A malty, sweet cup is the point here, and this blend delivers it with a ruby-coppery liquor that stays light in tone. It's a mix of Assam and Ceylon leaf, built around the FOP grade — Flowery Orange Pekoe, meaning each shoot's top bud and first two leaves went into the blend, so the leaf running through it skews young and tender.
The name has a murkier past than the label suggests. One story traces it to Scotland: a tea master named Robert Drysdale supposedly created the blend and called it Scottish Breakfast Tea, only for Queen Victoria to talk him into renaming it English Breakfast during a visit to Balmoral. A rival account credits a New Yorker, Richard Davies, with putting it together in 1843. Neither can be confirmed, and the tea carries on regardless of which telling you believe.
On the cup itself, expect lemon, orange, honey, malt, and a coffee-like depth, softened with milk if you take it that way. Black tea in general has long been drunk as part of a health-conscious routine, credited with everything from sharper focus to a steadier heart, though none of that should outweigh the simple fact that it tastes good. Brew with freshly boiled water and let it steep 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with milk, sugar, honey, or lemon, or drink it black — the tea holds its character either way.
