Breakfast Time Tea (Twinings English Breakfast)

Member Name: Zmugzy

Product:	Twinings English Breakfast
Date:	31/03/09 (195 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Picks you up in the morning.

Disadvantages: Less effective in the afternoon

It was in 1706 that Thomas Twining began his business as a tea merchant in the London Strand from where the firm has traded continuously ever since. My opinion of Twinings Teas varies a lot depending on the particular blend. Whilst I regard Twinings Earl Grey as still one of the best blends around, many other Twinings varieties leave a lot to be desired, especially some of their herbal fusion teas. In terms of quality Twinings English Breakfast tea falls somewhere in the middle range of popular black teas. I certainly wouldn't describe it as a 'classic'.

Twinings English Breakfast tea forms part of the Twinings Classics range which also includes Assam and Traditional Afternoon tea. The tea is a delicate blend of various black teas. It is suited for drinking at any time of the day and is probably OK for drinking with most main meals, but it is as a breakfast tea that this particular blend excels. Twinings English Breakfast tea was originally blended to compliment the traditional hearty English breakfast from which the name derives and it does seem to possess the necessary stimulants and sharp flavour required to pick you up at sunrise. In the afternoon however, for some bizarre reason, the tea seems to lack some of the 'kick' it provides at daybreak. The tea can be drunk with or without milk, I personally prefer it with a drop or two of semi-skimmed. As with all teas, once the box is opened it should be stored in a cool dry place.

One tea bag is the recommended dose per person. This is not the strongest black tea you can buy. It does not in my opinion have the full flavour nor the strength of popular top brand black teas such as Yorkshire Tea, PG Tips, Fair Trade and Clipper. It should therefore be brewed for the full five minutes in order to get the all the flavour you can out of each bag. I doubt you'd get two mugs off the one bag.

Taking the above into account, and when you consider that a box of 50 teabags will cost you around £1.95 at the major supermarkets, Twinings Breakfast tea is not the best value option. Although at the time of writing it is on special offer at Tesco for £1.30 a box.

Summary: A traditional Twinings black tea designed for breakfast.