Dominant Industry - Earl Grey Tea

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea - Ink drop

Earl Grey Tea is number 109 in Dominant Industry’s standard series. Just like Maple, the focus of my last review, I’ve had this ink on my “must try” list since it was first released in 2022! And again, I find myself regretting that it stayed out of my basket for so long. The name confused me at first (but to be fair, my “must try” list is more short story than shopping list!) As a tea, Earl Grey is black tea (not orange) flavored with Bergamot (also not orange) oil. I never really actively noticed before, but in many instances, the tea is distinctly orange in color. Despite my confusion, both the tea and the ink are delicious!

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea Ink Swatch on Cosmo Air Light and Tomoe River Papers

Earl Grey Tea is a potent and fresh burnt orange with just a hint of red on some papers. There’s a wide-awake energy to the color that really makes it jump off the page! You won’t find heavy shading, but there’s more on some papers, than others. In a full page of writing, the occasional flashes of yellow at the ends of strokes is enough to give the ink character and variety. With a color like this, heavier shading could quickly become more distracting than enjoyable. In this case, I love the restraint.

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea Ink Swatch on Iroful and Takasago Bank Paper

Writing performance is problem free. I didn’t find any feathering or bleeding at all, and show-through is equally absent. Dominant Industry really did a nice job with this one. The writing experience is balanced and consistent. It’s neutral in flow, not wet, but I wouldn’t call it dry, either. Drying times were average to slightly longer on some papers. This is a nice writing ink!

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea Ink Writing Sample

You’ll find Earl Grey Tea in Dominant Industry’s 25 ml, lightbulb bottles. They aren’t the biggest, but they are one of the nicest in terms of quality and packaging. Shop around for best prices!

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea Ink Swatch Card

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea Swatch Card Comparisons

Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea - 30 ml Bottle