Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of The Boston Tea Company's Cranberry Blood Orange Rooibos

Wow, what an incredibly hefty name! With a name like that and an ingredient list that includes red rooibos, blood orange, cranberry, lemongrass, and rose petals, this tisane is shaping up to be something superb (at least it sounds like it!) While this blend steeps in just-boiled water for five minutes (one cup of water), I take a look at the box and packaging. This tea comes in pyramid satchets for greater water flow and better brewing. A lot of teas do not benefit from pyramid infusers, much less tea bags, thanks to a lack of space in which to unfurl their leaves. However, rooibos, having no large leaves to unfurl, does just as well in this pyramid infuser as it would loose in the cup.

This cuppa smells delicious. The cranberry and rooibos are definitely the prominent scents in the steeped tea. But I know that it is the taste results for which you are waiting! So I let the tea cool down a bit. For some reason it seems as though it is taking longer than tea normally does. My first sip is very much rooibos, laced with cranberries. I was actually expecting the cranberry flavor to be a lot more prominent than it actually is. However, it is quite pleasant and supports the rooibos well from the sidelines. The aftertaste is where I detect the blood orange. It offers a slightly sweet, slightly tart finish to the sip. Overall, I am finding this tea a bit more subtle than what I originally expected, which was a blast of cranberry flavor. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea an 82/100.

Now, I am sure that you are wondering why the photo shows a tin with the name "Bentley's" on it. As far as I can tell, The Boston Tea Company is the primary seller/retailer of Bentley's Tea, and the two companies may be one and the same (evidence seems to point that way).


The Cranberry & Blood Orange Rooibos from The Boston Tea Company is available from their website, here. However, it can also be purchased from Amazon and other online retailers.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Note: I am sorry, folks, that this post did not appear on the website on schedule! The webmaster is looking into the associated technical difficulty that occurred.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Diamine Meadow Ink

With the closing of summer in North America, I felt that Diamine Meadow was a fitting ink for today's Stained Fingers post.

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 Cameron Tea's Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong - Competition Grade

Following on the heels of last week's review (which covered the Premium Grade of this same tea), here we have the Competition Grade Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong from Cameron Tea. Cameron Tea, based in Taiwan, is one of the new players in the scene of Taiwanese loose leaf teas. Their specialty lies with sourcing top quality leaf from farms around Taiwan and providing it to an international client base. According to the information they provided about this Competition Grade AliShan, one of the main differences between it an the Premium Grade is that this one has been lightly roasted.

Upon opening the package of tea, I can immediately smell a difference between these Competition Grade leaves and the Premium Grade. It is the light roasting that makes all the difference. These truly give off roasted scents mixed with fruity sweetness. As I mentioned with the Premium Grade, this is not a fruit-flavored or -scented, rather the fruitiness is a more reminiscent aspect. A touch of buttery creaminess lies on the edges of the aroma. The Competition Grade lacks the initial boldness, which I found with the Premium Grade, in the smell of the dry leaves. The quick rinse releases many subdued aromas.

With the first steep of thirty seconds, the tea smells much like it did when in dry, loose leaves. Roasted aromas stand-out from the rest, and then there is the flavor. With the first steep, the leaves have not yet opened much, leaving a lot of room for evolution of the flavors, but the roasted overtones, followed by the feeling of freshness and the taste of slightly-green oolong with immensely smooth edges, causes even this first steep to be consumed with delight and anticipation. The second steep, also for thirty seconds, brings along broader flavors. The roasted aspects have settled, and they now balance with the sweet, fresh, and fruity oolong flavors.

The third steep, infused for forty-five seconds, bares a darker brew. I wanted to see how much flavor I could pull from one steeping of leaves, and this embodies that attempt. Boldly, the roasted flavors wreath all the rest and stand forward. The aftertaste is sweet, but still it is edged by the roasted aspect. Yet, even with this addition of roasted boldness, this oolong continues to be just as smooth as the first steep - absolutely delicious. A fourth steep actually diminishes the roasted flavors, and the greenness stands forward much more.

While I would not call this oolong better than the Premium Grade, I feel that they are different enough to warrant trying both and seeing which you like better. Each has its own unique characteristics. I personally found myself enjoying the Premium Grade, without the roasted notes, more than the Competition Grade, but preferences vary. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this oolong an 87/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Cameron Tea's Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong is available from their website, here. Use the dropdown menu to select the Competition Grade (as reviewed above) or the Premium Grade.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Lamy Black Ink

For such a ubiquitous ink (and certainly one that makes its way into the hands of many, who are new to the fountain pen world), I wish that this ink behaved better than I found it to do.

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 Cameron Tea's Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong - Premium Grade

Cameron Tea, based in Taiwan, is one of the new players in the scene of Taiwanese loose leaf teas. Their specialty lies with sourcing top quality leaf from farms around Taiwan and providing it to an international client base. Today's review looks at the Premium Grade of their Taiwan AliShan High Mountain oolong.

