"What did one do before tea was invented? I thank God I was not born before tea."-The Rev. Sidney Smith

Trader Joe's is marketing a new house-brand of tea in the run-up to St Patrick's Day:
"Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea". "A traditional Irish Tea - Strong and Dark" it says on the box. As it's packaged the way Barry's and Bewley's usually are, in that paper-board sort of box, I gave it a shot.

It's actually fairly typical American tea. It's dark, as the label says, but not particularly strong. There's not much aroma and the flavour is quite mild. It seems designed for Americans who don't use milk.

If you like American tea, i.e., Liptons, this might be a good buy. It's not appreciably different and it's a couple dollars cheaper. But if you're really looking for Irish tea this isn't it. It you're not near an import store and need to rely on the local grocery, try Red Rose or Tetley's British Blend. It still won't be Irish, but it will be better than the Trader Joe's entry.