Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Bic Disposable Fountain Pen Black Ink

Just a random ink review from a disposable fountain pen, which I purchased at my local Staples office supply store.

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 Butiki Teas' "The Black Lotus" Black Tea

Today's review comes from Butiki Teas, a company that has sadly closed for business. While this tea is no longer available from their website, you may be able to source it elsewhere. This was sent to me by a tea chum for which I am very grateful!

The Black Lotus by Butiki Teas combines three separate black teas into one delectable blend: Premium Taiwanese Assam, Giddapahar Darjeeling Extra Special, and Congou Keemun. Measuring two teaspoons, I steep this for four minutes in twelve ounces of just-boiled water, inhaling the aromas of the steeping leaves. A touch of maltiness, a hint of spice, and a bit of black-tea-sweetness all drift from the cup. The Assam's malty notes are especially noticeable, along with a bit of spiciness, which might come from the Assam of the Keemun.

After four minutes and allowing the tea to cool a bit, I take my first sip of the black tea blend, which reveals a very full-bodied tea, belied by the soft aromas. I find it very interesting how notes of all three teas are so noticeable, separately, yet blend together quite seemlessly. The foretaste contains mostly blended flavors, while the sides of the body mostly resemble Keemun. Malty low notes accentuate the tea throughout the body and then settle on the back of the tongue in the aftertaste. The flavors are bold and in-your-face, yet smooth and without much, if any, astringency.

I have to say, that was a very tasty cup of tea. I was sorry to hear that Butiki Teas was no longer in business, but I am glad I got the opportunity to sample The Black Lotus. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 92/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Butiki Teas is no longer open for business.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Private Reserve Invincible Black Ink

Yes, I did in fact water test this ink! It stood up very well to the water.

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 Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea "Tiger Assam" Black Tea

Looking forward to another great tea from Andrews & Dunham, today's cup is filled with "Tiger Assam," part of their Damn Fine Tea line. My last review of an offering from them, their "Visit Mount Gray" black tea, was really enjoyable. Time to see how their Assam tastes!

Pouring twelve ounces of just-boiled water over a teaspoon and a half of Tiger Assam, I set my tea timer for four minutes and waited. (The official recommendation is one teaspoon of loose leaf to eight ounces of water.) Four minutes later (plus some time waiting for it to cool down), I had a nice cup of Assam in-hand. Taking a whiff, I note that the aromas are smooth. There is little astringency wafting from the cup and the malty notes smell a bit floral and pleasant.

The first sip glides over my tongue, leaving a malty aftertaste. The maltiness of this Assam has just a bit of a bite in the finish, but it is otherwise rather calm. Too many malty black teas devolve into astringent finishes, but this one has just the kick to finish. A spot of milk could finish the cup well, but, despite its strength, I find that Tiger Assam stands perfectly well on its own. Much like the aromas, the flavor profile is quite smooth, and I question for a moment, if I have not picked up a malty Darjeeling instead!

Tiger Assam by Andrews & Dunham provides a great cup of tea that does not overwhelm the drinker with its strength. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 91/100, and I highly urge you to give it a try!

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea "Tiger Assam" is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pilot Varsity Black Ink

The Pilot Varsity serves as a great intro to fountain pens for many folks. The color is solid, and the nib is fairly smooth for a disposable pen.

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 52teas' Pineapple Bacon Rooibos

This week's review will certain turn heads, as it brings a combination of two foods, rarely seen together, and adds their flavors to a hot drink! 52teas' Pineapple Bacon Rooibos simply sounds very, very strange, until the realization that this is the forte of 52teas - taking flavors from the world, never before consumed in a hot beverage, and blending them with tea! (See last week's review of 52teas' Butterbeer black tea.) That said, I tend to enjoy most rooibos, so I figured I might like this one (bacon being another favorite flavor, while pineapple is simply okay).

Measuring about a teaspoon and a half in to the filter for my twelve ounce mug, I boiled the water and, when it finished, immediately poured it over the rooibos. The smells that wafted from the mug intrigued me. Before becoming too distracted, I set a timer for seven minutes. Returning to the mug, I took another smell. The scents of pineapple were very noticeable. They reminded me of pineapple juice, from a fresh pineapple - sweet, just the slightest hint of sticky, but not cloying or syrupy. Rooibos was also present in the aroma, underlying the pineapple, pleasantly. But what about the bacon? The aroma contained only a little bacon smell. A slight saltiness with a whiff of the barest meat, like bacon bits, spread through the rooibos. At this point, the timer had ended, and I was very excited to try the pineapple bacon rooibos.

Even after seven minutes, the flavors of the rooibos blend seemed mellow. On a sweetness level, the pineapple was no sweeter than the base rooibos, so the overall blend was rather light. The initial tastes were definitely pineapple and rooibos, coming together pleasantly. At first, I could not notice the bacon in the flavor. Then, I realized that the bacon was there, but it tasted very subtle. One could just barely detect it in the body of the flavor. Where it came through more prominently was in the aftertaste. While that sounds strange, it was not that the aftertaste was purely bacon. Rather, the flavors spread across the tongue, and hints of bacon were left, along with the pineapple and rooibos. Rooibos tends not to have a strong aftertaste, so the remaining flavors primarily involved pineapple and bacon, the sweetness of one balancing the saltiness of the other. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked.

Well done, 52teas, for tackling this blend and coming out on top. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this rooibos an 86/100.




Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
52teas' Pineapple Bacon Rooibos is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki Ink

Enjoy this review of another Pilot Iroshizuku offering! For comparison, the reviews of Organics Studio Jules Verne and Noodler's Baystate Blue have been updated to include Kon-peki samples.

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 52teas' Butterbeer Black Tea

This week's review vies for the top spot as one of the most unique blends to be reviewed, here at Built from Ink and Tea. Butterbeer by 52teas takes its name from the iconic drink of the Harry Potter world, yet being a fan of wizards is not necessary to enjoy these flavors!

The addition of licorice root and chicory root to black tea simply sounds like a delicious combination to me. In my twelve ounce mug, I added about an ounce and a half of the blend, and then poured-over the just-boiled water. For steep time, I estimated that it would need about five minutes, so I set the timer accordingly. In the mean time, I took a whiff of the aromas from the packaging. They are a bit buttery, but primarily I find them to have a sweet tangy-ness, like a soda. Perhaps "buttery rootbeer" is a good descriptor (though it sounds quite strange)!

At first, the flavor surprises me. I am impressed by how well blended it seems. The black tea is very noticeable, as are the additional flavors. Yet, neither seem to overwhelm the others, and the merge well. The black tea tastes rather brisk, and the sweetness of the "butterbeer" mixture helps to balance the blend. The aromas are sweet, slightly licorice, and definitely buttery.

Having never tried real butterbeer, I can only imagine what it must taste like. Since the blend here is butterbeer tea, I think 52teas has done a great job of melding the two drinks into one. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate 52teas' Butterbeer a 74/100. Cheers!

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
52teas' Butterbeer Black Tea is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.