Manhattan Breakfast Tea Loose Leaf Black Tea Blend

🍵 The Blend — Six origin black teas in one morning cup: second flush Assam, Kenyan, South Indian, Dimbula Ceylon, Keemun, and Yunnan, each chosen for a specific role in the blend

🍵 The Liquor — A deep, coppery infusion with a rich burgundy depth; bold and bright in the cup, it takes milk beautifully or stands confidently on its own

🍵 The Character — Malty and full-bodied from the Assam, with floral brightness from Kenya, a lively fruity edge from South India, oaky Keemun depth, and a gentle Yunnan sweetness rounding the finish

🍵 The Morning — Unapologetically robust and invigorating; this is a tea built for proper mornings, whether taken at the table with breakfast or in a quiet moment before the day begins

Six tea-growing regions. One remarkably well-composed cup. Manhattan Breakfast Tea is a six-origin loose leaf black tea blend that brings genuine depth and complexity to the morning ritual — a cut above the everyday, and built to be noticed.

The heart of the blend is a second flush Assam, harvested in June when the leaf is at its most characterful. This is what gives Manhattan Breakfast its malty, full-bodied backbone — the kind of foundation that makes a breakfast tea feel genuinely substantial. Layered over this, Kenyan tea contributes the bright coppery infusion and lightly floral notes that give the cup its visual warmth and aromatic lift. From South India, the blend picks up a lively, sprightly fruitiness — a fresh edge that keeps the cup from feeling heavy.

Then come the two Chinese teas that push Manhattan Breakfast beyond the familiar. Keemun, from the Anhui province, adds its characteristic oaky depth and a smooth burgundy richness that sits quietly in the background, lending complexity without announcing itself. Yunnan, grown in the highlands of southwest China, brings a gentle roundness and a hint of natural sweetness that draws everything together in the finish. The Dimbula Ceylon from Sri Lanka — a January production known for its light, airy piquancy — lifts the whole blend, opening it out and adding a clean, brisk quality that prevents the richness from becoming overwhelming.

The result is a breakfast tea with genuine character: bold where it needs to be, nuanced where you least expect it. It takes milk well, developing a smooth, full finish, but it is also worth trying without — particularly for anyone who wants to appreciate the full range of flavours at work.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists. With one of the largest collections in the country — over 350 teas and infusions — our focus has always been on sourcing teas with a genuine story to tell. Manhattan Breakfast is one of those teas.

Ingredients: Black teas (Assam, Kenya, South India, Ceylon Dimbula, Keemun, Yunnan).

Brewing Note: Manhattan Breakfast is a substantial blend and brews best with freshly boiled water poured directly over the leaves. Use one heaped teaspoon per cup and steep for three to four minutes — three if you prefer a brighter, more floral cup that foregrounds the Kenyan and Ceylon notes, four if you want the full malty depth of the Assam and Keemun to come through. If taking with milk, add it after brewing rather than before, which allows the flavour to develop fully before it is softened. This blend is strong enough to stand up to a splash of milk without losing any of its character.