Loose leaf Irish Breakfast black tea with curled leaves scattered across white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Irish Breakfast black tea brewed in glass mug with loose leaf and infuser nearby, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Irish Breakfast loose leaf black tea in a black canister with mauve label band, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Organic Black Tea | Bold & Malty | High Caffeine

Organic Irish Breakfast Black Tea

Blended in Oregon Bold Malty Brisk

Assam and Ceylon, blended for milk. The bold morning cup that stands up to whole milk and sugar without losing its character.

Ingredients: Organic Black Tea.

$18.00 USD
$18.00 USD
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Size: Signature Tin
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About Irish Breakfast

The bold morning cup that stands up to milk.

Irish Breakfast is an organic black tea blend built on two components: Assam from northeast India, which delivers malt and muscle, and Ceylon from Sri Lanka, which adds a clean, citrusy lift. The result is a high-caffeine cup with a full-bodied, roasted-grain character that holds its own under whole milk and sugar. Brisk, bold, unapologetically strong.

Why the blend matters.

Assam grows in the Brahmaputra River valley, where the humid, low-elevation climate produces a tea varietal (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) with naturally high caffeine and a malty, toasted-grain flavor. Ceylon grows at higher elevations in Sri Lanka's central highlands, where cooler air and mineral-rich soil produce a tea with bright, citrus-edged astringency. Irish Breakfast uses a higher proportion of Assam than English Breakfast does, which is why the cup reads bolder and the caffeine hits harder. The Ceylon rounds the edges and keeps the whole thing from going flat.

The Irish tea tradition.

Ireland drinks more tea per capita than almost any country on earth, roughly 4 to 6 cups per person per day. The tradition traces to British colonial trade routes, but the Irish took the strong-tea-with-milk ritual and made it their own. The blend style emerged in the 19th century as a way to maximize caffeine and flavor in a single cup, brewed strong enough to stand up to whole milk and often sweetened with sugar. This is that cup. Blended in our Salem, Oregon kitchen.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Deep malt, toasted grain, dark honey. Bolder and more assertive than English Breakfast.

Flavor: Full-bodied and muscular. The Assam base delivers roasted malt and brown sugar sweetness. The Ceylon adds a brisk, citrus-edged brightness that keeps the cup lively. Stands up to milk without disappearing.

With milk: The fat softens the astringency. The malt deepens. The citrus notes settle into the background. Tastes like a breakfast tea is supposed to taste.

Finish: Brisk and tannic with a lingering warmth. Clean astringency that resets the palate.

Why You'll Love It

Sustained morning energy:Black tea has been valued for centuries as a natural source of sustained energy. The caffeine in Camellia sinensis works alongside L-theanine, an amino acid that research suggests may promote focused alertness without the jittery spike associated with coffee. Irish Breakfast sits at the high end of the caffeine spectrum for tea, roughly 50 to 90 mg per 8-ounce cup, which is why it became the morning ritual in Ireland.

The with-milk tradition:In British and Irish tea traditions, strong black tea has long been consumed with meals and with milk. The tannins in black tea have historically been associated with soothing the stomach after rich foods, and the milk fat softens the astringency that makes a strong cup feel harsh when drunk straight. The combination became a daily ritual because it worked: the caffeine wakes you up, the milk makes it drinkable, the tannins settle the stomach.

Irish Breakfast loose leaf black tea in a black canister with mauve label band, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Irish Breakfast

$18.00 USD
$18.00 USD
What's inside

Key ingredients

The botanicals at the heart of this blend, and where in the world they're traditionally grown.

Black Tea

Camellia sinensis

Assam, India & Yunnan, China

Black Tea

Camellia sinensis

A fully oxidized tea leaf with the caffeine to wake you up. Bold and malty.

In the cup

Black tea is the most oxidized of the true teas. The leaves are left to darken fully before drying, which deepens the color and the flavor into a brisk, malty cup with the body to stand up to milk. It also carries the most caffeine of any tea, the reason it is the classic morning brew. Most comes from Assam and Yunnan.

Traditionally grown in Assam, India & Yunnan, China

Shop Black Tea teas

1 of 1
TeaAssam, India

Organic Irish Breakfast Black Tea

Steep strong. Sip bold.

Caffeine: High
8.0 oz
Water
212°F
Temperature
2.5 tsp
Leaf
4 min
Steep Time
Re-Steep · Up to 1×
Want it stronger? Add more leaf, not more time. Going past 5 minutes pulls bitter tannins. If you take it with milk, steep a full 4 to 5 minutes. The fat in the milk absorbs the astringency.
1
Cup

Craft Your Cup

A few notes from our teamakers.

The Classic Builder's Tea
Brew 1 heaping teaspoon in 8 ounces of full-boil water for 4 to 5 minutes. Add a generous splash of whole milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar. The malt deepens, the astringency softens, the caffeine hits. The morning cup that built the British Empire and fueled the Irish workday.

Irish Breakfast Latte
Brew double-strength (2 teaspoons in 8 ounces, 5 minutes). Strain. Top with 6 ounces of steamed whole milk or oat milk and an optional drizzle of honey. The malt and honey pairing reads like caramel. The milk fat rounds the tannins. Rivals any coffee shop latte for a fraction of the cost.

Iced Irish Breakfast with Brown Sugar
Brew double-strength (2 teaspoons, 5 minutes). While the tea is still warm, dissolve 1 teaspoon of brown sugar into the cup. Pour over ice. Top with a splash of whole milk. The brown sugar pulls out the malty sweetness. The cold extraction drops most of the astringency. Drinks like a malt-forward iced coffee.

Loose leaf Irish Breakfast black tea with curled leaves scattered across white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Your Questions About Irish Breakfast, Answered.

Is Irish Breakfast stronger than English Breakfast?

Yes. Irish Breakfast is the bolder of the two. It uses a higher proportion of Assam tea, which delivers a malty, full-bodied character and more caffeine. English Breakfast is typically lighter and smoother, blending Keemun, Ceylon, and Assam in more balanced ratios. If you want your morning tea to stand up to milk and sugar without losing its identity, Irish Breakfast is the stronger choice.

How much caffeine does Irish Breakfast have?

Expect approximately 50 to 90 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce cup, depending on steep time and leaf amount. That puts it at the high end for tea, comparable to a light cup of coffee. The Assam component is responsible for most of that kick. The assamica varietal naturally produces more caffeine than highland teas, which is part of what makes Irish Breakfast a serious morning tea.

What is the difference between Irish Breakfast and English Breakfast?

The core difference is blend composition and strength. Irish Breakfast relies heavily on Assam, an Indian tea known for malty boldness and high caffeine. English Breakfast typically incorporates Keemun (Chinese) and Ceylon alongside Assam, creating a smoother, more nuanced but less aggressive cup. Irish Breakfast is the choice when you want your tea bold enough to stand up to a generous splash of whole milk.