Matcha Outlet

Drinking tea with my Dad before he leaves for Canada. Had this one after dinner made with soymilk.

Dad really liked this one, but back home he only has a DavidsTea and a Tea Desire. He asked if he could buy the matcha there and add pumpkin spice /sigh.

Mmmm pumpkin pie! I make a killer and SNEAKY pumpkin pie. I use tofu in the mix with pumpkin and lots of spices. No one notices the tofu and the tofu keeps the pie nice and moist. I love mixing pumpkin puree into smoothies and I’m happy this is the time of year that the stuff goes on sale! But now, I got it in matcha form!

Specs on the matcha I’m drinking:

Pumpkin Pie Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pumpkin-pie-matcha.html
Matcha Quality: Classic (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust

Out of the package, this matcha smells strongly like spicy whole cloves with a bit of sweetness.

Prepared as a traditional hot matcha, (1/2tsp of matcha powder whisked with 175f water) the spices are very present over top a pumpkiny mellowness. Slightly sweet in flavor as well. I’d call this more of a “Spicy Pumpkin Matcha” than pumpkin pie. I did not detect any bitterness in this matcha, however the green tea is pretty background level due to the flavoring strength. Overall not bad if you are in the mood for spicy fall flavors.

Now, this is where Red Leaf’s matchas shine – in latte form! I’m doing a iced latte as it is too hot in SoCal still! I used soymilk, ice, pumpkin pie matcha and a bit of sweetener shaked up in a blender bottle. The result: very amazing flavoring! I can taste the pumpkin pie spice more as a whole, with a bite of spicy cloves and ginger. The pumpkin is present and my brain is making me almost sense the smushy texture of the pie as a I drink this latte. The green tea is in the background and sometimes I cannot detect it – this pumpkin pie matcha is pretty strongly flavored!
The spicyness is a good level for me (but I like spicy) and lingers in my mouth after drinking.

Overall, pretty good and spot on! If you like spicy pumpkin pies (like how my Dad makes them), this is for you. If you aren’t into spicy, try the delicate or distinctive flavoring options as I think they will be less spicy.

Now THIS has a smell – strawberry matcha is bold and in your face once opened. It reminds me of strawberry lollipops and other strawberry candies. Definitely doesn’t smell like a fresh strawberry, but that’s okay since it isn’t one. I am thinking right off the bat that I will like this one better cold as the idea of hot strawberry is a little iffy, but I try everything hot first cuz that’s how I like my tea.

Sifted and whisked up 1/2 teaspoon of this bad boy, the steeped smell puts me in mind of a strawberry bath bomb. Unfortunately that means it smells good in theory but is not at all something you would want to ingest. I feel like I am about to eat playdough or something else equally ill prepared for human consumption.

The taste does not match the aroma (thank God!) but the aroma is there in my nostrils and not going away. I don’t get a taste of chemicals, but neither do I get the sweet strawberry I hoped for. Actually, I don’t get a lot of anything. There is that light bitterness I seem to find in all matchas but not a whole lot else. As I continue to drink, I get more of a buildup of flavour, unfortunately what is building up puts me in mind of chemicals. Ugh.

I’m going to add a drop of honey and see if that makes any drastic changes. With honey, the smell is the same but the taste has improved marginally. Now it tastes like slightly honey flavoured chemical waeter. With the foam I actually feel a bit like I’m drinking the suds in a bubble bath. Okay, this will be one to try cold, or as an addition to a smoothie. After having tried 4 flavoured matchas and 1 unflavoured, I am coming to the conclusion that matcha isn’t for me. Luckily, the beau likes it and will use it all up but I wish I hadn’t invested in it. It upsets my tummy sometimes too, which is annoying. I don’t know why green teas hate me, but it’s disappointing.

Yummeh! Yay for whipped cream, it’s topping all my lattes at the moment. off to work, but here’s my full review, pics, and my crappy response to the fact that I’ve talked to some people who are appalled that you can get flavoured matcha.

