Breakaway Matcha

The last of the Ethereal Flight from Breakaway Matcha.

It doesn’t make the biggest foam but dang does the rest of the cup make up for it. At first sip it’s floral and dark blue-green aquatic but then turns to bright and succulent young grass. As it passes over my palate, it becomes darker and tangy with salad greens, like a bit of sorrel has shown up. This is where I notice a soft siltiness to the texture mixed with a touch of creaminess, both of which provide some intrigue. And then the finish! All along the matcha tastes very clean but in the finish it’s even cleaner. That slight tang morphs between an indecipherable fruity sweetness and the lightest mushroom umami breaks through (I’m gonna have to agree with chanterelles).

This is probably my favorite of the sampler :) Blend Hikari is umami-rich, though while elegant in its expression, it has only called to me when I’ve had a craving for that hearty profile. Blend Daphne also is a really beautiful matcha but best kept for whimsical afternoons or meditation. Blend Jizo is more of a daily, anytime sipper. This one, Blend Satoshi, has a dynamic complexity that I really appreciate and its energy seems to suit both mornings and afternoons equally well.

Very easy to drink.

Very soft with a bright snow pea and grass taste without being overtly vegetal or grassy. A hint of butter. Thick foam. I don’t get an aftertaste; rather, this matcha produces a clean and clear feeling in the mouth. I would emphasize Breakaway’s ethereal and radiant descriptors over their tasting notes.

Certainly fitting on this sunny Easter Sunday but I definitely can’t justify the regular price of $6.97 for a serving (they call 1 serving 1 gram). With the amount of powder I use – I’m guessing 1.5g – that comes out to $10.50 cup. Whoa.

On a side note, having a regular price and a subscription price is such an annoying tactic.

With all the spring grass and green growth happening here, I was inspired to buy some matcha since my cupboard has been without for too long. Based on reviews by amandastory516, and wanting to stick more local with my purchase, I bought from Breakaway Matcha.

This matcha is as lush as the spring growth under my feet. Brilliant and saturated blue-green color gives way to a smooth and silky sip. The umami blooms in the back of the mouth with the notes that Breakaway suggests: thick flavors of young peas, shiitake and sweet cream. I feel the tea’s restorative energy course through me. What a great brew to start off a rainy spring weekend!

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Steepster! I haven’t logged a tea in 2 months. I got a Nespresso machine and became briefly obsessed with making fun iced lattes, so I wasn’t drinking as much tea. I was still drinking my matcha and some straight black teas, but otherwise wasn’t drinking too much tea. I’m happy to be getting back into my stash, with the weather cooling down a bit (finally).

As for Daphne, I was really happy to be able to try this blend, but there are others at Breakaway that I prefer.

Still absolutely delicious, but my least favorite of the ethereal flight. Entirely a personal preference, as I prefer matcha with a deeper, rich profile rather than a bright profile and this is incredibly lush and bright. Super bright green. Snap peas cooked in butter.

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Just logging the sipdown.

Much more vibrant and bright than Hikari or Satoshi. Very mild. Smooth, grassy, with really subtle vegetal notes (raw veg not cooked).

My favorite of the ethereal flight. So incredibly smooth, not a trace of bitterness (like all Breakaway Matcha blends). Creamy dark chocolate.

I love Breakaway Matcha. I’ve been so spoiled by their matchas that I can’t really enjoy others anymore. I treated myself to the ethereal flight that they offer to try out some of their more luxurious offerings.
This is lovely and shares a lot of similarities with Blend Hikari (which was my favorite of the ethereal flight). Notes of dark chocolate and cooked greens. Not getting any grassiness. Not bright, but deep and rich.

Yup, still the best. Shaken with a touch of honey. Next level delicious and creamy. The absolute best, bright green hue as well.

I ended up buying more…I couldn’t resist.

Despite being one of their lest expensive options, this is still the best matcha I have ever had. I ended up buying the cold brew bottle they offer as well. Just shook this up with ice and a tiny bit of honey (fresh from the Salish Lodge hives), and boy oh boy. This is delightful.

The bright green color instantly boosts my mood. It’s beautiful!

Absolutely not trace of bitterness- smooth and grassy. Absolute perfect iced matcha.

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Breakaway matcha is still the best in my opinion. This blend in particular makes the smoothest, most beautiful tasting iced matcha. Sad to have finished it, but I have a couple more Breakaway varietals to finish before I restock.

I’m nearly out of this, and so tempted to buy more. But, I need to sip through some other matchas before doing so. That will be quite a test of my self control, though, because this is so good! Made it iced with some raw honey and bee pollen, and just a splash of oat milk. Not a trace of bitterness, just a bright/fresh green flavor.

Mmmmm….simply the best iced matcha. I add just a bit of honey and it is perfectly smooth. No bitterness- just green goodness.

Boosting my score to a perfect 100…because it really deserves it. Breakaway sells the absolute best matcha that I’ve tried. Hands down. It’s so smooth and drinkable, and there is absolutely no bitterness. I add a bit of honey, but it really doesn’t need it. I’ve been enjoying it most mornings, and I really look forward to it. Highly recommend for matcha lovers. All of their varietals that I’ve tried have been great, but I gravitate towards this one because of the value, and I make most of my matcha iced anyway.

I’ve been on the search for a really drinkable matcha, and stumbled across Breakaway Matcha. Some of the varieties they carry can get pretty pricey (their most expensive is $209/30g YEESH). I was intrigued, and saw that they offered a customizable sampler. I was going to go that route, until I saw that they actually have an offer to send 2 packets of their cold brew matcha for free! I was very excited. They reached me yesterday in a nice little envelope, with some brewing instructions (basically put the packet and some cold water in a bottle and shake). I made some this morning and I am quite shocked at how tasty it is! So smooth and creamy, no bitterness at all. It’s also a really appealing, bright luscious green. I’m really, really impressed, and will be making a purchase shortly.

I drink matcha every day and regularly drink matcha from Do Matcha, Ippido, Hibiki and Breakaway. In other words, I drink only the best. There is one that rises above all of them and that is Breakaway’s new SE Blend. Unbelievable…..unbelievably expensive and unbelievably worth it.

This tasting is for Breakaway Matcha Blend 97, which is at the higher-end of the Breakaway spectrum (Blend 100 is their most premium).

97 was my first experience making matcha at home. Since I’m not normally a matcha drinker, I compared 97 with a mid-grade drinking matcha from the local Japanese grocery in order to calibrate my taste buds. The difference was stark: the grocery matcha was a dull green powder that makes a harsh and bitter cup, whereas 97 was vibrant, nearly neon green, smooth, and sweet.

I used the recommended Breakaway technique to make a thin (usu-cha) cup:

This is not traditional, but the results were good.

97 has the strong grassy aroma I associate with matcha, but with none of the bitterness. My biggest surprise was the caffeine kick: it is pleasant, gentle high that is quite noticeable. The aroma paired with the pick-me-up is the hallmark of this tea. I find myself craving it sometimes. Is this what coffee addiction is like?

Despite the nice aroma, the taste is fairly flat. Perhaps this is due to the whisking technique. I remember tasting an usu-cha on my last trip to Tokyo, prepared in the traditional method, that had wonderful hints of umami, nuttiness, and a tad of astringency in addition to the grassy green baseline. I don’t get that kind of complexity out of 97.

In any case, Breakaway Matcha has piqued my interest. I will definitely be exploring matcha further and making it part of my tea rotation.