Part III: CTC Irish Breakfast Blend vs. Scottish Breakfast Blend
It’s Saturday morning, so it must be time for another round! And in the spirit of the current World Cup games, today’s match is international, pitting Ireland’s finest against the pride of Scotland. The CTC Irish Breakfast Blend is all Assam, while the Scottish Breakfast Blend is a melange of Assam, Ceylon and Yunnan teas.
Dry leaf: The CTC has the characteristic “Grape Nuts” appearance of CTC teas, and a medium brown hue. Like the CTC’s previous competitor, River Shannon, the Scottish Breakfast is an orthodox tea composed of small, broken, brown-black leaves.
As before, the CTC steeped to a rich copper shade, the kind of reddish hue that brightens my mood just looking at it. The Scottish Breakfast yielded a cooler-toned brew with some depth to it. Both stood up well to the addition of almond milk.
On tasting, the CTC’s malty, archetypally Assam flavor came through once again. It was somewhat one-dimensional, but that dimension happens to be the one I’m seeking in my wake-up tea. The Scottish Breakfast was a little bit heartier, and the Yunnan in the blend (not as prominent as in Upton’s Mincing Lane blend) peeked through and added some interest and warmth.
Either of these would start my day in a way that is both comforting and invigorating. Again, the CTC gets the edge for coming closer to my ideal, with its cheerier appearance and extra-malty flavor. It’s the one I would turn to on most mornings, while I might pick the Scottish Breakfast when I needed a slightly stouter ally to gird me for the day ahead.
