A Hiatus from Writing about Tea but Not from Drinking Tea

My dear readers,

The time has come, when writing and sourcing reviews for this blog interferes with obligations in the rest of my life. For this reason, I will be taking a hiatus from posting, here. Someday, I will return, and you may see posts being made intermittently, as I have the time to craft them. Until then, I will continue drinking tea and writing with my pens (and building Lego, when time allows) for those were the passions that brought this site into being. Even now, I am sipping a Honey Black Oolong from Esteemed Tea Collective (found here), and the sweet honey aromas are a delight to the senses. Each sip is a pleasant journey in and of itself.

Best wishes to all of you,
Spencer

A Change in Stained Fingers on Thursday

Over one hundred and fifty ink reviews have been posted here on Built from Ink and Tea.

At several points along this multi-year journey of ink reviewing, I have realized that - even just acquiring small samples - I am amassing more ink than I am using. For a fountain pen enthusiast and a lover of writing, this is both a good and bad thing. On the bad side, it could (and does to some degree) mean that I am not using my pens as much as I would like. After all, these samples are small. On the other hand, the good side is that it gives me a plethora of options when inking my next pen.

The purpose of the ink lies in writing, not in looking pretty in a bottle or sample vial. It is for this reason that I have decided to change the structure of Stained Fingers on Thursday. Ink reviews will not stop entirely, and I will still be reviewing and posting inks I really enjoy, thus bringing about more full and fleshed-out reviews. Certainly, this means that Stained Fingers on Thursday will not be weekly, but it may also expand the posts to include such things as writing samples, color group showcases, and comparisons.

Thanks for reading!

We Are Still Drinking Tea...on a Brief Hiatus

Hi folks! We are still drinking tea and writing things with our pens, but due to our travel adventures to discover more great tea and pens, we are currently on hiatus from new posts. We hope to resume our content in the second week of August. Talk to you soon!

An Update to My Whispering Pines Evergreen Spice Review

Back when I had written about refining my personal enjoyment scale, a reader had asked me, if I planned to retroactively apply the new scale to past tea reviews. While I responded that I did not, and at this time I still do not (at least planned), I wanted to share some feelings that I had this past weekend.

I stood in my kitchen, brewing myself a pot of tea. I had been desiring something refreshing, cooling, and flavorful, yet not fruity. Whispering Pines Tea's Evergreen Spice Oolong was chosen for the occasion, and it was with pleasure that I started it steeping, using the last of the package that I had.

As I watched the tea brew, the leaves releasing their delicious flavors, I contemplated Evergreen Spice, which I had reviewed, here. I did not recall what I had rated it, but I felt saddened that the container was empty. Referencing my new personal enjoyment scale, this would have given Evergreen Spice at lease a 4. And yet, I felt more strongly about it than just a 4. This seemed to be a tea that I always wanted to have on hand, whether to enjoy alone or share with others. For that reason, on my new personal enjoyment scale, I would rate Whispering Pines Tea's Evergreen Spice Oolong a 5. The enjoyment I received from drinking it and experiencing all it had to offer was something I want to have again and again.




My prior review of Evergreen Spice can be found, here.
Whispering Pines Tea's Evergreen Spice is available from their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text is copyright 2016, Built from Ink and Tea.

Refining My Personal Enjoyment Scale for Tea: An Important Update

In the recent past, I have been reflecting upon my "personal enjoyment scale," which was once meant as a comparison basis for teas. However, there are a few issues with this, which have become more and more obvious in recent times and through recent tea reviews. Here are a few thought points:

• I have lost part of my handle on the personal enjoyment scale. That is, what defines (using that word loosely) my enjoyment now may be different than a year ago or five years ago.
• The ratings make teas that are unrelated seem relevant to each other. I have never rated a tea 100/100, nor 99/100, and why not? What elusive element am I searching for that would bring the rating so high? One tea is rated 98/100. A number have 97/100 ratings, but how does one compare elements of enjoyment across teas (or tisanes) as diverse as the following (all rated 97/100):
• Tea Ave's Ti Kwan Yin oolong
• Crimson Lotus Tea's 2012 Nannuo Shan shou pu'erh
• Loose Leaf Spot's Glass Slipper herbal blend
• DavidsTea's Peanut Butter Cup fruit infusion
• What good do my #/100 reviews do for you as the reader? Ultimately, these reviews are here for you to see my thoughts, but if those are unclear/ambiguous then the benefit drops immensely.