Dry AliShan oolong leaves

The loose leaves, released from their vacuum-sealed packages, release, too, their aromas. This oolong has a lot of fruity notes (though it is not fruit-flavored or -scented), touched with buttery smells. The feel of the smell is creamy and sweet, not too dark but certainly very forward and perhaps a bit bold. A rinse of the leaves with the water, which is not-quite-boiling temperature, opens the aromas, and the various scents gain depth of character, while the ratio of one to another remains much the same.

After the rinse

My first two steepings of thirty seconds apiece (using about a teaspoon and a half of leaves in my gaiwan) release promising but not-quite-there steeps. The flavors are slowly beginning to open, but the leaves themselves are still not fully unfurled. With the third steeping (of thirty-five seconds) comes a blossom of color and flavor. The floral sweetness has taken the forefront of the flavor, richly enhancing the cup and the experience of drinking it. I put the leaves through several more steepings before covering them with water for an extended brew that will be chilled for tomorrow and provide a very refreshing beverage.

Following the second steeping

This oolong was truly a joy to consume! I am looking forward to preparing and reviewing the Competition Grade of their Taiwan AliShan High Mountain oolong, which they say has been lightly roasted. That said, I certainly recommend trying this, the Premium Grade. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it an 88/100.

Post-third steeping

I applaud Cameron Tea and wish them all the best in their business. May they continue to provide the world with great tea from Taiwan.


Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Cameron Tea's Taiwan AliShan High Mountain Oolong is available from their website, here. Use the dropdown menu to select the Premium Grade (as reviewed above) or the Competition Grade.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of De Atramentis Scottish Whisky Ink

I really, really wanted to enjoy this ink, more than I actually did. I think the name made it sound great, and the liquid looked great in the sample vial, but the actual results were disappointing.

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 Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu'erh Cake 2014

Today's review comprises a very traditional Chinese tea brewed in what is, for me, a very non-traditional manner. As with pu'erh in general, I would normally steep this Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu'erh Cake, using a gaiwan with very short steeps that used quite a bit of leaf. However, the brew guide on the outside of the package suggests to brew for three to ten minutes using just-boiled water.

While the water reaches a boil in the kettle, I open the package of tea and inhale the aroma of the leaves. In a word, they smell sweet. The sweetness is natural, like a fruit might smell sweet. A very sharp edge underlines the aroma, not quite bitter, but a definite change from the sweetness. This is something I have found to be common throughout many raw pu'erh.

The leaves from the compressed cake expand and unfurl as they steep, spreading out nicely. The infusion itself is about two teaspoons of leaf in twelve ounces of just-boiled water. When the timer rings to signify the four minutes, the resulting brew is golden, bright, and very clear. Aromas, much stronger than in the dry leaf, waft from the cup to reach the nose. They hold an underlying sweetness with the body now being quite bold.

"Bold" would be such a simple term, if I used it to describe the flavors that are experienced through this cup. Yet, sometimes simple terms can be just what is required. A more complex description might suggest that the flavor of this raw pu'erh reminds the drinker of a panther - strong and bold, yet exuding a smooth silkiness. The body of the taste has quite a few aspects, including smoky notes, some vegetal flavors, and the minor bitterness that was detected in the smell of the leaves. Recall the sweetness that permeated the aroma? It is quite noticeable it the flavor, settling-in for the long-term, as it dominates the aftertaste.

Overall, this Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu'erh Cake from Teavivre was a smooth and delicious re-entry for me to the world of raw pu'erh. This is one I would recommend to those, who love raw pu'erh and to those who have no experience with this style of tea. I look forward to brewing it with a gaiwan and discovering more of its complexities. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 91/100.




Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Teavivre's Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu'erh Cake 2014 is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Noolder's North African Violet Ink

While I only had a small sample of this ink and could only capture its looks in one pen, I feel that the Konrad captures the absorbency and slight shading of this ink, well.

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 Ginger-Peach Supreme Black/White Tea

Okay, so this tea cannot make up its mind. Black? White? Which is it!? Plus it has ginger AND peaches! Wow, what a massive combination. I love the sound of it, but only a taste test will reveal its true colors (color? flavor? okay, no more puns). Following directions, just like kindergarten...one heaping teaspoon, eight ounces of water, boiled water. Wait, what? Every white tea that I have ever consumed has directed me to not use boiling water. However, I put my trust in Distinctly Tea and boil the water anyway.

Four minutes of steeping later, we have a brew that smells faintly of peaches, a bit of black tea, mostly of white tea, and not much (if any) ginger, so far as my nose can detect. The first sip, though, carries the ginger straight from cup to taste buds in less than a second. The ginger is definitely present! More subtle than I expected is the taste of peaches, which actually seems to be overwhelmed by the ginger flavor. That itself is slightly disappointing. As for the notes of tea, the smoothness of the white tea blends surprisingly well with the Ceylon black. I am impressed and sorry that I ever questioned the possibility! I just wish that the ginger and peach flavors were a bit more balanced. Aside from that, a very nice blend from Distinctly Tea. I would give it an 85/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.


Distinctly Tea's Ginger-Peach Supreme Black/White tea is no longer available, but you can browse their other teas, here, such as the Earl Grey de la Crème from my previous review.
My apologies for the lack of pictures!
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.