Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pilot Green 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.

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And now, a photo of my morning:

Nock Co. Hightower, Unlabeled black tea, Field Notes Ambition Edition, TWSBI Mini, and Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun

Enjoy your tea and writing, folks! If you have any suggestions for improvements that we can make here at Built from Ink and Tea, please do not hesitate to share them, using the "Questions or Comments?" tab at the top of the page or via this link: Questions or Comments?




Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

New Fountain Pen Nib Infographic - Full of "Tips!"

The following infographic was created by the fine folks at Pen Chalet. Check out their great summary of interesting information about the nib of your fountain or dip pen!

Be sure to check out there site for great deals on fountain pens, inks, paper, and accessories. You can visit them, here, at PenChalet.com.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of DavidsTea's Coconut Ice Herbal Blend

From the first glance at the ingredients list, I feel as though this is the type of drink that would be better consumed iced. However, because we here at Built from Ink and Tea are very traditional in our tea consumption methods, we shall try it hot, first!

Brewing two teaspoons in just-boiled water for seven minutes results in a strong cup that gives off a heady coconut cream aroma. There is a lot of sweet scent in this cup, which I am happy to say comes from the honeybush base, not added sweeteners. First sip reveals a body that is light, definitely honeybush, and tinged with coconut. However, upon the swallow, the aftertaste lends a rich, coconut-laden burst of creaminess.

For an ice cream-inspired herbal blend, Coconut Ice still tastes pretty decent, when brewed hot. I would certainly keep drinking it like this, but let us put it on ice and see how things taste.

Cold, Coconut Ice tastes very creamy. I see now the intended drink Davidstea had in mind, when they crafted this blend. It is pretty tasty, and I find it quite refreshing. On my personal enjoyment scale, both hot and cold, I would rate Coconut Ice an 83/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
DavidsTea's Coconut Ice is available from their website, here, and in DavidsTea retail stores.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Diamine Sherwood Green 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 Numi Rooibos Chai

Before I even begin to taste this tea, I have to make mention of something that gives good credit to Numi. Numi, thank you for making this blend, showing the public (who may not be intimately familiar with the tea - and tisane - world) that rooibos does not have to be a mysterious ingredient that is listed in the fine print of some herbal blends, whose names make vague reference to "red" and "tea." Rooibos is a wonderful drink with great health benefits, and I hope that it continues to become more and more accessible to the average consumer.

To the review! Having not been impressed by the last Numi offering that I tried (the Aged Earl Grey, reviewed here), I am nevertheless giving them the benefit of the doubt, since this is an herbal blend and not a tea-based mixture. The package lists that this blend includes cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cardamom...plus rooibos. Whoah. Nutmeg and allspice are interesting additions to an otherwise-fairly-traditional mix of chai spices.

They suggest using just-boiled water and a four to six minute steep time. Six minutes later, my eight ounce cup has the results of Numi's efforts, steeped. Aroma? Spicy. Lots of spice. The nutmeg and cinnamon are distinctly noticeable, and the nutmeg lends a pleasant sweetness to the smell. The taste is...surprisingly subdued, almost thin. I find this interesting, given the number of different spices. Mostly, I can taste the bite of clove and a bit of the ginger. The aftertaste has more of the flavors combined together, but the rooibos has been - I feel - overwhelmed completely. The rooibos possibly contributes a bit to the undertones, but mostly this is a spicy brew.

I might consider steeping a bag of this with some plain, red rooibos to boost the health benefits and the rooibos flavor. Numi, this one could use a bit of work. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this a 76/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Numi's Rooibos Chai 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 Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine 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 DavidsTea's Spiced Pumpkin Herbal Blend

Recently released as a part of the pumpkin-only second half of the DavidsTea autumn 2015 collection (alongside Pumpkin Pie Matcha and Pumpkin Maté), Spiced Pumpkin is a caffeine-free herbal blend, built on an delicious base of honeybush.

However, the delicious ingredients do not stop with the base! Mixed into the herbal blend are pumpkin pieces, cinnamon, cocoa shells, and maple crystals. The dry mixture smells heavily of the maple and cinnamon. Pleasantly, the pumpkin aroma is light - no pumpkin pie spice being used here! The cinnamon and maple are rather prominent.

I enjoy my herbal blends, rooibos, chamomile, etc. rather strong and flavorful, so the two teaspoons of this mixture get steeped in twelve ounces of just-boiled water for seven full minutes (the upper end of what DavidsTea recommends). The resulting cup puts off an aroma that is much deeper, richer, and less sharply-sweet than the dry ingredient suggest. It does not smell like pumpkin pie, as there is no breadiness. Rather, it is a slightly-sweet, spiced pumpkin. The aromas seem a bit juicy to me, which intrigues and delights the senses.

And juicy defines the flavor! What a rich treat! The richness is not too sweet, overwhelming, or bad; the flavors are simply quite full-bodied. Seven minutes was a perfect steep time for this tea. I find myself drinking it gulp by gulp, rather than sip by sip. The flavors are also rather spot-on for what DavidsTea was trying to accomplish. It does taste like spiced pumpkin. The sweetness is not too much, though one of my first thoughts was to wonder how it would taste without the maple crystals. Would the pumpkin be sweet enough to stand on its own?

That said, well done, DavidsTea for crafting a delicious pumpkin blend that breaks from the mold of pumpkin spice-centric beverages. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give this herbal blend a 92/100.



Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
DavidsTea's Spiced Pumpkin is available from their website, here, and in DavidsTea retail stores, for a limited time.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2015, Built from Ink and Tea.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite Ink

My first review of an Edelstein ink from Pelikan! More to come next week.

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 Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun Green Tea

(Short review due to travels this week!)

Carrying one of the longest names I have ever seen in tea, Teavivre's Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun (also known as Pi Luo Chun) is a non-fermented green tea with a bold taste. In my tasting, I used three teaspoons of leave in two cups of water for one and a half minutes of steeping. The leaves do give off a fruity aroma, and I wonder if the tea will taste the same way.

This tea is certainly far less vegetal than others, such as gunpowder greens. "Fruity" does not not quite describe it, but it has a certain fruit edge to it. Other prominent flavors include a distinct nuttiness and natural sweetness. This tea is quite pleasant and provides an enjoyable drinking experience. For green tea fans, it is well worth a try. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it an 85/100.



Teavivre's Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun Green 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 Diamine Ancient Copper Ink

Today's review is of a beautiful reddish-brown ink. Check out another great offering from Diamine!

Built from Ink and Tea would like to thank Pen Chalet for sponsoring this week's Stained Fingers on Thursday. Visit Pen Chalet, here, and take a look at their fountain pen ink and other writing accessories!

Pen Chalet provided this ink in exchange for an unbiased review. If you would like to sponsor reviews on Built from Ink and Tea, please get in touch with us via our Sponsor page, 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.