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

Here is a quick review that I jotted down, when I came across one of the Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens. While they do make great introductory pens, the ink is almost too wet to be usable on most paper.

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 Shepherd's Tea's Cranberry Orange Rooibos

You may recall that this is not the first time I have reviewed a cranberry orange rooibos. Last year, we looked at a cranberry blood orange rooibos by The Boston Tea Company. It was good, but I must admit that cranberry is far from my favorite flavor in tea. I will admit that it can have great impact on the juiciness of a fruit blend, especially where rooibos is involved.

The name of this tea brings to mind memories of Christmas fruit cake. I have to say that I would love to try a fruit cake-flavored tea...but we digress.

I have commented in the past on the uniqueness of Shepherd's Tea and how they include Bible verses on the paper tab of each teabag. We need not derail the review, though I nod to the originality of the idea. Out of its packaging, this tea almost smells like a spiced cider, such as one might find around the holidays. Adding the bag to a cup of freshly boiled water releases the aroma of much orange peel and perhaps a few other spices.

Giving the tea five minutes to steep, I enjoy the warm scents wafting from the cup. There is a certain tang, from the cranberry, more than likely, that arises from this brew. Too hot to drink immediately, I wait a few moments for the liquid to cool slightly. The flavor is intriguing. While the cranberry and orange tastes do not seem overwhelmingly strong, the flavor of the rooibos itself certainly takes a backseat to the fruits. The certain spiciness that was quite apparent in the aroma has also found a subdued place within the flavor of the brew.

While this cup relaxes and satisfies, I feel as though something is missing from it. The flavors are all in place and taste great, but it seems as though this tea ought to be more bold than it is now. On my personal enjoyment scale, I give it an 80/100.



Photo credit to Shepherd's Tea.
Shepherd's Tea's Cranberry Orange Rooibos can be purchase from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Montblanc Lavender Purple Ink - Original Version

Ah, here we have it - my favorite purple ink. This is the original version (pre-reformulation) of Lavender Purple. You can see my review of the new version, here.

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 WymmTea's 2014 Mangnuo Tengtiao "Cane Tea" Sheng Pu'erh Tea

This week's tea review comes from WymmTea, the same folks I introduced in last week's review of the 2014 Mengku Bazi Laohuangpian sheng pu'erh. Likewise, this week's tea, the 2014 Mangnuo Tengtiao sheng pu'erh also has a very interesting story behind its name. From the WymmTea website:

The name implies that the shape of branches of this type of tea trees is similar to cane. These trees are shaped using a special technique that trims off all the excessive sub-branches and bigger leaves, leaving only two fresh tea buds per branch. Over many centuries of painstaking care by the local tribes, the branches have grown long and slender, similar to the shape of cane, hence the name. The technique for growing, trimming and picking the tea, concentrates all the tea nutrients within the two tea buds in every branch, creating fragrance unseen in most pu-erh. Local tribes only pick one tea bud from each branch at a time, leaving the other one to grow for next round’s harvest.

How fascinating to learn that this horticultural engineering is all in pursuit of fragrance (and, subsequently, flavor)! Due to the small amount of tea picked from each tree, each harvest of Mangnuo Tengtiao is small but of high quality.

Following a rinse of the leaves in my gaiwan, my first steep of thirty seconds begins, releasing sweet green aromas into the air. This tea does not smell like a sheng with sharp edges. Rather, I am reminded of a pleasant, young green tea. The aromas are soft and light. After thirty seconds and straining, the pitcher holds the pale golden tea. I serve some into a cup and breathe it again. Getting really close to the tea, the aroma does remind me of sheng, but of the most aromatic and intoxicating (in a good way) sheng notes. The flavor...the first sip surprises me. WymmTea's website had mentioned that the liquor would be heady, due to the growing method, with concentrations of nutrients in the buds that are left to grow on the tree. The surprise comes in how thick the mouthfeel is, as well as how smooth. Pleasant notes of grass with almost-but-not-quite-floral sweetness flow throughout the cup.

As I steep the second cup for thirty seconds, I am thinking that I could have probably done only a twenty second steep, and the tea would have been just as enjoyable! The second cup tastes...exactly like the first, delicious and smooth. I can hardly believe that this is a sheng, except for the aftertaste. It truly does remind me of a green tea and a pleasant one at that. Over the next several steepings, the tea maintains its flavor well. Each steeping lasts thirty seconds, and it is not until the sixth steeping that I notice a decrease in flavor.

Even, if you do not like sheng, I still highly recommend trying this tea for a session. It is well worth the tasting and a truly pleasant cup. The uniqueness of the growing method only adds to the experience. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate the 2014 Manguo Tengtiao sheng a 91/100.

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
WymmTea's 2014 Mangnuo Tengtiao "Cane Tea" Sheng Pu'erh is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited, and the tea was provided by WymmTea for my tasting.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Montblanc Lavender Purple Ink - Reformulated Version

Good morning! To clarify the title of this post, Montblanc recently reformulated their Lavender Purple ink, and the new version is significantly different than the old. See the review for some comparisons. This review covers the new version, specifically. What do you think of the difference? The scanner, unfortunately, does not do the changes justice.

