Edgar Allan Poe's Black Tea Blend
Edgar Allan Poe's Black Tea Blend
This dark, earthy blend evokes the damp tombs of Poe's stories. While it is perhaps the most well known, The Cask of Amontillado is not Poe's only story in which his fear of being buried alive becomes a major plot point. His vivid descriptions of "utter darkness among a quantity of loose earth" that "threaten[ed] to bury [him] entirely" offered a direction for our blend. It combines the earthy tones of Pu'erh black with the mellow smokiness of Lapsang and the slightest citrus hint of an Earl Grey. The dried beetroot turns the brewed tea a deep blood red.
Ingredients: Black teas, pu'erh tea, lapsang souchong tea, beetroot and bergamot oil.
Brew tea at 212º - steep for 3 minutes
4 Ounces of loose tea makes approximately 50 cups of tea.
Please note that the photo is shown for our 4oz tin. We are also offering this in a 4oz pkg size, which will come in one of our double lined bags labeled with the name of the tea.
A sampling of Poe's works:
The Cask of Amontillado
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Masque of the Red Death
The Raven
The Tell Tale Heart
Check with your local bookstore for more titles or for recommendations for further reading.
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Lively and good blend
Appearance & Aroma: The blend is a dark mix of leaves with beetroot pieces scattered throughout. The lapsang souchong delivers that unmistakable smoke while the bergamot adds a zest. The pu-erh adds a feeling that my kitchen is an old library.
Flavor: The lapsang souchong delivers a robust, smoky punch right out of the gate, the pu-erh adds a deep, earthy undertone that feels like an old leather-bound book. The beetroot adds a subtle sweetness, though not overpowering and a beautiful red to the liquid, and the bergamot oil brings a bright, citrusy lift. I find myself using a generous amount of tea since this blend is best when it is bold and needs a good amount of tea to fully come to life. This tea doesn’t hold up to multiple steepings, despite the pu-erh. Unlike straight pu-erh, it doesn’t seem to evolve with successive steeps. The initial infusion is where this blend shows its full character, but subsequent steepings I find come across flat.
This is a bold blend that pays homage to its namesake with a smoky, earthy, and slightly sweet profile. For fans of lapsang souchong and pu-erh, it offers a gothic twist with its beetroot and bergamot accents. While it may not excel in multiple infusions, I find this an excellent blend. In short, this tea is a one-act gothic tale in a cup—rich and intriguing but best enjoyed in a single, dramatic serving.
Rating: 5/5 stars
This tea was a gift. I’m a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe and a friend thought this would be perfect for me. I have to say, it’s become one of my favorites. A nice robust, smoky black tea.
Bought this tea from Sipsby because we loved the theme. The taste is wonderful, so we came to your website to buy more, and try some others. Very happy with them all!
I usually get more earth than smoke from the flavor (perhaps because I generally drink it sweetened with honey?) but then again I also adore Lapsang Souchong and Russian Caravan teas and err on the side of brewing them strong. I was initially drawn to it because it uses Pu’erh tea in the blend which is my favorite type, but I fell in love with the taste of it, especially the addition of the beetroot. It’s earthy with that hint of bergamot brightness at the end. Also, it really does brew into a vibrant red that makes my little Goth heart so happy.