Twinings English Breakfast Tea Review
It’s a perfect autumn day for reviewing Twinings English Breakfast tea! This blend has been on my mind for years and I’m finally going to give it a proper tasting today. Once I’ve reviewed and rated this tea, I’ll be adding it to my Best English Breakfast Teas list, so make sure you go check that out too.
For those that don’t know, English Breakfast tea is traditionally a blend of black teas to produce a rich, malty and full-bodied flavour that’s consumed with milk.
Let’s find out if Twinings have done a good job with this one.
Twinings English Breakfast Tea at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
3/5
- Blend: Black tea from Assam (India), Sri Lanka and Africa
- Flavour: A simple, classic golden English Breakfast tea with smooth, refreshing notes
Although there’s nothing special about this English Breakfast, it is perfectly executed. Smooth, rich and utterly satisfying. It’s a reliable tea you brew day in, day out.
Full Review – Twinings English Breakfast Blend
Izzy's Rating
3/5
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabag
- Tea: Black tea
- Origin: Assam region of India, Ceylon/Sri Lanka, Africa
- Flavour Notes: Smooth, slightly bitter, refreshing, full-bodied, rich
- Aroma: Malt, sweet, clean tannins, liquid comfort
- Milk or Lemon: Milk or dairy-free alternative
- Where to Buy: Twinings Official Teashop or Amazon
Ripping open the iconic golden wrapper, the aroma of the dry tea is just so comforting. Notes of malt, sweetness and slightly bitter tannins that add a real cleanness to the aroma. It’s beautiful and any Brit will identify it as a true English Breakfast in seconds. You’ve got the malt from Assam, the robust tannins from Ceylon, and the rich body from Africa. The English Breakfast golden triangle.
It brews into a simple tea colour – nothing special here – and the aroma is sweet, mellow and comforting. Once you add some milk, the richness really develops with added creaminess.
Ah, the flavour. It’s nothing outstanding, but it’s perfectly balanced. Smooth, rich, full-bodied and rounded. Each sip is just right. Not too bitter, not to weak, just right.
The vibe I get from this very simple cup of tea is overwhelming comforting. Whether you down it in one, or take the time to go sip by sip, it really hits the spot.
Twinings, this is undoubtedly your best tea.
How to Brew Twinings English Breakfast
Boil fresh water in the kettle and pour it over your Twinings English Breakfast teabag. Let it steep for 3 minutes then add a splash of milk. I use soya milk, but any dairy or dairy-free milk will suffice.
Twinings suggest brewing for an extra minute if you prefer a strong brew, but honestly, you could just buy their English Breakfast Strong blend and achieve a stronger brew in fewer minutes.
Some people like sugar in their English Breakfast, but I’ll only add a teaspoon if the tea is overly bitter or bland. This tea is neither, so try it without sugar before heaping it into your cup.
Why Buy Twinings Tea?
Twinings tea is a British icon, but it’s often thought of as “posh”. I completely disagree with that notion, however. As you can see from my photos, the quality of the tea is nothing special. Furthermore, Twinings doesn’t have a single Fairtrade or organic certification.
The only thing that sets this tea apart is the flavour. They’ve used their expertise at Twinings to blend three complementary teas that create an iconic taste. Oh, and the price. You can expect to pay a few pennies more for Twinings tea than your usual supermarket blend.
As for the origins of English Breakfast tea, there are several stories. American websites like to say that it was invented by a New Yorker in 1843, while other say that it was invented by a Scot and Queen Victoria gave it the name. Personally, I put more stock in the British origins, purely because the original breakfast tea made in America was congou, pekoe and pouching.
Today, Kenyan tea, Assam tea from India, and Ceylon (Sri Lankan) tea is the norm.
Summary
While it’s not winning the ‘best tea ever’ award, it is certainly very good for what it is – a teabag English Breakfast tea at a reasonable price point. The best places to buy this tea online are from Twinings directly or Amazon. You can also buy this tea from any supermarket in the UK.
For my US readers, the packaging may look a bit different, but I believe the contents are exactly the same.
Tea Recommendation
If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep track of the teas they are sipping, I recommend looking at my tea review templates. They are ideal for writing down your thoughts and ratings on all the delicious teas you try. Check it out in the Immortal Wordsmith shop!