Full review: http://www.daisychubb.com/review-black-cherry-matcha-by-red-leaf-tea/

OMG this smells just like NIBS !

Okay I haven’t tasted it yet, but I will. I was just floored by the smell, it smells soooo good!

Yay my Red Leaf Tea order came in today. And it couldn’t have been a better day. Little personal here, a very dear friend of mine is going into surgery today so I’m doing a matchathon. To try and keep myself busy.

So first I was thinking humm its morning which should I choose, then I was like DUH! Mocha its got a coffee flavor. I opted out of my morning coffee since I knew I’d be drinking quite a few matchas today. First off smells divine! I could smell this all day. It reminds me of a coffee candle I own. Definitely the right pick for a morning drink.

So what I got was Size: Small (30 grams), Quality: Basic Grade, Flavor: Delicate. Its a very nice chocolate coffee flavor. Not too strong I definitely get the matcha in this. Now the lovley Azzrian sent me a sample of this in robust flavoring, I wish I had gotten this in that flavor its much more BANG! in your face flavor. But don’t get me wrong this is good too. If you want more matcha flavor definitely go with this one. I love coffee flavored drinks. Not that long ago I was drinking 8 cups of coffee a day so this is a great substitute. Now I did have to sweeten this one but I add sweetener to all my matchas. I also made a little glass of this with almond milk AMAZING! You get the sweetness from the chocolate and the coffee flavor then the earthiness from the matcha and the nuttiness from the almond milk so! good.

Coffee fiends this is a great pick :) Heres the link to get it http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/mocha-matcha.html

Thank you so much Azzrian! For the sample!

Gosh this is soooo good! Its sweet and chocolaty and smooth and yum! Gosh I’ve been missing out I’ve been getting all my matcha in delicate flavor cause I wanted to taste the matcha but this taste so mcuh better. I guess I need to jump on the robust flavor train now. I’m not going to want to go back to delicate flavors after this one. But sooo! good Ièm very sad now that I drank it all :)

UPPING this rating BIG TIME. I’m backlogging 3 additional Matcha Sessions with this one and totally loved it. Not sure sure why I only gave it an 80 the first time. LOVE the pumpkin pie spice, the smooth-velvety creaminess to it, and the PUMPKIN! NomNomNom!

Azzrian thanks for this one, too!

Upon adding the water and whisking the aroma is pretty intense and it doesn’t really diminish much during/throughout the matcha experience…which I appreciate!

It smells a little more like Potpourri than just straight-up Pumpkin Pie but that’s doesn’t bother me.

It has a nice spicy-combo from start sip to end-sip! Neat! There is that little bit of creamy-pumpkin filling type taste in there somewhere and the PIE part completely makes sense after that.

This is true and tempting! I do like this, too!

Azzrian – a BIG thank you!

This smell delighfully fruity-sweet without smelling tart or fake.

The aftermath-color is a murky dark olive green = a bit dark than the others I’ve tried from RLT so far. BUT…it still smells dandy! The flavor is ‘just right’ – it’s a tasty fruity-sweet flavor without being too overpowering but it’s still standing it’s ground! It’s a plump berry much like a combo of loganberry with a bit of citrus even.

Yup! This is a WINNER! I like this a lot!

Another backlog. Seems I have a neverending list to catch up on and it just keeps growing. Ugh.
Anyhow, I need to try this again. and again. It’s amazing!! that warming sensation of alcohol is there, but without the head clouding part. Love it!!! with a shot of real brandy, omg that might just send me into a matcha coma. No sugar required!!
It’s fruity, in the way that brandy is fruity, but not moreso than that which I half expected. Anyhow, off to work!
Thank you Azzrian for the sample!

Out of my chronology for a moment. After working out in the yard this afternoon I was hot and tired so I came in, shook some of this with ice and water and basically chugged it. I probably used a bit too much matcha for the amount of water I had, but it was still pretty tasty. Grassy with tasty sea buckthorn accompanying it. This is one of the only matchas that I never drink with milk because milk and sea buckthorn don’t go together for me. Thankfully I like it plenty on it’s own with just water.

Still tired; decided to try one of my other matchas without milk to test and see if it was indeed the milk. This is one I never make as a latte because I feel like the bright flavor doesn’t really work with milk.

I am actually still getting some of the almost metallic, almost salty tastes from this one too, but I’m not so sure it’s the matcha getting old, it might just be that I haven’t drank any matcha in months and forgot what it tastes like. The matcha has been sealed in a freezer so it shouldn’t have degraded too much. It’s still tasty, and I still am enjoying the bright berry flavor of this tea, so I think I just need to pick my habit back up.

I bet a lot of you are looking at the title of this and saying “what on earth is a sea buckthorn?” I didn’t know either until I went to Mongolia and saw bottles of orangey-yellow sea buckthorn juice in the grocery store with depictions of a cluster of berries of the same color on the label. I have sort of a penchant for foreign fruits, so I bought a bottle out of curiosity and totally loved it. I also looked for a sea buckthorn tea in the somewhat vast selection of teas in the Mongolian grocer’s, but it was a no go. So when I saw that, out of all of the weird flavors they have, Red Leaf offers a sea buckthorn matcha, well I knew I had to try that one. I ordered the basic matcha with a robust flavoring level, from here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/sea-buckthorn-matcha.html

This is one of my favorite matchas that I’ve tried, which is totally a surprise. And it’s one of my favorites because Sea Buckthorn is a flavor that seems like an extension of the natural matcha flavor, not an addition. When I opened up the pouch and smelled it, it really just smelled like straight up matcha, and I was kind of skeptical. However, as soon as the water hit the matcha I could smell the tart, acidic aroma coming out of the bowl. I always find it hard to describe a flavor in terms of other flavors; sea buckthorn is tart, almost apple-pear-ish, in a berry way, if that makes any sense at all. There’s no mistaking, though, that this matcha is sea buckthorn, and very well done. I don’t even know what artificial sea buckthorn would taste like (I suppose it would at least be a big chemical), but this one tastes all natural to me, like the sea buckthorn juice I gulped in Ulaanbaatar. It doesn’t need sugar, for sure, but it is more matcha-y without it. The sugar doesn’t make it sweet, but somewhat ironically brings out the tart, delicious sea buckthorn a bit more.

If you like tart flavors and are looking for an unusual matcha flavor you should consider checking out this matcha. It’s also a matcha I would consider springing for a higher grade on in the future, not because this one is bad, but because it is so prevalent, even in the robust flavoring level, that you would really notice.

Fig Matcha

Very sweet and delicious – rich and decedent – never new fig could be so wonderful!
I had to make a second matcha because I drank it so darned fast! My family was laughing at me when I began to make the second latte! They have seen me down matcha before but never quite as fast as this one!
Its sweet but not cloying whatsoever, tastes like something one picked fresh from the tree or ummm garden? Do figs grow on trees? I need to look that up! I have had fig only in a few forms before – jams, canned which were whole figs, and in puddings, but I am positive this is the best tasting fig ever for me!

I got the robust flavoring which is my usual unless its a matcha flavor I have had before and I know it needs a little less flavor to let the base shine through. I feel that the robust was perfect for this matcha however.

I think this may become one I keep as a permanent selection in my stash. I am not sure I would say it is better than macadamia nut or butterscotch but its up there with them maybe number 3 or 4 in my favorites. I have been drinking so many new ones as I collect them that I need to go back and try some of my first matcha again.

I have also been sending out a ton of samples but its getting to that point I can’t share as much anymore because my stash is beginning to thin lol.

So I was surprised as I really did not expect to love this one quite so much, actually I thought I would probably not favor it but alas I do. Go fig!

