Irish Breakfast Loose Tea, Pack of 6, 3.53 Ounce Tins, Smooth, Flavourful, Robust Black Tea Leaves, Caffeinated

I'm a huge fan of Twinings tea, but I used to drink English Breakfast as my goto. I was given a Black Tea variety pack as a gift, and I tried the Irish Breakfast tea. I was instantly hooked. It has a dark, full flavor, an excellent aroma (opening the tin is a joy in itself), and, unlike their English Breakfast tea, it is strong enough to stand out alongside milk. As for the form, this isn't a tin of tea leaves, it is a granular tea, little spherical pellets, so it won't work in an infuser. I used to get tea bags of the Irish Breakfast (side note: the tea in this tin is coarser and more varied than what comes in the Irish Breakfast tea bag, giving it a much more complex flavor), and just boil some water, add tea bag, sugar, milk, and drink. However, I have a Krups Espresso machine ( Krups XP4600 ), and this loose tea form is perfect for it. I fill the little metal basket from the tin, insert it into the machine, place a cup underneath, and press a button. Instant, delicious tea. It also has a steamer for frothing milk, which is amazing with this tea. Unlike a keurig or any of those individual brewers with cups, the only part of the machine that your beverage touches is the metal basket/filter (which is dishwasher safe), so you don't need to spend 15 minutes cleaning the machine and running empty cycles just to avoid your tea tasting like coffee. The tin of loose tea is much more economical than tea bags or k-cups, and tastes much better. With an Espresso machine, it is also damned convenient. I can't recommend this hard enough, to anyone who drinks tea regularly (especially if, like me, you can't stand coffee). If you only drink tea occasionally, I still recommend it, but in tea bag form. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make a cup...

Better than the tea bags. Much more flavor n smooth. Need very little for a cup so it lasts a while. I was hesitant cuz of price but i think its worth it. Tins look cute in my kitchen. Highly recommend

For me, this a good strong tea that I drink in the morning as an alternative to English Breakfast and PG Tips. I make 1 or 2 single cups most mornings when I'm not drinking another black tea. I usually drink it with half & half (cream), but it is not bad with lemon either. It is definitely stronger and more flavorful than the regular Lipton black tea. I order another can about every 6 months and I see no reason to stop doing that. They also make this tea into teabags, but they seem quite a lot more expensieve per cup.

Outstanding loose black tea, very flavorful. If you like strong tea that really packs a punch but is flavorful and comforting, this is for you. Very finely ground and makes a great brew.

I am writing this review primarily because of comments around how dusty this tea and the Twinning's tea in general can be. I am not a tea connoisseur and will use a plain black tea bag for ease or speed (or at work), the occasional Keurig cup, or loose tea. Both bags and loose tea will have a bit of dust and it is inevitable considering transportation and jostling. I have found in general the least rich taste would be a K-cup, next a tea bag, and loose tea at the top of the list for flavor, color and scent. You will definitely taste a difference. Although probably not as "pure", I have had great success in using a coffee filter to line my strainer for loose tea. With the bags steeping for 3-5 minutes I always seem to taste the the bag but not so with a coffee filter. I know, both the filter and bags would typically be paper but it may have something to do with the tea not actually being wrapped in the paper and being allowed to steep loosely before being strained. I can tell little if any difference between using a coffee filter lining or not other than an almost complete lack of dust. Irish Breakfast has become my daily favorite but using a filter in the strainer worked so well I usually keep tins of English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, and Earl Grey on hand. I'm also adding Lady Grey and will try Ceylon Orange Pekoe on my next tea order. I will typically drink tea from dawn to dusk and beyond so although not a connoisseur, taste and texture is still important to me. If you are really bothered by the dust but don't want to fall back to a bag (still dusty but less so), try using a coffee filter to line your strainer.

I love this tea! It brews up robust just the way I like it. Since it is loose, you could add more or less to adjust to your liking. However, I don’t think if you are an “anemic tea” drinker this is the one for you. If you want to enjoy a strong tea flavor with a malty twist, buy this tea!

Word to the wise, once you make the switch from tea bags to loose leaf it's kind of hard to go back. This is my favorite tea right now and I absolutely loved this. It has a strong, rich flavor and is delicious with milk and sugar. You don't want to make it too strong though. One spoon full of tea leaves can get me about 2-3 cups of tea. If you like Irish breakfast tea you can't go wrong with this.

Good stuff. Has a malty rich flavor without too much bitter or tanic taste. I steep mine for about 3 minutes then add just a splash of milk. Too strong for honey, but great with a dark brown sugar. Wonderful way to start the morning or warm up after being outside all day