On the tea stakes, Ireland wins. Although Britain is the country most closely associated with tea after China and India, the Irish drink a lot more gallons every year than their easterly neighbors. And a heck of a tea it is too. Just like you could almost slice Irish beer, so you can almost slice Irish tea.

I had never realized quitehow strong it was, though, until I did a side-by-side comparison between English and Irish blend yesterday. To celebrate the last leg of my tea tour, I brewed myself a cup of English and Irish Breakfast. The English Breakfast was to British traditionâ??a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyaâ??rather than the American Keemun-based version. The Irish Breakfast had the same three teas with a sprinkling of Indonesian leaves.

I steeped both in boiling water for four minutes. The cups looked similar, though the Irish one was redderâ??a clear sign of a higher proportion of Kenya tea. But boy, what a difference in the mouth. The English version had a good body and a rounder flavor, with a distinctively Assamey finish. The Irish one was even fuller bodied and went for strength all out. Taste subtleties were perhaps lost, but it had sheer raw power. It reminded me of Schiele to the English Breakfastâ??s Klimt.