Tea Review Tuesday Special on a Monday - A Review of Loose Leaf Spot's Cinderella Collection

Previously, I had spoken of a Kickstarter by Rebecca King, wherein she was crafting tea blends, inspired by classic fairy tales. Recently, her Kickstarter campaign ended, and the tea blends were shipped to the backers. (However, even if you missed the campaign, you can still try the blends, because she now has them for sale on her website, Loose Leaf Spot.) The blends, which are currently available, are based on four different stories. This provided a pre-organized method by which to group my reviews by each collection. Here are my thoughts on the blends of the Cinderella collection: Glass Slipper, Midnight Waltz, and Noble Twist.

Glass Slipper
Chamomile and mint. Easy enough around which to wrap my mind, though I must admit to not having considered them for blending, before. Then, I recall Xiao's Blend by Peet's Coffee & Tea, which contains these two ingredients, plus rosehips. I loved Xiao's Blend, so I eagerly begin to prepare a cup of Glass Slipper.

As a chamomile herbal blend, the use of more leaf, than with a tea blend, is suggested. For a twelve ounce mug, I use a little over two teaspoons of the mixture and top it with boiling water. As I prefer my chamomile strong and full, I steep the blend for seven minutes - the upper limit of the suggested time. The resulting brew smells of chamomile, through and through. If there is mint in the aroma, it is barely noticeable.

In the flavors, mint still sits less prominently than the chamomile, but it adds a pleasant coolness to the flavor and really mixes quite well with the floral chamomile. The aftertaste contains a lot more mint than the body of the brew, and I really enjoyed the cup. Glass Slipper is a fantastic herbal blend, suited perfectly to evening sipping and relaxation.

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 97/100.


Midnight Waltz

The blend of Midnight Waltz is simple. Take a medium-grade, Ceylon black tea and blend it with the flavor of blueberry. Add some cornflower petals for decoration. Follow the instructions to brew a great cup of tea.

Here, the great cup of tea was crafted with a teaspoon and a half of in a twelve ounce mug, topped with just-boiled water, and left to steep for four minutes (the packaging recommends three to five). Once it had cooled a bit, it was time for sipping. Immediately, I noticed something that struck me as different from many of the blueberry-flavored black teas I have tried - the blueberry was subtle. The flavor of blueberry did not crash across my taste buds, like the flavor does when biting into fresh blueberries. Rather, it slid across the tongue, well-blended with the black tea, letting me enjoy the flavor of the Ceylon, too. Four minutes might have been a bit too long, as I started to noticed some astringency in the edges of the flavor profile. Perhaps, next time, I will steep for three and a half.

As a general descriptor, "brisk" fits Midnight Waltz. It is most certainly not a bold tea, and so its versatility is increased by being able to fit the mood for any time of day. I can imagine this as a complement to breakfast or with an afternoon snack. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea an 86/100.

Noble Twist
I never imagined that I would ever try an Earl Grey with - of all things - lime flavors. Yet, that is the precise "twist" added to this blend. The aroma embodies Earl Grey with a citrus undertone, but the lime is very subtle. Just as with the Midnight Waltz, I had used a teaspoon and a half with boiling water for four minutes in a twelve ounce mug. I do not detect any astringency in the aroma.

Unlike anything I have tried before, the flavor of my cup of Noble Twist remains most definitely Earl Grey at the base. However, the tastes of fresh orange and lime snakes throughout the cup. Truly, the aftertaste is quite juicy. Something strikes me as "off" about the flavors, but it might be that my taste buds do not prefer the combination of fruits. That said, the tea is quite flavorful and makes a lovely cup, albeit a very unique one!

On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate this tea an 87/100.



These reviews were unsolicited and uncompensated.
The three blends of the Cinderella collection can be purchased from the Loose Leaf Spot website, here. Check out the rest of their offerings, too!
Photo credit to Built from Ink and Tea.
Text content is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea .

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue

Today's review covers another of the most common inks in the fountain pen world: Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue.

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.

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/

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Tao Tea Leaf's 2011 An Ji Bai Cha

This artisan green tea struck my eye on account of the purported re-steep-ability. I love being able to resteep my teas, and I had been wanting to try more, new green tea. (There is still more Teavivre spring 2014 goodness coming, too!) This An Ji Bai Cha called out to me and I answered it.

Okay, so that sounded a bit pretentious, but it did catch my eye. The Tao Tea Leaf website is full of great information. So, in following with all of their guidelines, I measured out about a teaspoon and a half of this for a cup of water at about 170 degrees Fahrenheit. I changed it up and used a ceramic teapot, as my glass steeping cup was unavailable. I am sure this tea would look very pretty in a glass cup, as the leaves dance in the water. Preheating the teaware is important for a potentially delicate tea like this, as steeping tea in cold teaware can alter the flavor substantially.

After two minutes of steeping, the resulting brew is a smooth and slightly sweet, yet much muted version of the sweet, grassy dry leaves. While there is not a big "wow" factor to this tea, it goes down very smooth and is very enjoyable to sit and sip...and sip and sip... The resteepability and how much that maintains its flavor is an added bonus that I think makes this tea a worthwhile try. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it an 86/100.


Photo credit to Tao Tea Leaf.
Unfortunately, Tao Tea Leaf's An Ji Bai Cha is currently out of stock, but you can read more about it on their website, here.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.
Text content is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea .

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Parker Quink Black Ink

Today's review covers what is possibly one of the most common inks in the fountain pen world: Parker Quink Black.

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 Organic Nonpareil Ming Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea

 This morning, I am excited to share with you another review from the Teavivre spring 2014 green tea collection. Teavivre's Organic Nonpareil Ming Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea represents the top grade of excellence among the Dragon Well green teas, which they carry. You may also be interested in my review of Teavivre's Organic Superfine Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea, here.

 Upon opening the package of tea, I find the smell fresh and rich. Grassiness and nuttiness waft from the leaves. However, the aromas are not overwhelming. Instead, the tea embodies a certain maturity in its richness. Typical Dragon Well-sweetness wreaths it all.

 The instructions of the package prompt for a one to six minute steep time. Choosing four minutes for tablespoon and a half of leaves, which I have put into a twelve ounce mug, I heat the water to185℉ and set my timer. As I wait, I contemplate the aroma of the brewing tea. 

Different in some ways from the dry leaves, the intensity of aromas has subsided, which is not to say that it is in any way "weak." The nuttiness smells heavier and the edges are buttery. The timer rings - Time for a taste! One sip blows me away. The flavors of this tea are so incredibly thick and bold (yet not strong), and "heavy" might be a better descriptor, though they are not heavy in the same respect that an incredibly-smoky black tea might taste. Filling the mouth with flavor, it seems to saturate the taste buds. Primarily, I taste nuttiness in the green tea with edges of natural sweetness. The grassiness is very subdued, which provides a pleasant, smooth texture. After each drink, I am left with a pleasant aftertaste of nutty Dragon Well. 

This tea was superb. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would rate it a 97/100, and I highly urge my readers to give this tea a try. As it is a very high grade, the price is a bit more restrictive than would make for a "daily-drinker," but the tea embodies the essence of a treat. Just be sure to steep it, while it is still fresh!



Photo credit to Teavivre.
Teavivre's Organic Nonpareil Ming Qian Dragon Well Long Jing Green Tea can be purchased from their website, here.
This tea sample was provided by Teavivre for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Text content is copyright 2014, Built from Ink and Tea .

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Noodler's Mandalay Maroon 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.