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.