Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of De Atramentis Petrol Ink

While this ink is not petrol-scented, it does have a wonderful color with shades of turquoise. Enjoy!

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Distinctly Tea's Earl Grey de la Crème

The concept of a creamy Earl Grey sounded great to me. Distinctly Tea says that this Earl Grey de la Crème has hints of vanilla and cream in it. Smelling the dry leaves, I can definitely pick up on the sweet vanilla scent. It almost smells like Earl Grey with a high-end coffee creamer mixed into it. Following the packaging, I steep a heaping teaspoon in eight ounces of just-boiled water for four minutes. The aroma of the steeping leaves still carries a tinge of the sweetness with a lot of Earl Grey and its bergamot. The resulting brew is a subtly sweet brew. The vanilla blends wonderfully with the not-overly-strong bergamot to create a very pleasant pick-me-up drink. On my personal enjoyment scale, I rate this tea an 88/100.

Photo credit to Distinctly Tea.
Distinctly Tea's Earl Grey de la Crème can be purchased from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Noodler's Violet Ink

Sadly, I had only enough of this ink for a single pen fill, but I was certain to review that!

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Easy Pleasy Tea's Red Rooibos Tea with Hibiscus & Rosehips

Pardon the rushed review, today, top secret projects are in-progress!

Wow, the scent of the dry blend in the teabag is fruity! I was definitely not expecting that fragrance when I opened the packaging. However, according to the box, this tisane contains rosehips, rooibos, elderberry, hibiscus, and other flavorings - a mix made for amazing aromas. I gave this mix a long steep in just boiled water, as I like my rooibos strong.

Upon first taste, I thought "The flavor is a bit like TUMS in its fruitiness." Strange, yes. However, the more I drank, the more pleasant the flowery and fruity rooibos flavors became. Overall, this was a very tasty tea that I can see myself drinking at night when I need a relaxing, caffeine-free beverage. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it an 86/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.


Photo credit to the English Tea Store.
Easy Pleasy Tea's Red Rooibos can be purchased from the English Tea Store, here, or from other online retailers, such as Amazon.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of De Atramentis Absinth Ink

This drink-inspired ink has character!

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Canton Tea Co's 2006 Fu Hai 7576 Pu'erh Tea

Just a quick review, today, of something from my cup...

Canton Tea Co's 2006 Fu Hai 7576 is a cooked pu'erh that arrived in cake form. The dry leaves smell delectably loamy and full of forest-y scents. After rinsing the leaves, I perform the first thirty-second infusion. This first infusion impresses greatly. Quite smooth with just a tad of subtle roughness. The leaves are just beginning to release their flavors. The second thirty-second infusion loses the rough edge but remains much the same, flavor-wise.

Infusion number three, same guidelines, gains a more full body. The wood tones are rich and smooth. The fourth infusion is much the same. After eight infusions, the flavors slowly begin to give out. This tea was an amazing experience to drink. On my personal enjoyment scale, I rate it a 93/100.


Photo credit to Steepster.
Canton Tea Co's 2006 Fu Hai 7576 has sold out and is no longer available. Please visit Canton Tea Co's website for other great teas, here. 
As this tea is from the Meng Hai tea factory, it can be acquired under other labels from alternative sellers.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text content is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Noodler's Polar Black Ink

Intensely black and very waterproof, this ink can survive freezing temperatures...in case you happen to be sitting outside in freezing temperatures, while writing.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Teavivre's Nonpareil Te Gong Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea

This week's review concludes the series of posts on Teavivre's spring 2014 green tea collection. Last week, we discussed Teavivre's Premium Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea, and, while this week's Mao Feng may sound the same in name, it takes the varietal to an entire new level of perfection. On their website, Teavivre provides a very brief history of the meaning of "Te Gong," explaining that this signified that the tea was without equal and used to pay tribute to the emperor - high praise and certainly high quality for a tea!

Teavivre also explains that the altitude at which a tea is grown can positively affect the aroma. As compared to what I consumed last Tuesday, this tea certainly carries slightly stronger notes of sweetness and floral aspects. In some respect, they are still just as light - very light - but they are pungent, though not cloying.

I chose to brew this tea in a twelve ounce mug for four minutes, using water heated suitably for green tea. Approximately two teaspoons of leaf were used, and I decided on the four minutes to average the three to five minutes, which the packaging recommended. (Note that Teavivre suggests I could have brewed this gong fu style, as well.) The result? A pale, light yellow brew with a slightly fruity nose.

For a moment, I wonder about the floral aspect, until I take a sip, letting the tea move across my tongue, slowly. While one could never use the word "bold" to describe this tea, it is equally not "weak." "Subtle" would best describe the flavors and aromas, requiring one to pay attention to what is being sipped, rather than "slurping it down." Very light floral notes are complimented by just a touch of sweetness, which seems less than what I noted in the aroma. To me, there is no nuttiness or grassiness of which to speak. I sip the tea, and it glides over my tongue. No bitterness or astringency stops the delicious flow of tea. For a brew so subtly in flavor and aroma, it maintains a wonderful amount of complexity, which I truly enjoy. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 96/100.


Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Teavivre's Nonpareil Te Gong Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea can be purchased from the Teavivre website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of De Atramentis Royal Blue

A quick-drying royal blue...with some shading!

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Teavivre's Premium Huang Shan Mao Feng Green Tea

Another Tuesday and another spring 2014 green tea from Teavivre, here at Built from Ink and Tea. Today's Premium Huang Shan Mao Feng green tea embodies freshness!

Teavivre recommends making this tea one of two ways. Either a large amount of leaf (relative to the amount of water) can be used, along with shorter steepings, or longer steepings can be coupled by more standard, Western leaf-to-water ratios. I opted for the later and used about two teaspoons of tea in twelve ounces of water, which had been boiled and then allowed to cool for five minutes. After four minutes of breathing the aroma of tea, while it steeped, my cup was ready.

I first observe that the aroma is very light. Yet, it is present, and the light, floral notes are very intense. Any vegetal notes are minimal at best, and nuttiness does not exist. Present grassiness follows a vein of sweetness that reminds me a bit of hay.

When I take my first sip, I understand how the light aroma translates to taste. At first, flavors may seem subtle, even nonexistent. But a large sip, held in the mouth and allowed to pass over the whole tongue, gives me more of a feel for the complexity. Sweet floral flavors are slightly more forward than the grassiness or hay aspect. This tea finishes very bright, leaving a clean and sweet aftertaste. The cup goes down easy, but I find myself needing to focus intently on the tea to enjoy what it has to offer. By no means is this a bad thing, as there are times when this is precisely what I desire to do. However, I recommend giving this tea your full attention, when you drink it. You will then receive full enjoyment thereof.

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate Teavivre's Premium Huang Shan Mao Feng a 94/100.

Photo credit to Teavivre.
Teavivre's Premium Huang Shan Mao Feng can be purchased from the Teavivre website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text content is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea .