Matcha Outlet

Okay…so…for a bit more on this one…

The aroma before, during, and after is amazing…just like the bavarian cream inside a donut! The flavor is very creamy and sweet but still a true green matcha tasting base.

This is quite impressive in every way! I really like this one!

Last week I was having Steepster issues and this review didn’t take. I remember liking it a great deal…ok…FINE…I LOVE THIS STUFF! I will be retasting and re-reviewing it later today.

Special Thanks to Azzrian

Sipdown, 120. Sil posted earlier about making a matcha milkshake and I couldn’t get it off my mind. So I used the rest of this matcha and made a strong matcha milkshake. It was perhaps too strong… The almond flavor in this is already excessive (the highest level), and I put a lot in (it didn’t look green enough, haha!). So there’s just a hint of almost alcoholic flavoring compound to this that doesn’t usually show up when a reasonable amount of matcha is used. Still, I slurped it down quickly. Mmmm.

It has been a loooong time since I have had a bowl of matcha. I used to drink one every morning last fall, but then I moved to Ohio and my morning routine changed, and I got out of making them. But I was portioning out some matcha for a swap today and decided that I really wanted some. Also I am exhuasted today from having to get up relatively early after a very late night. Then I washed my hands with almond soap and decided that I wanted almond matcha too.

I usually make my matcha with almond milk but I had none so I subbed regular milk. For some reason I just don’t like regular milk matcha lattes as much as almond milk lattes! This bowl had an almost savory note like it had been salted that was odd; I’m not sure if it is just the matcha being old or the choice of milks, but hopefully it is the latter.

Made a latte with this one this morning with almond milk (natch). This is so delicious, but also super strong in flavoring; I definitely thing the almond flavoring is strong enough that I will be dropping down from the “There’s matcha in there?!” flavoring level when I have to reorder this one. Because this one is definitely a reorder!

I can’t believe I’m the first one to review the almond matcha. Almond seems like a popular flavor, but I guess others have gotten more attention recently and almond has fallen by the wayside. It’s one of my very favorite flavors, though, so I knew I had to order it in my last order.

For this matcha I ordered the Basic grade base, but I went all the way to “There’s Matcha in there?!” as the flavoring level because 1) I can never have enough almond, and 2) often almond teas just aren’t almondy enough for me. Can’t let this happen here! Cutting open the package releases an amazingly powerful almond aroma, like sniffing a bottle of almond extract.

I prepared the matcha using a half teaspoon of matcha for 8oz total of water. I was a little concerned about being overpowered by flavor, so I went small for this one. I sifted my matcha into the bowl, making sure all the “flavor crystals” made their way in, then added a splash of water to loosen up the powder in the bottom of the bowl, then a couple of ounces to whisk with. I didn’t get great foam with this one, but I can’t tell if that’s user error from being extra tired this morning or not. Finally I finished adding the remainder of my 8oz of water.

The prepared matcha is probably one of the best-smelling prepared matchas I’ve come across. The almond-extract aroma is mitigated and it now smells actually nuttier, sweeter, more like marzipan or an almond paste cookie. First sip… wow, yum. This is so almondy and sweet on its own (I haven’t added any sugar), it’s like eating an almond cookie, or a big hunk of marzipan. I know the flavoring level is “There’s matcha in this?!”, but you can still taste the matcha, and it’s a flavor that goes well with the almond. I do think I probably could have gone with robust for this one because the type of almond flavoring they are using seems like the strong time that will come though fairly easy. Ok, I couldn’t resist adding just a touch of sugar (half teaspoon), and holy crap, is this like almondy matcha candy. It makes me think that this would be a good addition to a sugar cookie as opposed to almond extract to make a matcha almond cookie. This has been my favorite matcha so far, and I will definitely be back for more when I run out.

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

Man, I should not drink 3 cups of matcha in one day! However, I had this at midnight and I am still pretty sleepy so no harm no foul. I would love to drink 3 cups of matcha every day… but I’d probably go through my stash way too fast.

Like English Toffee, this one has been on my wishlist forever. I mean a LOT of flavors have been, but I can’t get them all haha. And I’ve always loved mocha. Mocha lattes, mocha… uh, what else is even mocha flavored? Well, matcha I guess! I got:

Size: Small (30 grams)
Base: Black Matcha
Flavor Level: Distinctive

For chocolate flavors, black + distinctive is the way to go. I love love love the black matcha, it’s just so tasty! Dare I say I like it even more than green. It’s got nutty, chocolatey, rich notes that make dessert teas feel even more indulgent. On the negative side, I find I can’t have them every day. A black matcha latte feels a LOT denser/heavier than a green matcha latte, even though I am pretty sure the calorie count is the same. So, if you want a richer experience go for the black base! And for mocha, I mean, you want the rich experience!

I made a hot latte with this, and holy wow. It’s like a rich, creamy, indulgent Starbucks drink only I made it in my kitchen in 3 minutes, it costs next to nothing, and it has really low calories. You’ve got coffee, chocolate, the great black matcha base, creamy milk, a pinch of sugar, and bam. Perfect, perfect latte. It is just perfection! You can get some here:

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

Sipping this now. Full review will be on http://sororiteasisters.com/ tomorrow April 6th
Here are my snippets:

So I am trying to slim down my matcha stash, not because I want to get rid of it, but rather I want to order some of the awesome new flavors that Red Leaf Tea has! So I looked over my matcha stash and saw this Eggnog Matcha sitting there beckoning me. I decided that it was what I was craving! Thick, creamy, very frothy, and heavy in the mouthfeel. It reminds me of custard, just like the description says. I like making mine with vanilla almond milk to give it a bit of a sweeter taste, but the flavors are dead on for Eggnog, and who says that it has to be the holidays to enjoy eggnog? Not me that’s for sure.

There is a distinct vanilla flavor to eggnog, but also a slight nod toward nutmeg as well. What I really love about this flavor is that the matcha flavor is not lost in the blend. I can taste all of the matcha goodness here too! I would suggest you consider ordering the robust or at least distinctive blend in this specific flavor because it is not as strong as some of the other Red Leaf Tea flavor options. That is not to say you can’t taste the Eggnog flavor, you can, but if you really want that punch in the face flavor you need to at least go with Robust. When I order this flavor again it will be in the “There’s Matcha In There?” option.

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

So when I opened the package it was one of those OMG moments – it smelled SOooooo good! I instantly started singing Fa la la la la …
A huge smile came to my face. 
I knew this was going to be a re-order SOON!
Then I took my first sip.
It needed sugar.
I was a little deflated.
I mean it was good and all but its one of those flavors you just know needs a little push to make it POP.
So a little sugar was added.
Better but it does not have the wow factor I was hoping.
Now please, bear in mind, I about had a special moment when I smelled it in dry form. My eyes literally rolled back in my head so my expectations were REALLY high!
It is quite pleasing nonetheless but its not going to knock Butterscotch or Macadamia Nut out of my top two list.
I will play around with this one some more though to see what I can do with it. It may be better iced as I had this one straight with a little milk which made it sort of luke warm.
Still, this is going to score in the high 80’ as really there is nothing bad you could get from Red Leaf its just now that I have tried so many I do have my favorites that others need to stand up to.
:)

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

This one is kind of hard to explain. Even with the robust flavoring it was not overwhelming nor sweet. I have never had black current so keep that in mind but I do like this – its very earthy and has almost an incense taste to it. Yet its not bitter at all. I am surprised by this one!
I think I expected it to be sweeter with more of a berry type flavor but its more like a grape but not really. Its very adult flavored would make an excellent wine out of currants I think. Maybe they do make wine out of currants. Now I need to find some to try on their own to get a better idea of what I should be tasting here in this matcha but for someone with absolutely no experience with currants other than in tea, and I’m usually pretty befuddled by it – yet always enjoy it – this is down right good.
I have a ton of candy like matcha and berry, citrus, etc but this stands on its own as a more earthy type of flavor. I did not add any sugar yet it has this very nice sweetness with a slight bite at the end – not bitter but sort of a tart essence that makes my mouth water just ever so slightly.
Wow this has been the hardest review for me to do so far just because I am so intrigued by this flavor. It does not even have to grow on me, I am a fan! The aroma from the dry form was a little on the chemical smelling side but it does not come though in the end result at all.

