When trying to decide between English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea, it is important to know their differences!
The simplest approach is to try both teas and select the one that is best for you.
But if you are a tea enthusiast, it is good to know the key differences between Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea. These well-known teas are very similar, but there are some distinctions that I will highlight here.
English Breakfast vs. Earl Grey: The Main Differences
Here’s a brief summary of the key differences between Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea:
| English Breakfast Tea | Earl Grey Tea | |
|---|---|---|
| Black Tea | Assam, Ceylon, Keemun, Kenyan | Assam or Ceylon |
| Flavor | Bold, with hints of malty, bitter, and sweet notes | Citrusy and floral |
| Caffeine | 40-80 mg/cup | 20-80 mg/cup |
| Add-Ins | Milk and sugar | Lemon and sugar |
Black Tea Type
English Breakfast tea is a blend of two or three different black teas. The black teas used to make English Breakfast tea blend can vary, but it’s traditionally made using Assam, Ceylon, Keemun, and Kenyan black teas.
Earl Grey is a black tea flavored with oil from the rinds of the bergamot orange. It’s a citrus fruit grown throughout the Mediterranean. It resembles an orange and lime in appearance but tastes more like grapefruit or lemon.
The classic Earl Grey tea is made with a base of black tea, usually Assam or Ceylon black tea. Today, many different types of black tea are used to make Earl Grey.
Depending on the brand, it can be made with a single black tea as a base or a blend of black teas from around the world. There are also Earl Grey teas that use green, oolong, or rooibos tea as a base.
Flavor
English breakfast tea has a bold flavor with hints of malty, bitter, and sweet notes, as well as an aroma similar to toast or honey, depending on the black tea.
The bergamot in Earl Grey, on the other hand, gives the tea light, sweet citrus notes that balance the full body of the black tea. Black tea flavor profiles typically include a hint of caramel and honey, as well as a nutty and woodsy aroma. The combination of black tea flavor and citrusy bergamot flavor often generates a malty tea.
Caffeine Content
English Breakfast vs. Earl Grey tea caffeine content depends mostly on what black tea is used for the blend or as a base.
It’s usually said that English Breakfast contains more caffeine than Earl Grey tea, but this is not always the case.
The caffeine content of black tea in an 8 fl oz (237 ml) cup varies between 40 and 80 mg, depending on the black tea type. It’s usually around 47 mg per cup, which is half that in a cup of brewed black coffee (95 mg/cup).
Due to the fact that English Breakfast tea is usually a blend of 2-3 black teas, you can expect to find the same caffeine levels of between 40 and 80 mg per cup.
If the blend contains more Assam, a stronger Indian black tea with caffeine levels ranging from 60 to 112 mg per cup, the English Breakfast blend will be stronger.
You can expect a lighter English Breakfast tea with lower caffeine levels if it contains more Yunnan-Chinese black tea, whose caffeine levels are lower at between 30 and 60 mg per cup.
The caffeine content of an 8 fl oz (237ml) cup of Earl Grey tea ranges from 20 to 80 mg. It is usually around 50 mg per cup. There is a reason for such a wide range of caffeine content in Earl Grey tea.
The traditional Earl Grey, with black tea as a base and bergamot flavor, has caffeine levels of 40 to 80 mg per cup, depending on the type of black tea used.
When you select a newer Earl Grey blend with dried fruits, bergamot rinds, or other flowers, the caffeine level will range between 20 and 40 mg. Furthermore, if you use Earl Grey with Rooibos tea as the base, it is caffeine-free.
Traditional Tea Add-Ins
When it comes to traditional additives that sweeten and enhance the flavor of English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea, there is just a little difference.
English Breakfast tea is typically served with milk and sugar. In the United States, Earl Grey is traditionally served with milk and sugar, whereas in the United Kingdom, it is typically served with lemon and sugar.
Adding milk to tannin-rich teas, such as black teas, usually reduces the tea’s astringency. Tannins induce bitterness as well as astringency, which is a drying sensation on the taste buds. Black tea tastes milder and more pleasurable with milk, without leaving your mouth dry.
Lemon is also usually added to black tea. Adding a few drops of lemon juice can cut the bitter taste and also improve the overall benefits of black tea.
Also, to sweeten your tea, I’ve mentioned sugar, but you can use any other sweetener instead of white sugar.
Note: You can have your English breakfast or Earl Grey tea with milk and sugar or lemon and sugar. Just DON’T combine all three at once because the lemon will cause the milk to curdle.
Which One Should I Drink: Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea?
When it comes to choosing between these two teas, it all goes down to personal preference. Due to the fact that both English Breakfast and Earl Grey use black tea as their base, you should follow the recommendations for the best time to drink black tea.
Both teas are excellent morning beverages, and it is best to drink black tea an hour after breakfast, in the afternoon, or an hour before or after a meal.
If you like strong dark tea, opt for an English Breakfast. If you like more flavorful, smoother, and citrusy tea, go for Earl Grey tea.
Many people prefer English Breakfast tea as their daily tea and Earl Grey as their dessert tea.
Whatever tea you choose remember that both blends contain moderate amounts of caffeine. As a result, it’s best to avoid drinking black caffeinated tea late at night or right before bed, as caffeine can interfere with your sleep.
Finally, I hope that these differences between Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea will help you make a better choice if you’ve wondered which one to drink. No matter what tea you choose, I’m sure that you’ll enjoy it.
Both teas are great, and I personally like drinking English Breakfast tea in the morning and Earl Grey tea in the late afternoon.