In contemplating the revision of my scale, I thought through a few options. I could get rid of the scale entirely, though I personally like having some sort of quick reference for good-or-not (to me). I could use an established tea rating scale, but I am not a trained tea sommelier and do not have the authority for such. The scale could be revised to be a number from 10 instead of 100, yet how much difference would that actually make? It seems that more simplicity accompanied by greater definition is needed, while still keeping things personal. After all, these are my experiences. This lead me to the simplicity of a 1-5 scale. Defining each point, even vaguely, was more difficult.

The Important Part: The New Personal Enjoyment Scale

1. I really disliked this tea. While I may have finished the cup (as I rarely dump tea that I have prepared), the experience was not at all good to me (whether due to taste, smell, etc.). I would actually recommend against anyone drinking it. 
2. This tea was not great in my opinion. Maybe it had potential and then fell flat. Maybe it tasted "off" somehow. Maybe it was the tea embodiment of mediocrity. 
3. My experience with this tea was okay. I would drink it again, if it was an option, but I will not seek-out more for my collection. 
4. I really enjoyed this tea. I will be sad when the amount that I have is gone, and I may or may not buy more. I would highly recommend it.
5. This tea was an absolute joy to drink. Likely, it is a tea that I will buy over and over again, so that I always have some. 

Yes, the scale is skewed more toward the positive. That said, I feel that rating teas and tisanes a 1 or a 5 will be rare. While I have tried more teas that I might deem a 5 than I have teas that would qualify for a 1, the number of teas that I would deem a 5 is a small fraction of those that would warrant a rating of 4. 

Starting with next week's review, I will use this new 1-5 scale. I do want to emphasize that the scale is not the focus of the review itself; it is the experience around which things center. The scale is merely a classification of sorts. For that reason, I will not be instituting any way to sort by rating. Rather, each rating should be considered as standing alone between me and the cup I just steeped. A tea that is given a great rating may not be the most expensive or the best quality of its kind, yet it may have given me an amazing experience in the drinking. 

If you have any thoughts on this new system, I would be interested to hear them! Please feel free to leave me a comment on this post or reach out to me via the contact link.

On Our Way Back

Greetings loyal readers and friends of Built from Ink and Tea!

Where have we been? I am certain you have noticed the lack of posts, lately. This is due to the fact that we are moving! The Built from Ink and Tea offices are being relocated. During this time, we have been doing a lot of thinking and planning for our future, and we are excited to bring you new content, starting in April. 

Thank you for staying with us. We look forward to getting into writing again and continuing to bring you the best of tea, teaware, writing instruments, and more!

What You Ink You Become

"With my recent acquisition of a very classy-looking, all-black TWSBI Mini, I looked around my ink collection for an equally-classy ink with which to fill the pen. Diamine Graphite matched these criteria. A black ink might have been too plain for making a classy combination; but this dark grey flows well, looks great on paper, and nicely matches the pen from which it flows. The medium nib of this Mini lays down a moderate line that is very legible, very revealing of the ink's character, and not too bold
This ink and pen combination is near-perfect!"

My review of Diamine Graphite ink can be found here.

Inking of a Replacement

"My TWSBI Mini with its fine nib needed a new ink. Since the Vac Mini had replaced it as the carrier of Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun, this pen needed its transparent body filled with an equally-solid ink for daily writing, while maintaining its visual aesthetic.
Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine fit perfectly with its blue-tinged green notes of color. I wish it bled less on cheap paper, but on Rhodia and Tomoe River, it does well. The fine nib on this TWSBI Mini puts down a solid line that even shades a bit!"

My review of Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine ink can be found here.

Ink of Me Fondly

"For months, I had kept my TWSBI Mini (clear), with a fine nib, full of Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun. While a fairly light-colored ink, it provided a great writing experience with plenty of character. It ran empty about a month ago, and that pen sat sadly unused.
With the recent release of the TWSBI Vac Mini, I knew I had a pen, which needed Fuyu-Syogun...or did I have an ink that needed a pen? Either way, Fuyu-Syogun has found a home in my new TWSBI Vac Mini with its fine nib. The combination is great! Fuyu-Syogun works very well with the clear body and metal vac rod, and the color flows nicely from the wet, fine nib."

My review of Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun ink can be found here.

