My second Red Leaf order is finally here! I swear, the post office at my apartment is cursed or something. My first order, which went to my house, only took 3 days to get to me! This one? Well, it shipped on Saturday and I got it today. Even with the post office holiday, that seems like a LOT longer when I am only 60 miles from my house. Ugh, I was worried I wouldn’t get it in time for the Bavarian Cream sale! But, here it is, and of course I started diving in about 5 minutes after my order came.
My matcha is as follows:
Size: 30g (small)
Flavoring: Distinctive
Base: Basic
I went for a bit more flavoring than in my caramel matcha, since I wanted a little bit more oomph but didn’t want to overwhelm the matcha. It seems like most people go with Robust, which I was tempted to do but I REALLY like the taste of matcha. Maybe robust next time, but for now I want to go up in flavor slowly.
Of course I was tempted to start off with a mix of caramel and cheesecake, but I need to try this one on its own first! The smell coming out of the bag is sooo good, it’s got that creamy aspect but also tang! I feel like a lot of cheesecake teas miss out on the tangy aspect, so it’s nice to see it up front and present from the beginning here. I sifted it into the mug (a little bit more than usual, because I am feeling really tired and need to wake up!) and added 2 ounces of hot water—around 185, though I think you can use boiling? I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve been playing it safe since I’d hate to ruin some of this godly stuff. I have been thinking about getting a real matcha whisk—so far I’ve used my little baking one and it’s worked fine, but there’s only a little bit of froth. I added a little sugar too. Hey, it’s cheesecake! It needs to be sweet!
I tried it “straight” (well, as straight as it gets with sugar added haha) and it was sooo good, but really strong. I definitely prefer lattes, so I poured in some ice cold milk and whisked a little more. I feel like that fish in Finding Nemo. “Bubbles, the bubbles!” I’m so enchanted by the whole process! Once completed, I think I gulped this down in roughly 30 seconds. I try to savor, but it’s too tasty!
The cheesecake taste is spot on. Creamy, sweet and delicious! And of course, that wonderful tang is present, which really is what makes it cheesecake for me. I swear, I can taste a little bit of the buttery crust as well! Of course it doesn’t overwhelm the matcha, which I think keeps this from being overly dessert-y. Don’t get me wrong, I love dessert teas, but given the caffeine content in matcha I tend to drink it in the afternoon or early evening and I don’t really like dessert teas unless it’s right before bed. So this is perfect! It’s like a slice of cheesecake in a cup without the calories or guilty feelings, plus it gives a nice energy boost. I am SO in love with Red Leaf’s matcha, it’s perfection. I got 2 more flavors in my order and I am sure I will try them both before the day is up!
You can find this matcha here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html
I really hope mine is waiting for me when i get home so that I can review for the weekend sale as well. This review gives me great hope that i’ll love the cheesecake one i ordered as well!