This is Balaton Kék. Pennonia describes this ink as inspired by Lake Balaton, a landmark ingrained in the culture of Hungary. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting the lake, but if it’s half as beautiful as this ink, the honor is well deserved!

Balaton Kék (Balaton Blue) is part of a polychromatic mini-series of shading inks first released in early 2021. It’s a gorgeous, soft lilac-blue with strong pink elements that are not shy to surface, as it dries. Overall, it’s fairly unsaturated, which gives it great shading and mood. It’s a beautiful ink that will please a lot of tastes.

Balaton Kék a surprisingly satisfying writing ink. Given its low saturation, I was worried it would be too light, but my worries were misplaced. Although Pennonia inks are consistently nice writing inks, so it shouldn’t be a surprise. There’s a strong edge halo that gives strokes a well-defined profile. The coloration is also darker on some papers than others, but it’s very readable on all. There is more shading and color variation on coated papers, so that’s my preferred choice here. Balaton Kék dries fairly quickly, and that always makes me happy.

Pennonia inks have been very consistent in my experience. They are nice writers, well priced, and the collection is filled with interesting beauties to tempt. I really like Balaton Kék, and I’m certain you will, too! Enjoy!