English Breakfast BOP is a marriage of Assam and Ceylon leaf, chosen for a bold, malty cup with a touch of sweetness underneath. BOP stands for Broken Orange Pekoe, meaning the leaves are broken into smaller pieces rather than left whole — that break is what gives the tea its strength and body, so a cup tastes hearty rather than thin.
The blend's origins are murky and contested. English upper-class circles took to it early, but the tea itself may trace back to Scotland, where a tea master named Robert Drysdale is sometimes credited with first putting it together and calling it Breakfast Tea. The story goes that the name only picked up "English" after Queen Victoria visited him. A rival account places its birth in New York instead, crediting an American named Richard Davies, who in 1843 supposedly coined "English Breakfast Tea" to appeal to customers looking for something with a touch of class. Whichever version is true, the blend has gone on to become the most recognised black tea in the world.
In the cup, expect malt and coffee-like depth alongside brighter lemon and orange notes, honey sweetness, and a thickness that holds up well against milk. It brews reddish and full-bodied. Give it about five minutes with freshly boiled water to draw out that strength, and take it with milk, sugar, honey or lemon, or drink it black if you prefer the malt unmasked.
