Black Tea Blend
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Scottish Breakfast is often the boldest of the classic breakfast blends — a strong, full-bodied black tea built to hold up against Scotland’s traditionally soft, mineral-light water.
Like its English and Irish counterparts, Scottish Breakfast is a blend rather than a single tea, typically combining Assam for malt and strength with Ceylon or Kenyan teas for brightness. Some versions carry a whisper of smoky character, though that’s a stylistic choice rather than a defining trait — the blend isn’t smoked the way Lapsang Souchong is.
The extra strength has a practical origin: soft water extracts flavor more easily than hard water, so a blend calibrated for Scotland’s water can afford to be more intense without turning harsh or bitter once brewed. That’s part of why Scottish Breakfast is frequently described as the strongest of the three national breakfast blends.
How to Steep It
Full boil, 200–212°F, for 4 to 5 minutes. Milk is traditional and, given the blend’s strength, recommended — it’s built to take it.
Boldest of the breakfast blends
Steep 4–5 min at a full boil