You can get it here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/fig-matcha.html

My first hot matcha in God knows how long. Summer just doesn’t lend itself to hot drinks, I’m more likely to just my matcha with cold water and blend vigoriously. But this one (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pumpkin-pie-matcha.html) was just crying out to be made hot…so I’m taking it to work with me today (all I ever do anymore is work). Well after a day straight from hell, this tea was sorely needed. After yet another patient called in to yell at whoever was unfortunate enough to answer the phone (aka me), I decided to take a break. I found a quiet corner and curled up with Hunger Games and this beauty of tea.

It tastes exactly as advertised! I really did feel like I was drinking a hot cup of pumpkin pie…yum. So much yum. I’m not the biggest pumpkin pie fan, but it’s grown on me in recent years. But I am a huge fan of pumpkin lattes, at least I was, so this is definitely going to be mixed with soy milk next time. And cheesecake matcha. And french vanilla matcha. The possibilities are endless! This has made me eager for Thanksgiving and my signature pumpkin pound cake. I wonder how that would taste with a matcha icing…

I’ve heard great, great things about this matcha and I couldn’t wait to try it. But real life stepped in and I didn’t have the time to give it the attention it deserved, so, well, I had to wait to try. But I wait no more! Today I got to mix up my first frothy cup of cheesecake matcha goodness. I was stuck at the location I hate at work, so I desperately needed a thermos of matcha comfort and boy oh boy was I not let down! This is amazing stuff. Creamy and just that touch of tang found in a good cheesecake….yum. One of my specialities around this time of year is a pumpkin cheesecake….nom. I can’t wait to mix this (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html) with a touch of Pumpkin Pie matcha and see how they go together.

Oh cheesecake, I have missed you desperately. Cream cheese is one of those things I absolutely cannot have or I’ll be ill for days, so cheesecake is, unfortunately permanently off my menu. But with a little beauty like this in my tea cupboard, I find I don’t mind nearly as much! I want to try mixing this with all of the flavors in the Red Leaf Tea catalogue, and I’m sure every one of them would be delicious!

This is one of those matchas I probably wouldn’t have given a second look if not for a review by Azzrian. And I do love nutty things… ut my boyfriend is allergic to most of them so I try not to keep nutty treats in the house. They won’t affect him if I eat them, but I just feel rude chowing down on something delicious he can’t have! (Nutella is my one exception haha) Tea flavorings are usually fine, but I’m so used to overlooking things because of nuts that I had barely glanced at this one before scrolling past it. Now I am SO glad I gave it a shot! I got:

Size: Small (30 grams) though now I wish I’d gotten a large…
Grade: Classic
Flavor: Distinctive

This matcha smells AMAZING in the bag. Sometimes the flavors seem overpowering, but not this one, oh no. I wanted to stick my face in there! But that didn’t really seem like a good idea so I made an iced latte instead. As I was making it, I thought back to my first time with Red Leaf’s matcha and how careful I was about measuring everything out. Now, I’m rather gung-ho about it, not measuring the water or the matcha. I make some sort of matcha drink almost every day, it’s practically second nature at this point!

So, the flavor of this matcha is out of this world. It’s just… heaven. Pure, delicious macadamia nuts. This is going to sound odd, and I am not entirely sure how to describe it, but the nutty flavor just permeates the entire cup. Like, you know with other matchas you can taste the flavor and the matcha? It’ll taste like caramel and matcha. Well this, it tastes like macadamia was ground up and somehow bound to the matcha. It’s perfect harmony, different than any one I’ve ever tried! It is just SO GOOD. Here’s the link for where to try it, and you really really should:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/macadamia-nut-matcha.html

I think I need to try more of their nutty teas if they are anywhere near as scrumptious as this one!

I ordered this particular flavor of Matcha primarily because of the mixing options it offered … primarily, I thought that lime and watermelon Matcha would taste amazing … and I also figured that it would add a bright citrus flavor to smoothies as well.

