Favorite English Breakfast Tea?

[Ron Resnick]

While living in London with Tinka I developed a taste for English breakfast tea. Over time I discovered an English breakfast tea -- Chateau Rouge Breakfast Blend No. 27 -- which became my favorite. After we moved back to California I began ordering on Amazon.com this same tea. I was ordering so much of this tea that I began to order it from the manufacturer directly.

This tea company, Chateau Rouge, is now going out of business, to my dismay. I have embarked upon an extensive search to find some other tea I like almost as much as Chateau Rouge Breakfast Blend No. 27. I have ordered a variety of English breakfast teas from America, England, Singapore and France, via Amazon and directly on various manufacturer and distributor websites.

Not surprisingly there are many different taste and smell differences among English breakfast teas -- some differences are strong; some differences are subtle. One English breakfast tea contender tasted strongly like coffee. Another contender tasted something like chocolate.

Interestingly, I found that how a black tea smells is not entirely predictive of how it tastes.

Alas, I have not found any English breakfast tea that I like as much as Chateau Rouge Breakfast Blend No. 27. Fortunately I was able to order from the proprietor of Chateau Rouge his remaining inventory of Breakfast Blend No. 27.

Is anybody familiar with Chateau Rouge Breakfast Blend No. 27?

Is anybody familiar with Dammann Freres The Noir Breakfast black tea -- the winner of my recent English breakfast tea search and competition, and my new second favorite English breakfast tea?

 

[tinkerphile]

Great post/question, Ron. Having lived in Oxford in the mid-to-late 1970s, I fell in love with the breakfast tea as well, rarely drinking coffee any longer. At the time, the Brits were way ahead of us in terms of all-things herb (and honey!). Upon return to the U.S., I never really found anything as satisfying. Plus, our milk products around Oxford were delivered at the doorstep in bottles, and "double-cream" was a favorite of mine for certain teas. I hope someone here might have a great suggestion.

 

[tima]

Great post/question, Ron. Having lived in Oxford in the mid-to-late 1970s, I fell in love with the breakfast tea as well, rarely drinking coffee any longer. At the time, the Brits were way ahead of us in terms of all-things herb (and honey!). Upon return to the U.S., I never really found anything as satisfying. Plus, our milk products around Oxford were delivered at the doorstep in bottles, and "double-cream" was a favorite of mine for certain teas. I hope someone here might have a great suggestion.

It pays to live near cows.

 

[tinkerphile]

It pays to live near cows.

It sure does! I grew up in Iowa, where 70% of the families were farmers, and many dairy farmers. I do miss the farms and the rivers (not so much the winters). Half and Half is a lame substitute, as is whipping cream the hipsters think is the (pardon the pun), wait for it...creme de la creme.

 

[tima]

It sure does! I grew up in Iowa, where 70% of the families were farmers, and many dairy farmers

I'm next door in the Dairy State - fresh milk and cream are wonderful.

 

[Leekg]

It pays to live near cows.

It sure does! I grew up in Iowa, where 70% of the families were farmers, and many dairy farmers. I do miss the farms and the rivers (not so much the winters). Half and Half is a lame substitute, as is whipping cream the hipsters think is the (pardon the pun), wait for it...creme de la creme.

It's all in the fat: half & half is 12%, heavy cream is 36%, double cream is 48%. Plus few of our U.S. cows ever see grass, and are also the wrong breed for high fat milk.

We have ~1 million dairy cows within 100 miles of our house here in California - but crazily the butter in our fridge is from Ireland. Point Reyes Blue cheese is world class though, so it can be done.

 

[Sablon Audio]

At the risk of committing not one but two heresies, I will share the view that oat milk works rather well in breakfast tea. Not just any tea but decaffeinated Yorkshire tea. We all prefer this to, say, Twinings. I guess I should go fetch my coat….

 

[bonzo75]

I use skimmed milk as lesser the taste of milk, better is the tea. Full fat milk tea, for example, has more milk taste. Also, we usually have tea with tea leaves, left in the water with an infuser for 3 minutes. Water heated to 90 degrees. We use various forms of earl grey with tea leaves, or chai. When I do have tea bags I prefer empress grey from M&S or chai from tea pigs

 

[oldhvymec]

I like MY vanilla. I have procedure for making it. I usually make 12 quarts over a 2 week period of 5X Madagascar and Mexican vanilla. 6 are made with Polish rye vodka. 6 are made with a particular EVO from Spain and distilled water. THAT is what I look forward to with every cup of what ever. Tea or coffee.