Inking of Autumn

"Oh, Noodler's Golden Brown...shades so well, looks so good in both round and italic nibs. Currently residing in this 1.1 mm stub-nibbed TWSBI Mini, the Golden Brown and the black and clear of the Mini body contrast well.
Truly, though, this ink looks good in just about any pen. (Or, rather, looks good coming out of the pen!)"

My review of Noodler's Golden Brown ink can be found here.

I Ink Therefore I Am

Here on Built from Ink and Tea, we dedicate our time to sharing our thoughts on products, helping you discover new items, and putting offerings to the test. For us, pens and ink are a lifestyle, and we have opinions what we use. The choices we make when refilling our pens, affect how we feel about that pen and how we use it.

You will start to occasionally see posts from us, tagged with "Ink/Think". These will not be regularly scheduled but will be prompted by our refilling and wanting to share that unique feeling of a freshly-filled pen with you! We hope you enjoy them and invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments section, below.

"As described in a post on the Montblanc fineliner body hack, I have been using Montblanc fineliner refills in my Pilot Metropolitan rollerball, and the experience has been great. Recently, my medium Mystery Black refill ran out, and I replaced it with a broad Amethyst Purple refill. Depending on your paper, the broad tip can be really broad and bleeding. On this Rhodia pad, it does just fine and presents a decently large line. The color, I like, but I cannot see myself using on a daily basis. Funny how this page started darker than it is now. Unfortunately, swapping to this refill has actually led me to use this pen much less than before."

New "Ink Review Index" for Your Perusal!

Want a quick way to browse the ink reviews that have been featured in the past on Built from Ink and Tea? Check out the new "Ink Review Index" page in the navigation tabs at the top! Organized by color family and brand, each ink is linked to its latest review (in the case of multiple uploads). You can also access that page, here.

Need an easy way to follow Built from Ink and Tea?

Hi folks! You may have noticed that we now have a "Follow by Email" box in the right sidebar of the site. If you want to receive updates by email, whenever we post new content, simply use that box to subscribe.

Additionally, new posts will now automatically be added to the official Built from Ink and Tea Twitter feed, @SpencerCreates. If you use Twitter, you can follow us there and will be notified of new posts to this site, as well as all the other short content that I tweet (or share from others).

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.

June 2015 Hiatus

Hi folks,

Just a quick note to let you know that, due to travels, I will be taking a hiatus from posting here on Built from Ink and Tea, during the month of June, 2015. Expect new posts and content in July!

~Spencer

Taiwanese Oolongs for All! An Introduction to Tea Ave

The wonderful folks of Tea Ave have a passion for oolong.

On March 1, 2015, Tea Ave announced their official opening of business. In their words, "Our goal at Tea Ave is to help tea lovers everywhere elevate their oolong experience by offering authentic advice, brewing tips, and top-notch oolong teas." They made it their goal to bring the best Taiwanese oolongs to the world.

With a singular focus like Tawainese oolong, Tea Ave has allowed themselves the room necessary to become experts in their chosen discipline. However, do not mistake them for just another company with only a couple of offerings. In seeking after the best oolong that Taiwan has to offer, the folks at Tea Ave have discovered marvelous teas that cover a broad range of flavors, showcasing the depth and variety that can be experienced within a single tea variety from a single region. Pairing with this, they are also offering quality teaware for use in your steeping and enjoyment of oolong and other teas.

Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing my thoughts on some of the delicious offerings by Tea Ave. It is my hope that these will provide good insight to the world of Taiwanese oolongs and the goodness that Tea Ave brings to the tea industry. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, too!

Where should you start? Their website can be found here. I also recommend reading their introductory blog post, found here. Their store is well laid out with clearly-defined sections for straight oolong, scented oolong, and teaware. If you are interested in following them on Twitter, go here.

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

Fountain Pen Day 2014 Approaches!

Fountain Pen Day 2014 is nearly upon us!

Taking place on November 7, 2014, Fountain Pen Day marks a celebration of writing instruments and an opportune moment in which to promote these tools that we enjoy so much. Information about how you can participate is available from the official Fountain Pen Day website, here, including ideas on how to celebrate. I know I will definitely be writing some letters on the 7th. How will you celebrate?

P.S. Built from Ink and Tea is even featured on the list of blogs supporting Fountain Pen Day (listed as Create Write Drink)

The San Francisco Pen Show Approaches!