Second matcha latte of the day, because when I drank it a few hours ago I REALLY needed to wake up. I have some sort of flu/bug and I am just bone-tired for no reason! I woke up at my usual time, was up for an hour, and promptly took a 4 hour nap. But you know I can’t sleep all day! Actually… I probably COULD but I don’t want to haha. So matcha to the rescue!

I loooove english toffee. I make it quite often, since there are 3 ingredients (if you don’t do the chocolate/nut topping) and I always have them on hand. I tend to just use whatever kind of chocolate I have on hand to top it, so I end up with wacky things like white chocolate coconut toffee. It is also AMAZING for making with tea—just steep the butter, and bam! Tea toffee! So of course, I have to try toffee tea. In fact, this has been really high up on my list for a long time but honestly I try not to get too many dessert teas per order. I don’t even know why, it’s not like they have more calories… but I try to balance it with fruity stuff. But finally, toffee matcha’s time has come! I got:

Size: 30 grams (small)
Grade: Basic
Flavor Level: Distinctive

I was super tempted to get this with the black base, since I love chocolate flavors + black matcha but I wanted to try something chocolatey with a regular old green base. Also, one of these days I’ll get a large… but I have to find “the one” first. Caramel and pumpkin pie are currently in the lead! But I think tonight they found a challenger.

This matcha is phenomenal! You taste the sweet, buttery toffee and the rich chocolate, even a hint of nutty goodness. And it really is good with the green base! These flavors are like magic, how did they stuff so many aspects of a tasty treat into matcha? I mean, this isn’t simply caramel + nuts + chocolate. It really does have that buttery smoothness and a toastiness that I associate with toffee. It’s magic I tell you, magic. Delicious, perfect magic. You can get some here… and if you like dessert matcha, you definitely should!

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/english-toffee-matcha.html

This is one matcha I definitely didn’t think I would ever get. There are just SO many tasty flavors, and butterscotch has never really been one of my favorite things. Well, the candies: I do love fresh butterscotch syrup on some vanilla ice cream. Yum! But this has a little candy image, so I assumed it’d be like those. However, I ended up changing my mind because of two things: my bf loves butterscotch and expressed an interest in this flavor, and Azzrian made it sound absolutely irresistible! To be honest, I got the macadamia nut that I’ll be trying tomorrow because of her too. You’re an enabler! My matcha collection is getting so big! Anyway, my matcha was as follows:

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

I usually go for distinctive for dessert-type flavors, but I wasn’t so sure about how butterscotch-y I wanted my matcha to be haha. Plus, I had spent way too much by the time I added this one to my cart! I find that there’s not really a TON of difference in flavor levels: at least, the matcha is always going to taste like the correct flavor. Yeah, robust gives it a little more oomph, but it also masks the matcha a tiny bit so distinctive and delicate are the way I usually go.

I made an iced latte of this for the bf (and English Toffee for myself!) and WOW. I took a little sip (hey, I have to be able to review it!) and promptly gave the mug to him. I expected I’d have to finish it off: he likes matcha, but never actually finishes a whole mug haha. Tiny mugs even! But this one, oh man, he downed 2/3rds in one chug. The rest vanished minutes later! Successful? Oh yeah! This is his favorite of mine, and I think he’s tried almost all of them.

The flavor is so smooth and perfectly butterscotch-y. And not cheap candy. No, this is rich decadent creamy sweet gooey butterscotch. Ah, it’s so tasty! I really really want to make some frosting with this one, I bet it would be beyond delicious. You can get some here:

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

Get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/macadamia-praline-matcha.html

This may be one of the few matcha I can drink straight although that won’t keep me from enjoying it as a latte :)
Tonight I am drinking very small amounts of all the matcha I can to get my reviews done in time for the rewards cut off. With that said I am enjoying this one quite a bit. It does not taste better than straight macadamia nut to be but it is nice to have for a change because I do tend to reach for my macadamia nut matcha often!
This one is very yummy with the added flavor of caramel I believe. It could be just some sort of syrup flavor but whatever it is – its YUMMY!

I got mine in the robust flavor which I believe I would get again in the future. No need to have less flavor in a dessert treat like this!