The same way certain music makes a mood, so do smells. Vanilla makes me HAPPY. No idea why. Just like certain music. I'm listening to CCR and Al Green, sipping Tea full of MY 1 year old aged 5X vanilla.

I just decanted 4 quarts. The neighbors are knocking on the door.. LOL

Da Hong Pao (600K per pound) or Panda Dung Tea (yummy). PG Tips is only 15K for a single tea bag.

GOOD 30+ year red Ginseng root, can cost over 5K an ounce. Serious TEA fellas.

I'm a Lipton guy. BUT Agaricus Brazei Murill Tea is a favorite of my wife. Of course loaded with a fresh split Grade AA Veracruz vanilla pod.

Did I mention I like Vanilla with my Tea.

Happy hunting..

 

[Happily Trying]

English Breakfast Heritage Loose Leaf

One story goes that ‘Breakfast Tea’ was the invention of an Edinburgh tea master in the 1800s. It was only after Queen Victoria had savoured the blend at Balmoral Castle, and brought it back to London, that its popularity spread through the capital’s most fashionable tea houses. Renamed, English...

www.newbyteas.com

Would recommend you try Newby teas for quality blends and single estate.

You could also start to blend your own, begin with a base of Ceylon orange pekoe level quality and add an African tea and perhaps an Indian if you feel you still need more.
You may also like Ceylon orange pekoe on its own (it’s my default now)

 

[Ron Resnick]

Tea Survey Update:

Chateau Rouge Breakfast Blend No. 27 still is my favorite.

Damman Freres The Noir Breakfast Black Tea is very similar and is my second favorite.

Harney & Sons Organic Breakfast Tea also is very similar and is my third favorite.

(No videos were recorded or harmed during this survey.)

 

[Ron Resnick]

We would recommend you to try english breakfast tea in dubai.

Thank you very much!

Welcome to WBF!

 

[davidavdavid]

Whilst not a traditional "English Breakfast" tea, my all-rounder (morning, afternoon and night) is Twining's Assam. I found when living in Blighty (the UK) it did the business and made it far easier than having to rummage through countless boxes in the kitchen cupboard. https://twinings.co.uk/collections/assam-tea

 

[Ron Resnick]

Interesting, David. Thank you.

How do you compare the taste of Assam versus English Breakfast?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Let you into a secret, Ron. We've found a little known blend called PG Tips. Failing that, look for a smashing but rare type called Tetley.

 

[rgmd11]

Whilst I am constantly over in the US working, I find it easy to get in places like Whole Foods "Yorkshire Gold" and then I make a half and half cup of tea with "Twinnings Earl Grey"...a very for my taste refreshing brew of tea....

 

[Ron Resnick]

Let you into a secret, Ron. We've found a little known blend called PG Tips. Failing that, look for a smashing but rare type called Tetley.

Please compare to Chateau Rouge Breakfast Blend No. 27 and report back.

This Chateau Rouge is my all-time champion.

 

[Dogberry]

My only qualification for replying here is that I was born and grew up in England (though later I moved to Canada). You ought to know that "English Breakfast Tea" is not a thing in the UK. It is the rest of the world's answer to the wretched tea they were being sold (exhibit one: Red Rose tea in Canada!) All you are looking for is a strong Indian tea, preferably not mixed with a China tea. Assam or Darjeeling will do the trick. But when you try them, you may find it's too much of a good thing, in which case there are blends of the same with Orange Pekoe.
As a kid in the 50's-60's, our tea was always Brooke Bond, but that is now owned by Liptons and is a shadow of what it was. These days I use two main brands of mass market tea, King Cole if bought in Canada (which is Orange Pekoe but much stronger than the blasted Red Rose dreck), and Yorkshire Tea if bought in the UK. Neither beats a proper tea from David's Tea (which is still around online though it has shut its B&M stores, and is full of nasty flavoured teas!) or the like. These go well with milk.
But for a treat, I'll take some sencha with honey or sugar, or oolong, which when sweetened sometimes will convince you that it has fresh orange juice in it. Those kind of treats are worth exploring.
Chris

 

[Anyoldears]

Not heard of your Chateau Rouge, but this might be worth a try https://www.fortnumandmason.com/royal-blend-25-tea-bags

 

[Ron Resnick]

Not heard of your Chateau Rouge, but this might be worth a try https://www.fortnumandmason.com/royal-blend-25-tea-bags

I tried that one a couple of years ago. Thank you.