is a knockoff.

Jasmine can be used to scent other types of tea, such as white and black.   China is widely known for its production and  consumption of jasmine teas.  A nice jasmine tea pairs very well with spicy Asian dishes.

Jasmine pearls

Type:  Scented Green    Producing Country: China    Preparation:  85°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The peas or pearls are brown with silver stripes and very fragrant.
Wet Leaf:  The unfurled leaves are olive green and fragrant.
Liquor:      The straw-colored tea smells and drinks like fresh jasmine flowers.  It is sweet, velvety, mild and fragrant.  Its perfume is neither overpowering nor artificial.   The leaves can be brewed multiple times.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Kenya Milima Estate

European colonization of Africa from the late 19th to the middle 20th centuries resulted in tea cultivation in several countries, such as Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.  It is a tea jungle out there.   Most African tea production is done mechanically or CTC (Cut, Tear and Curl) for black tea blends or for tea bags.  Tea is a significant export product for these countries.

Kenya straddles the Equator and can grow teas year-round.   It has been producing some great teas, including white, green and even purple.   Milima Estate is one of the premier tea plantations in Kenya.

Kenya Milima

Type:  Black     Producing Country: Kenya   Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:   A few golden tips mixed with dark CTC leaves are sweet and biscuity.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are brown and have the scent of straw.
Liquor:      The liquor is mahogany-colored.  It is a tea that will take milk and sugar well as it is brisk, strong, spicy, astringent and lightly malty.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Nilgiri Thiashola Estate

The Blue Mountains or the Nilgiris in Southern India are hilly landscapes dotted with tea gardens.  Nilgiri district is the second largest tea production area in India after Assam. Geographically, it is closer to Sri Lanka.  Not surprisingly, its teas are similar to those of Sri Lanka.   Nilgiri teas are often used for blending.

Thiashola Estate is probably the oldest tea garden in Nilgiri.  Its tea plantation started in 1859 and was cultivated by Chinese prisoners of the second Opium War.

Nilgiri Thiashola

Type:  Black     Producing Country: India    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The leaves are wiry and lightly raisiny.
Wet Leaf:  The broken leaves are pleasantly floral.
Liquor:      The brew is coppery.  It has some astringency and is fruity (prune-like).  It is not very complex.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Assam Banaspaty Estate

The Bruce brothers were the pioneers of Assam teas.  Robert Bruce, a Scot, discovered indigenous tea bushes in Assam in 1823 with the help of some local tribal people.  After Robert's death, his brother Charles set up the first tea plantation around 1830 to grow and produce teas.

Assam tea is named after the area Assam, which is the largest state in Northeastern India.  Assam tea bushes (Camellia sinensis assamica) are different from Chinese tea trees (Camellia sinensis sinensis).  Assam tea trees have larger leaves and produce a stronger tea.

Banaspaty is one of the many tea gardens or estates in Assam.  The tea was organically grown.  

Assam Banaspaty

Type:  Black     Producing Country: India    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The black FTGFOP (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade leaves have the aromas of raisins, figs and biscuits.
Wet Leaf:  The nose of the brown wet leaves is wicker.
Liquor:      The brown tea is is full-bodied, brisk, chocolaty and astringent.  It is not very malty.  Maltiness is a typical trait of an Assam tea.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5