English Breakfast Decaffeinated Black Tea

A classic full-bodied breakfast tea with gentle floral character, subtle apricot notes, and a satisfyingly brisk finish—crafted for those who want a proper cup of black tea with significantly less caffeine.

The Experience

English Breakfast Decaffeinated Black Tea proves that choosing decaf doesn't mean giving up the character of a traditional breakfast tea.

This FP — Flowery Pekoe grade black tea from India is made in the orthodox, traditional leafy style and selected to retain satisfying flavor after decaffeination. It brews a medium-bodied, balanced cup with gentle floral aromatics, subtle natural notes of apricot, and enough astringency to give it the structure expected from a breakfast tea.

The finish is pleasantly long, and the tea opens beautifully with milk. Enjoy it in the morning when you're reducing caffeine, or make it your afternoon and evening breakfast tea when a fully caffeinated cup no longer fits the day.

Tasting Notes

Top: Gentle florals • Subtle apricot
Mid: Classic black tea • Smooth malt
Finish: Balanced astringency • Long • Clean
Body: Medium

Why You’ll Love It

• A classic English Breakfast-style tea with significantly less caffeine
• One simple ingredient: decaffeinated black tea
• FP — Flowery Pekoe grade
• Orthodox, traditionally processed leaf
• Medium-bodied with enough structure for milk
• Natural hints of floral character and apricot
• No added flavors, fruit, or spices
• Versatile enough for morning, afternoon, or evening

Origin, Grade & Ingredients

Tea Type: Pure Decaffeinated Black Tea
Style: Orthodox (Traditional Leafy)
Grade: FP — Flowery Pekoe
Origin: India
Elevation: Approximately 1,000–1,500 m (~3,300–5,000 ft)
Ingredients: Decaffeinated black tea
Added Flavoring: None
Caffeine: Decaffeinated*
Body: Medium

*Decaffeinated tea is not necessarily completely caffeine-free; small residual amounts of caffeine may remain after processing.

How to Brew

Use 1 heaping teaspoon with The Perfect Measure Spoon per 8 oz / 237 ml of water at 212°F / 100°C.

Mild: 2–3 minutes
Medium: 4–5 minutes
Strong: 6–7 minutes

For a traditional breakfast cup, begin around 4–5 minutes. Drink it straight first to notice the tea's subtle floral and apricot character, or add milk for a rounder, more familiar English Breakfast experience.

Perfect For

English Breakfast Decaf is an excellent choice for breakfast, afternoon tea, evening tea, or anytime you want the comfort of a traditional black tea without as much caffeine. Pair it with toast and preserves, scones, eggs, breakfast pastries, shortbread, tea sandwiches, or simple cakes.

Where Does the Apricot Flavor Come From?

There is no apricot in this tea. In fact, the ingredient list contains just: Decaffeinated black tea. “Apricot” is a tasting note—a naturally occurring sensory impression found in the brewed tea rather than an added ingredient or flavoring.

This makes English Breakfast Decaf particularly useful for customers beginning to explore pure tea. Without added flavors directing your palate, you can start noticing the quieter characteristics created by the tea leaf itself. Try the tea straight and pay attention as it cools: Gentle floral aroma → black tea → subtle stone fruit → brisk, lingering finish. You may find the apricot-like note easier to recognize once the cup is no longer piping hot.

How Is This Tea Decaffeinated?

The supplied producer information identifies a CO₂ decaffeination process. In this method, carbon dioxide is used during processing to extract caffeine from the finished tea. The goal is to remove most of the caffeine while retaining as much of the tea's original character as possible.

Decaffeination inevitably changes tea to some degree, which makes the quality and character of the starting leaf especially important. That's one reason this tea is noteworthy: it still has enough body, aroma, astringency, and length to function as a proper breakfast tea rather than relying on added flavor to compensate for decaffeination.

What Does FP — Flowery Pekoe — Mean?

FP stands for Flowery Pekoe, a traditional tea leaf grade. It does not mean that flowers have been added to the tea, nor does it guarantee that the tea will taste floral. Leaf grades primarily describe characteristics of the manufactured tea leaf rather than serving as a flavor rating.

Here, the grade provides another useful distinction between English Breakfast Decaf and some stronger breakfast teas made with much smaller broken or CTC leaves. This tea is orthodox and traditionally leafy, contributing to a more nuanced cup than you might expect from the words “breakfast tea.”

English Breakfast Decaf vs. Ceylon Decaf

Both are pure, unflavored decaffeinated black teas, but they serve slightly different customers.

• English Breakfast Decaffeinated Black Tea - Floral • Apricot • Balanced briskness
  → Best for: someone who wants a more substantial, breakfast-style decaf, particularly with milk
• Ceylon Decaffeinated Black Tea - Clean • Light • Classic
  → Best for: someone looking for a lighter, simpler everyday decaffeinated black tea

If you tell us, “I want decaf, but I still want my tea to taste strong enough for breakfast,” we'd point you toward English Breakfast Decaf first.

Decaf Doesn't Mean Caffeine-Free

English Breakfast Decaf begins as genuine tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, which naturally contains caffeine. Decaffeination removes most of that caffeine, but trace amounts may remain. That's different from naturally caffeine-free beverages such as rooibos and most herbal infusions.

Choose this tea when you want the experience of traditional black tea with significantly less caffeine. If complete caffeine avoidance is important, a naturally caffeine-free herbal or rooibos tea would be the better choice.

Packaging: Our loose teas are sold by the ounce and packaged in food-grade resealable bags.

Explore Our Decaffeinated Black Teas

English Breakfast Decaffeinated Black Tea (This Tea)
Floral • Apricot • Balanced
→ Best for: a traditional breakfast-style decaf with enough structure to enjoy with milk

Ceylon Decaffeinated Black Tea
Clean • Light • Classic
→ Try next if: you prefer a lighter, simpler unflavored decaf

Earl Grey Classic Decaffeinated Black Tea
Bergamot • Citrus • Black tea
→ Try next if: you enjoy breakfast tea but want the aromatic citrus character of Earl Grey

Blackcurrant Berry Decaffeinated Black Tea
Blackcurrant • Cassis • Dark berry
→ Try next if: you'd like a rich fruit-forward decaf

Scots Highland Night Decaffeinated Black Tea
Rich • Robust • Traditional
→ Try next if: you want to move toward an even darker, heartier decaf experience