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 WymmTea's 2014 Mengku Bazi Laohuangpian Sheng Pu'erh Tea

Today's tea review comes from WymmTea, who I have never before review on Built from Ink and Tea. Welcome, WymmTea! The tea itself also arrived with a bit of background, which I found to be quite intriguing. The WymmTea website describes it well:

The name Laohuangpian literally means “old yellow leaves” in Chinese. The picking standard of pu-erh tea has been 1 bud, with 3 to 4 leaves. Usually the 3rd and 4th leaves’ shape are not as ideal after processing. For the best aesthetics of final product to the consumers, tea farmers usually filter out these bigger leaves so that the remaining ones are neat and symmetrical when pressed into pu-erh tea cakes. These bigger leaves are often kept by the tea farmers themselves and are rarely found in the market. Unknown to the general public, these larger and plumpish leaves are more flavourful and sweeter as it has been grown on the trees for a longer period of time.

So, for aesthetic reasons, this tea rarely if ever sees its way into the hands of consumers! Yet at the same time, this tea is certainly being consumed and enjoyed.

I began my own tea session of enjoyment by boiling some water, adding leaves to my gaiwan, and giving them a very short, ten-second rinse. The washed leaves gives off the aroma of dark vegetation, a bit grassy, but also a bit stronger. Two things surprise me. First, the aroma of this sheng does not have the bite that I have come to expect in the smell of raw pu'erhs. Second, notes of sweetness lace through the aroma, and I smile at this complexity. More water is poured over the leaves and the first steep begins.

Thirty seconds later, I have a cup that smells quite mild. My first sip agrees with this assessment, the flavors having not yet fully blossomed, but the pale yellow liquor contains some grassy flavors, which remind me of a pleasant green tea mixed with a sheng. As I consume this first cup, I begin another thirty second steep for the second cup. Much like the first cup, this one is so very, very smooth. The flavors are a bit bolder, but they maintain the same profile overall.

In my third cup, which resulted from another thirty-second steep, I note that the sheng flavors have come forward. Those green, aromatic, almost-pungent (in a good way) tones that so often fill sheng pu'erh have reared their heads and now lurk in the body and aftertaste. Steep number four (another thirty seconds) reveals those flavors to an even greater degree. The dark vegetation aroma is warm and soft, yet seems full of vigor. Much as I am also enjoying them, these cups are being consumed quickly.

During the fifth steep, I accidentally lose track of time, so the steep was somewhere between thirty seconds and one minute. As a result, I am left with what I assumed would be a strong cup, based on the darker color. Yet, to my surprise, it is just as pleasant as the other steeps, though the finish seemed weakening. The leaves appear to have been mostly steeped-out.

In an attempt to express the extent to which I enjoyed this sheng tasting, I can only say that 95% of the time, I prefer shou pu'erh over sheng, and I rarely choose sheng pu'erh as a drink during the day. However, with this tea, I could see it becoming a regular in my cup. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 95/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
WymmTea's 2014 Mengku Bazi Laohuangpian Sheng Pu'erh is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited, and the tea was provided by WymmTea for my tasting.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo Ink

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 Adagio Teas' Lounge Chair Lapsang Black Tea

Today's review showcases a twist on a classic black tea. Lapsang Souchong, famous for it heavy, smoky aroma and rich flavors, reminds many first-time drinkers of barbeque sauce. I must admit, that was my initial impression, when I first tried it.

Early in my tea-drinking days, when my knowledge of teas was barely stretching beyond bagged offerings from the local supermarket, I visited England. While touring Canterbury, we stopped in a small tea shop and cafe for a cuppa. Seeing Lapsang Souchong on the menu with a description that promised smokiness, I decided to give this new discovery a taste. After the initial "This smells like barbeque sauce" exclamations of wonderment, I am fairly certain that I drank the entire pot quite quickly. Lapsang Souchong, and related blends such as Russian Caravan, went on to become some of my favorit black teas.

Adagio Teas' Lounge Chair Lapsang has to be one of the most savory teas I have consumed in some time. As a part of Adagio Teas' "umph" series of teas "that were formulated with guys in mind," Lounge Chair Lapsang "is a cup filled with the aroma of Dad's favorite pipe or a contraband stogy." Interesting description; I usually think of vanilla notes with pipes, but this is where Adagio Teas has twisted things! The lovely Lapsang Souchong base comes topped with cherry and caramel flavors, and yet it tastes in no way like dessert!

As I steeped a teaspoon and a half of this in twelve ounces of just-boiled water, I breathed deeply of the leaves. The smokiness of the Lapsang Souchong hits the nose hard, but after a moment I noticed something more. Underlying notes of caramel drifted to my nose, not too sweet, but blending nicely with the Lapsang Souchong. After four minutes of steeping, my cup of tea was ready.

In the first few sips, I discovered two very distinctive tastes (using the term quite generally). If a drink is quickly taken and swallowed, this results in a wash of smokiness across the taste buds with the faintest hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. It tastes mostly like Lapsang Souchong. But! If a drink is taken and then left on the tongue to savor, suddenly cherry notes arise from the smokiness! Edged with sweet caramel, the flavor is fantastic. The finish seems much more well-rounded, when the body is savored, like this.

If you have any interest in smoky teas, give this one a try. If it sounds remotely interesting, I highly recommend it. While I do not often speak about the price of teas, here, I have to say that this one is a great deal at 9 USD for 4 ounces in a nice tin. I have been drinking Lounge Chair Lapsang for the past week on a daily basis, and it has not yet gotten old. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 96/100. Nicely done, Adagio Teas.


Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Adagio Teas' Lounge Chair Lapsang 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 Waterman Red Ink

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.