English Breakfast Tea vs Masala Chai

The same base leaf, before and after spice, milk and boiling.

English Breakfast TeaMasala Chai

Measured comparison of English Breakfast Tea and Masala Chai
	English Breakfast Tea	Masala Chai
Caffeine	50 mg	60 mg
Serving	8 oz cup (240ml)	8 oz (240ml) cup with milk
Strength (per 100 ml)	20.8 mg	25 mg
Acidity	Moderate	Moderate
Category	Black	Black
Origin	Blend of Assam, Ceylon and Kenya teas, England	Spiced milk tea, India
Best for	Teapot & mug	Teapot & mug
Water	98°C	100°C
With milk	Takes milk well	Made with milk
Tastes of	Malt, Brisk, Full Body	Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon

Which one, for what

Worked out from the two records above rather than asserted, so nothing here can contradict the table.

A hard morning startToo close to call
Both land at roughly the same dose — 50 mg against 60 mg.
Drinking it after sixEnglish Breakfast Tea
Lower caffeine wins here, and at a five-hour half-life the gap matters more than it looks.
A sensitive stomachToo close to call
English Breakfast Tea is moderate acidity; Masala Chai is moderate. Acidity is only part of why a drink provokes reflux, but it is the part you can choose.
Taking it with milkMasala Chai
English Breakfast Tea: takes milk well. Masala Chai: made with milk.
Something to sit and pay attention toMasala Chai
Masala Chai scores higher on aroma, and much of the pleasure in these drinks is retronasal.
Making it without special equipmentToo close to call
English Breakfast Tea wants teapot & mug; Masala Chai wants teapot & mug.

sweetnessMasala Chai noticeably higher

aciditymuch the same

bitternessBreakfast Tea noticeably higher

bodymuch the same

aromaMasala Chai noticeably higher