Edgar Allan Poe

Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 17

Okay, that red color is impressive! The tea itself… eh. It’s mostly flat smokiness with a whisper of bergamot on an unobtrusive base. Fine enough, but nothing too exciting! Although I do think a smoky Earl Grey is one I can get behind.

Advent Day 17

Love that it steeps up red. Slightly smoky. I get a pu-erh earthiness in the aroma.

S&V Advent Day 17! This tea is a bit smoky, and it steeped up pink from some fruit that’s in the mix, but I don’t taste too much of that. I’m drinking this at room temperature with milk and sugar, and it’s a bit different, but not something I’d seek out. At the very end of the sip, I might catch a hint of fruit.

Sipdown! (4 | 165)

This one is quite enjoyable. I like the balance of the black tea with the puerh and lapsang, all are present but none of them overwhelms the others. There’s just enough smokiness to call it a smoky tea, without being a pure smoked lapsang, which are often too much for me. The puerh adds earthiness and depth. The bergamot is subtle, but noticeable, and adds a nice citrus counterpoint to the heavier puerh and lapsang teas. I don’t think I can taste the beetroot, but it does make for a more reddish tinge.

I’m undecided on whether I would order this one, as I don’t typically reach for smoky teas. I also already have a somewhat similar tea from Murchie’s (Queen Victoria), and a smoky Earl from Lupicia (EG Grand Classic).

A smokey Earl Grey? I’m in! This blend was the perfect amount of smokey swirled with a nearly perfect Earl grey with bits of beetroot to give it a blood red color, or a bright hot pink as a latte!

Part of the Literary Tea Collection Gift Box I bought a while ago. I have to say, reading the ingrediants and descriptions, this is not something I would purchase. I had a friend over the other day who had shared in the disappointing experience with the Banana Bread Chai. I offered him a cup of tea and said I wanted to open a new tea. It was a gloomy night and Poe seemed appropriate. There was a party going on around us but we both were pleased with the tea and loved that it was a reddish hue (Tell-tale Heart Style, we thought).
Today is my second tasting of the tea. This time, it’s morning, and generally when I’m able to play on Steepster. I may have steeped it a minute or 2 more than recommended but it didn’t seem to ruin the cup. I love the earthiness and smoke flavors, which is something I didn’t ever think I would say. I don’t think this is a tea I would drink every day but it is one I definitely would repurchase and enjoy. Especially on a gloomy November day when winter is creeping closer.

Love the tin, so I picked this one up from positive reviews, description, and yes the tin (I have a small Edgar Allan Poe and Raven thing)

Happy to say I actually really enjoyed the tea. Pleasant all-around black tea with a silky feel. Not bitter, strongly flavorful. Dropped in a cube of sugar. Would go well as a breakfast tea or if you do want a splash of milk. I oversteeped it the first time and it wasn’t bitter despite this. It is not strongly smokey, so if you do not like smokey teas, this description note shouldn’t be a big deal. I like smokey tea myself, and Earl Greys, so blending that with a subtle black tea and oddly beet note was a treat.

Second steep even better. I steeped from the same leaves at 5 minutes exactly. Oddly as this tea cools even more flavors come out of it, well rounded tea. Hopefully I still enjoy it as much when I drink more of it.

Sipdown! Sometimes the last cup ends up being mediocre at best, usually because I didn’t plan ahead and either have just a little too much or not quite enough tea leaf to make a single cup. This last cup is just as delicious as all the rest and confirms that this blend needs to be on my next order with Simpson & Vail, no question.

Samurai TTB #31

I’ve been LOVING The London Tea Room’s “Churchill” blend, which is a smoky Earl Grey, so I was excited when I realized this was a similar blend. While I do enjoy the combination of the lapsang souchong and bergamot, the addition of puerh and beetroot add an earthiness to the scent and a tartness to the aftertaste that mar the experience for me. (Though I do appreciate how appropriate the red color is to the author who inspired the blend!) Overall, not a favorite like I hoped, but I’m still glad I got to try it!

Didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I chose this one. It is a sample from a friend. Mr. Poe, if you were alive today I wonder if this would be your tea of choice? Based on his work one would think a dark, earthy, and thought-provoking blend such as this would be exactly the thing but I feel he would surprise us with a white tea or some such. For those who are fans of his ‘darker’ works, this will quench your thirst while adding a 4th dimension to his story. I personally do not like Lapsang but I appreciate that the pu erh stands out enough to tame it a bit. Every tea deserves a try, even if it has an ingredient you don’t fancy. I’ve decided not to give it a rating since Lapsang isn’t my thing.