Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Diamine Oxblood 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 Adagio Teas' Black Dragon Pearls Tea

Pearl teas fascinate me. Regardless of the tea base used in the making of them, their construction - and then deconstruction in brewing - intrigues and captures the attention. They are also quite handy and convenient in measurement, say, if brewing instructions call for two peals per eight ounces of water - no measuring utensil needed! Today's review will take a look at the Black Dragon Pearls from Adagio Teas, a large size with beautiful colors.

The steeping instructions denote one heaping teaspoon per cup. A heaping teaspoon of pearls this big is a bit ambiguous, but after putting the pearls into a measuring utensil, I found that three of them more than heap one teaspoon. Into my twelve ounce mug they go, covered by just-boiled water, to wait for four minutes (the instructions suggest three to five). Within the first thirty seconds, the water darkens and the pearls begin to open. There is something calming about watching the leaves unfurl in tea, especially with pearls. (Tightly-rolled oolongs are another visually stimulating tea to watch, as they brew.)

The aroma of the pearls, dry, suggests a very malty tea base but with a smooth body. In some respects, it reminds me of an Assam, yet the strong kick is not quite there...the aromas mellow-out. It is much the same within the brewed cup. Adagio's site mentions that the tea is from Yunnan. (As I read more closely, they also mention on their site - not on the packaging - the suggested two to three pearls of tea per cup.) The strength of the nose belies the lack of strength in the body. Now, that is not necessarily a bad thing, the body of this tea simply does not hit me as intensely as I had imagined that it would. Instead, the cup is rather mellow, pleasant in complexity, but less intense than anticipated. Maltiness seeps into the edges of the flavors, their body comprised of earthy tones. The aftertaste contains strong cocoa notes, not sweet but more musky (not in a bad way). Overall, the flavors are moderately "wet" (versus dry), though they dry-up in the aftertaste.

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea a 94/100. I am going to enjoy adjusting the flavor strengths and intensities with more pearls and/or more time in the steeps. The visual stimulation is an added bonus! If you have never had a pearl tea, and you like black tea, I highly recommend trying this one, soon.

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Adagio Teas Black Dragon Pearls 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 Noodler's Shah's Rose 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' Earl Grey Bravo Black Tea

Another Earl Grey for review, today's comes from Adagio Teas. Despite the name, this one is actually not a variant (to my understanding) but rather just Adagio Teas' version of the classic Earl Grey. Citrus and black tea...here we go!

Three minutes steep of a teaspoon and a half of tea in twelve ounces of just-boiled water produces a rich and moderately-dark cup. The aroma of the brewed cup showcases the briskness of the Ceylon black tea base, while the dry leaves have a great deal of zing - intense citrus perkiness. Flavor-wise, the three minutes did deliver a cup that has a lot of brisk citrus notes in the initial taste but smooths quickly across the tongue. I am surprised - the intensity of the citrus aroma in the dry leaves totally belied the smoothness of the cup. The finish is pleasant and leaves behind a good amount of sweet citrus notes. One hesitates to call this cup "rich," but it certainly deserves to be called "flavorful!"

Well-made blend, Adagio. This Earl Grey is spot-on and provides wonderful aroma and flavors. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 94/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Adagio Teas Earl Grey Bravo 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 J. Herbin "1670" Rouge Hematite Ink

Striking!

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 The Mountain Tea Co's Four Seasons Spring Oolong Tea

Two things were noticed when I opened the small foil package of Mountain Tea's Four Seasons Spring Oolong. First was the delicious floral scent that wafted to my nose. "Mmm," I thought, "this is going to be good." Second was the small packet of stay-fresh crystals, such as as sometimes found in packages of beef jerky. Perhaps this is something common in the world of tea, but, in all my years of drinking tea, never before have I ever seen such a thing. I appreciate The Mountain Tea Co's efforts at keeping my tea fresh, though!

Having heated my water to just off boiling, I preheat my teacup of choice for the day (a pint mason jar) and my gaiwan. The leaves get their rinse, and I begin the first steep. The floral notes floating from the gaiwan when I open it are wonderful. However, they are not quite imparted in the first steep, which smells weak. The taste of the first steep is about the same. I think that the oolong is very smooth, yet I cannot be too sure, as my thirty-second beginning infusion must not have released much potential for the tea.

Steeping the leaves again, I smell the resulting brew and know that the potential of the tea has begun to come forth from within the leaves. The aroma is a balance of floral notes and distinctly vegetal scents. The flavor is a bit disappointing. I get more oolong taste in the aftertaste than in my sips. Steeps three and four seem to be much more effective. This tea has finally opened itself, revealing itself to be a pleasant sipping tea. The floral taste seems to coat the mouth, though the mouthfeel of this tea is not too thick. Another couple steepings and this tea will be done. I liked this tea, but did not really feel that it packed the flavor or strength that I would expect from a derivative of a tie guan yin. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea an 82/100.



The Mountain Tea Co's Four Seasons Spring Oolong Tea 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 Montblanc Pink Ink

A wild offering from our friends at Montblanc!

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' Green Rooibos Bonita

Wow, the smells coming from the package of this rooibos truly tantalize the nose! Peach tones hit first, followed quickly by strawberry and orange aromas. In the dry blend, one can see pieces of orange peel, as well as marigold flowers, giving the blend a great visual appeal.

Two teaspoons, two cups of just-boiled water, and five minutes produce a pot of Green Rooibos Bonita. Strawberries and green rooibos dominate the smells, coming from my cup. The taste...well, each of the fruits is noticeable by itself, which is pleasant. Sometimes, I enjoy being able to identify all of the flavors in my cup. That said, they all blend quite well with a not-quite-tropical feel. Overall, the whole blend is quite subtle and light. I probably would tend to steep this longer than the recommended five minutes in order to pull more flavor from the leaves and fruit.

Green Rooibos Bonita made for a tasty cup, but I would have liked the flavors to be less subtle. It makes me wonder how the blend would taste, if red rooibos were used as the base. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate Green Rooibos Bonita a 75/100.

Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Adagio Teas Green Rooibos Bonita 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 Private Reserve Hot Bubble Gum Chromium Ink

Vibrant!

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.