Have you heard about the San Francisco Pen Show? This international gathering of exhibitors will be taking place next weekend, August 22 through 24, 2014, in Redwood City, California.

The list of planned exhibitors contains some big names, and there are several seminars planned. If your pens need tuning or repairing, Mike Masuyama, John Mottishaw, and Greg Minuskin are confirmed to be in attendance. However, I highly recommend that you seek them out, early in the day, and get on their list, as they have a limited amount of time in which to work and the waiting lists tend to fill very fast.

More details are available via the pen show website, here. I plan to be attending the show on Saturday and would love to meet any of you, who will be there. Send me a message via Twitter or the contact form, and we can plan on it!

Now the only dilemma is deciding whether to attend the calligraphy seminar or the handwriting seminar - both at noon on Saturday!

NockCo Shop Launch - June 25 at 12pm EST!

The NockCo shop launches officially, tomorrow at 12pm EST! Check it out, here: http://nockco.com/

Congratulations to Brad and Jeffrey for making this a reality!

For those, who are not familiar with NockCo., they are pen lovers, who have designed awesome pen cases. You can read about them, here: http://nockco.com/about/

TWSBI Updates - Micarta Discontinuation and 580RB Availability!

Hi folks - just a quick TWSBI update of some information I recently learned.

TWSBI Micarta and accompanying notebook

The TWSBI Micarta, now in its second version, is being discontinued. While these are still available for sale, various places, TWSBI will be ceasing the manufacture of these very unique pens. Specific reasons are unknown, but it may be to "make room" for the wood-bodied pen that TWSBI has teased as in-the-works.

Finally, the brand-new TWSBI Diamond 580RB is now available from the official TWSBI website and their Amazon store.

Essentially a re-release of their limited edition pen from 2011, the Diamond 540 ROC 100, the new Diamond 580RB uses their improved Diamond 580 as the base, while adding the special red cap and section, blue piston knob, and ROC cap jewel. TWSBI has confirmed that this will be a limited edition pen, but the exact limited number is unknown. A first run of these pens will be available through the TWSBI sites, while a second run at a later date will be available through authorized retailers.


Photo credit to TWSBI.

Teas and More Teas! - Kickstarter Updates

Last week I told about the Just Organic Tea Kickstarter project, which was on track to successfully finish, soon after my post. It finished most successfully at nearly four times the goal. In the coming months, I will be sharing further thoughts on their offerings. If you missed their campaign, you can still buy their tea from their website, here.


I had also mentioned the "Loose Leaf Tea: Sip & Slip Into the Leaves of a Story" project. After the project gained full funding, the fairytale blends inspired backers to push for the first stretch goal: even more tea! With the achievement of this stretch goal, Rebecca King intends to add villain-inspired blends to each fairytale package. In her eighth update to the project, she reveals the first of the villain blends:

For the first blend, I've chosen to go a more traditional route with a combination of black teas from three regions: Assam, Darjeeling, and Ceylon. Because each of these black teas comes from a different growing region, they have different flavor profiles: Assam is known for a malty undercurrent, Darjeelings are lighter and fruitier in flavor, and Ceylon teas pack in that traditional black tea flavor. The combination is a robust blend that floods your taste buds with flavor and a clean finish.
This tea blend was inspired by the sea-witch in The Little Mermaid. In the Hans Christian Andersen tale, the little mermaid swims by boiling eddies, bubbles, and whirlpools to reach the sea-witch's domain. In the same way, the three black teas are similar in type and general flavor but add their own unique characteristic to the overall tea. Additionally, the clean finish to the tea reminds me of water which fits well with this story.

Her ninth project update reveals the second villain blend:

Refined ladies everywhere enjoy hosting afternoon tea so naturally Cinderella's step-mother regularly hosts gatherings. After all, she has to keep up appearances! However, her sour disposition can't help but filter through which means her tea takes on a citrus twist.
This tea base is a classic Earl Grey (black tea, cornflower petals, and natural flavors) with the addition of: Orange pieces, Hibiscus & Rose petals, and Lime leaves. The result? Classic Earl Grey flavor with a lemon highlight. 

Rebecca King's Kickstarter tea project ends on Friday, May 23. The funding is currently at $3,600, and she has promised a fourth fairytale, when the funding reaches $4,500! I truly hope that it achieves its goals. Check it out and back it for some awesome-sounding tea!


Read my post from last week, here.


All photos and logos are owned by their respective campaign creators.