The aroma is very lime. But there’s more to it than just that. It actually smells like a lime tree … like the aroma that one might experience if sitting beneath a lime tree. The limes, the blossoms, the leaves, the earth, even the tree itself. It’s bright and citrus-y but also earthy.

The flavor is lime and matcha (oddly enough! ha!) but it isn’t overwhelmingly tart. The sweet flavors of the matcha sort of offset some of the tartness that I expected – or at least I think so. I expected something that would encourage a little bit of a pucker. But I’m not disappointed that it isn’t sour as I’m not a big fan of sour taste. This is more sweet-and-sour, with a leaning toward the sweet, and even a bit of bitterness from the lime. This makes me wonder how it might be if I added a pinch of salt to the Matcha before I whisk, I might try that next time to see if the bitterness is more balanced.

As it is though, it’s not bad at all … in fact, it’s really quite good. Not as good as the licorice Matcha I had a while ago, but, it’s still quite nice. It has a bit of an acidic bitterness, but it isn’t too much of either of these elements, and the fruit flavor gives off a bit of sweetness and seems to bring out some of the earthier qualities of the Matcha that I don’t often experience in pure Matcha.

It is smooth and creamy and has a flavor that is quite unlike the other Matcha that I’ve tried – and if for no other reason, I find that to be a good reason to try this one. I love the brightness, and I’m thinking that now I must get some of the lemon Matcha too … another blending possibility with this one! Mmm… Lemon-Lime Matcha!

You can find this deliciously different Lime Matcha here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/lime-matcha.html

EDITED TO ADD: The specs for this order are my usual go-to specifications: basic/classic grade Matcha with distinctive level of flavoring.

Tasty! The moment I opened up the bag, I smelled hazelnut praline, like the stuff inside fancy chocolates. I gotta admit, I’m pretty jealous of coffee drinkers only because hazelnut is such a common flavor in coffee and so sparse in tea. Why aren’t there more hazelnut teas? Such a delicious roasty indulgent flavor. Mmmm… This hazelnut smell in this matcha reminds me of the hazelnut flavor of coffee only without any coffee flavor. Sweet!

And I’m really digging this black matcha! It’s smooth and just strong enough to complement the hazelnut (I got distinctive level flavoring). I see so few reviews for black matcha. You guys have got to try this! If I had some chocolate syrup, it would already be in this cup! I’m already dreaming of how I can add this to brownies and chocolate cookies. I’m going to be a a star come Christmas with all these matcha flavors to play with. :D

This is seriously such a delicious dessert and it barely has any calories. I guess we’ll see how the caffeine in black matcha hits me. :) I wanted to work out today anyway. It’s been really difficult to work up the motivation to exercise lately. Depressing.

This lattes up like a dream. I hope my dad likes this as much as I do because I hope to share it with him. Is it terrible that I hope he won’t care for it so I can keep it? haha

Get some deliciousness right here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/hazelnut-matcha.html

One of two matchas left to try from this order! I really didn’t need to order any more, but the sale sucked me in on this one. I’ve found that I really love blackcurrant teas, and I have a strange desire to recreate Harney & Sons Paris in matcha form. Which, obviously, you need blackcurrant for! Now I just need Earl Grey to complete it (caramel & cream are already in my cupboard). Plus I can always use more fruity matchas. I find that the dessert ones I really prefer as lattes, but I don’t want to drink milk all day long (I’m mildly lactose intolerant) so fruity matchas = nice cold iced drinks! I got:

Size: Small (30 grams)
Grade: Classic
Flavor: Delicate

In the bag this smells like… candy! As Dinosara mentioned, it really does smell like blackcurrant candies. I don’t think they are that common, but a store in my town sells these pretty tins of hard candies and blackcurrant is one of the flavors. Also, tasty Japanese gummies are flavored with it! I made a tall iced glass, and the bf sniffed it and declared “this smells like Fruit Rollups.” Yup, the smell is sugary-sweet! Very candy-like.

