Original Blend Lyons Tea (80 Teabags)

This is the same tea we drank on our honeymoon in the Virgin Islands. That's where I was first introduced to it, 40+ years ago. It hasn't changed, still a strong blend.

My stepdad is an Irish musician and loves this tea. I stick a box in his stocking every Christmas. There are 80 tea bags so unless you are an enthusiastic tea drinker this will last a minute. Learn how to brew a proper cup of tea and you will be surprised at the difference between a real cup of Irish tea and what we are used to here in the States. I will say that the first box I ordered was mangled when it arrived, so it really wasn't suitable for gift-giving. That came with other items in a box delivery so I have no idea why it was so mangled, or why someone would feel shipping that would be okay. Amazon replaced it, but the second box also had a tear in the box. I think this time, since it came in one of those paper packages, that it got squished. Amazon needs to quality check and ship things like this in a small box or something I don't know.

I received 240 bags of English Breakfast Tea for Christmas. When my Irish friend found out he was horrified that I had never even tried Irish tea and INSISTED I try this specific kind. To the point where he sent me a link to the Amazon page and asked daily if I had purchased it. He swore it was better than any English breakfast tea I had ever had. I decided to humor him and buy a box, even though I thought 80 tea bags was a bit excessive for a “okay fine, I’ll try it” to humor a friend. I must say, he was right. This is now my favorite tea, and I drink tea daily. I even did a blind side by side taste test with what had previously been my favorite tea to confirm I liked this one more. It has the same general flavor as English Breakfast Tea, but is much more intense in flavor...almost like when you leave a tea bag in too long but without the inevitable bitterness from over steeping the tea. I’ll definitely buy this again in the future.

Don’t start me Lyon! But really this tea is the perfect cuppa. And I see why the Irish love their builders tea. It’s better than coffee in the morning. And all day.

I love this tea and glad it was delivered in a timely manner. The last time I ordered this item, it took a long time for receipt. The box and contents were damaged. I was very disappointed.

I long ago chose Barry’s over Lyons in the Irish tea debate for the simple reason that I had been to Cork with a native and that’s what they always drank. Trying Lyons today for the first time in ages, it’s better than I remembered. It’s quite good actually, but it stands out less among bagged black teas than either its rival or other similar teas such as Punjana or Yorkshire. It brews quickly and makes a dark, strong cup with a pleasant malty “teaish” aroma. On the pallet it is strong and full flavoured, but quite smooth. It is smooth enough to drink straight, and displays a perfectly enjoyable basic black tea taste, nothing special but also nothing objectionable. It takes milk very well, resulting in a robust but smooth cup of very pleasant breakfast tea. I will note that it surpasses its rival when served with both milk and sugar and that it makes a terrific morning brew. That said, as iced tea it is simply ok and not nearly as good as Barry’s Gold, or Yorkshire, is served cold There is nothing particularly wrong with this tea. It isn’t weak, Barry’s fans. Unilever also isn’t trying to secretly sell more PG Tips as I’ve heard a few times. Lyons does use the pyramidal bags and does have some similarities to PG Tips, but I think Lyons is much smoother. It also does not taste the same as Barry’s as some fools, mostly English or Americans, claim. Far from it. It is much less bright than Barry’s Gold and the flavour, both straight and with milk is quite different. I think Lyons uses more Assam in its blend, while Barry’s unique and, to me, unmistakable taste comes from a higher proportion of African, particularly Kenyan, tea. Lyons is more like other black teas but I just don’t think it stands out the way Punjana teas, or even Yorkshire does. Those teas are unmistakably themselves. Lyons is good tea and I am enjoying it, but I would struggle to pick it out from others. It has no real faults, but it’s strengths fail to distinguish it from similar teas.

A wonderful black tea. Subtle blending done right. One of the main brands consumed in Ireland--and the Irish know tea. (They are said to be second in the world in tea consumption per capita after Turkey.)

Enjoyed this tea during my Ireland trip in 2025. So glad I can get it at home in the USA! Wonderful flavor.