The taste too is very much like candy. I’m not getting that ripe berry taste, but more blackcurrant candy and matcha. With the strong matcha taste (since I only got the delicate flavor, the blackcurrant doesn’t overpower it at all) this reminds me of a Japanese candy so much. Like drinking melted gummies! I only added a bit of sugar, but I think this matcha is pretty sweet on its own somehow. It’s quite nice, though not at all what I originally expected it to be. It’ll be a great snack for curbing sugar cravings though! You can get some here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/black-currant-matcha.html

I am a licorice FIEND! Black Jelly Bellys are my favorite, my candy choice at the movie theater is usually Good and Plenty. I love the flavor of black licorice – a balance between spicy and sweet, with an intriguing minty undertone … oh so good!

And this has got the licorice flavor spot on. It’s a strong licorice note (my specs for this Matcha were my go-to specs: classic/basic grade with distinctive level of flavor), but it works with the rich, creamy, slightly buttery and vegetative notes of the Matcha. This particular flavor of Matcha is a little less balanced than some of the others, but I can’t really complain about that because the licorice flavor is so crisp and good. The aftertaste reminds me of Altoid’s Liquorice. oh yum yum yum!

I have to admit though, that I was a little scared to try it because I worried that because Red Leaf Tea had proposed a “new and improved” licorice flavor a few weeks ago when they were asking in the forums for input on new flavors to add to their already extensive line of flavored Matcha, and it made me worry that maybe the current Licorice flavor wasn’t good, and NEEDED to be replaced. But if this is the non-improved licorice flavor – KEEP IT. I can’t imagine it getting better than this. I really can’t!

If you like licorice, you should try this. But if you LOVE black licorice – you’ve GOT to try this. This one might just be my new favorite. Yeah… I love it that much!

You can find this amazing Matcha here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/licorice-matcha-organic.html

White Chocolate Matcha

Get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/white-chocolate-matcha.html

White chocolate is one of those flavors that can be hit or miss for me in baked goods, tea, pretty much anything. White chocolate tends to be about 50/50 on if I will enjoy it or not.

This one is pretty good but it really needs sugar or some sweetener.

I made mine with a little vanilla sugar and milk and put it on ice and it was very good.

I got the robust flavor with basic grade matcha powder base.

I wish I had made more however because I did suck it down far too fast lol so it must have been pretty dang good right? I think the more matcha I have the more I fall in love with those special few flavors over and over but for many I can see this being their all time favorite!

This matcha reminds me of my grandmother – she never cared for regular chocolate and every Easter I would get her a white chocolate bunny. As a kid I loved white chocolate but now I favor the regular chocolates and dark chocolates more.

This one however will be fun to try baking with because when I was making it my daughter told me it smelled like I had baked cupcakes! It really did smell AMAZING in the house when I was mixing this one.

Oh my god Azzrian you are a doll for sending me this matcha. SO GOOD!!
At first I made it too strong and all I could taste was this chemical bitterness but then I diluted it and all was well.
Well kindof. I guess because my first exposure to Matcha was through a latte, I’m accustomed to it having a thicker feel. and I have a feeling Starbucks adds extra “flavouring” so that it shows through the milk, because when I make a latte at home, it just isn’t the same punch of flavour.
but, I am slowly getting used to the thinner consistency and flavour. In fact, in the butterscotch here, I quite like it that way. Its like a candy but liquid and oh SO VERY TASTY. Werthers? yes please!
This was yesterday. Made using the shaken bottle method.
Then this morning I tried the Blueberry matcha, which I did not like at all so probably won’t write a review, atleast til I try it again. Anyhow, I added some agave and it was much better, more bluberry candy than sugarless jam. THEN I added some butterscotch matcha and it was 10x tastier. Butterscotch (does anyone else have trouble typing that?!) fixes everything. I am a believer :D
Oh and a dash or two of milk didn’t seem to make much difference.
Definitely need to experiment some more.
Rating: 92