I am savoring the tiny amount I have made for this tasting and drinking it without the typical latte and loving it. The sugary flavor comes through but there is the benefit of no sugar added and I don’t need to add it to make it taste like dessert!

Thanks Red Leaf tea keep bringing the new flavors!

Raising the rating on this one…. I mixed this up today into an iced latte and it is just SO very good. Sweet milky creamy coconut all the way here. The aroma in the dry state is a bit too much but the flavor is stellar!
This totally hit the spot today and took care of my sweet tooth!

I am now sampling the coconut matcha – very small serving as I don’t want to be climbing the walls lol
Here is where you can get it
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/coconut-matcha.html

So the aroma in dry form was a bit MEH … it smelled like suntan lotion.
HOWEVER once prepared it is VERY good so just either get past the aroma or don’t sniff it not that it easy to ignore any matcha smell as the powder sort of makes its way into the nose no matter what ya do!

My daughter and I got distracted singing “Put the lime in the coconut …” haha now you are all going to be singing that in your heads ….THE POINT however is in messing around I dumped the powder into my cup instead of my mixing bowl. YIKEs I thought I had made a huge mistake but I just went ahead and added straight milk to it – NO WATER!!!
Can you believe it – this stuff is GOOD! Coconut MILK hahah. I am sure you can pull this off with any milk product or almond, soy etc.. HEY maybe even COCONUT milk!
Oh and you know how I said sangria frothed up well?? WELL … This frothed up SUPER easy! HUGE foam! I may have to try doing more of my matcha this way – just skipping the water all together! Now this is what I call a HAPPY accident!
SO SO SO YUMMY!
I do wonder if it would have been AS good had I used water … hummmmmm …

You can get it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/sangria-matcha.html

So I am having a mini matcha sipping party with my family here since we have to get our reviews in before the 14th and I have a ton left to review.

This one I decided to add a little sugar and sparkling water to – in order to make it more like a sangria flavor – as I recall sangria is sweet and sparkly but maybe I had something strange mixed with my sangria lol

Nonetheless – the aroma of this one is excellent – berry like fruits and a winey aroma.

I noticed that it easily frothed up which is something I notice more so with some flavors than others. For those who like a nice froth this is one of those that is easier to get frothy.

The flavor is really delicious very fruity and would be great with a luncheon with the friends.

It is only slightly tangy though I get a bit of an aftertaste almost like rind of a citrus fruit.

So somewhere between citrus and red berries is the general flavor here.

My matcha as always was with robust flavoring – I think I will keep ordering it at that level of flavor. It would probably do well at distinctive but I see no reason not to have it at this level – its very enjoyable.

So my tiny cup is empty, everyone else enjoyed this too but of course my daughter preferred the gingerbread :)


Buy it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/gingerbread-matcha.html

If you like gingerbread but not all the sugary sweetness of it – this is the matcha for you. This has all the spices you would find in ginger bread – or ginger snap cookies without the sugar attack.

For me its not sweet enough so I have to add a little something but it is good enough I could get away without adding it.
There is a slight bakey flavor in this tea but its mostly ginger, and an all spice blend sort of spice note in it.

I got the robust flavoring – I am thinking perhaps distinctive may have been enough here but there is nothing wrong with the robust level – just that you could maybe save a couple of bucks. I just always lean toward robust my first go around with a new matcha for the most part.

As always I got the basic matcha base and it is perfectly good, I am still new enough at matcha that I do not notice much of a difference as I have not had enough experience with various matcha qualities yet. However I have had BAD matcha so I do know enough to know that even at the base level this is very good!

Anyway this is excellent for the holidays although I am partial to ginger bread all year long.

I got in on the 52teas/Red Leaf promo (really, a promo Red Leaf was offering to help out 52teas), and the coupon I got for it was tremendously generous; I ended up getting a lot of matcha. More to review! This one was added the day I was planning to make my order, and it was on sale that day, so it was fortuitous because I love black currant. I ordered this with the Basic matcha base and with robust flavoring, from here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/black-currant-matcha.html

Black currant is one of those European things you just don’t find in the states much, but I love it. When I opened the pouch of this matcha it smelled dead on like black currant candies, like the kind that you find in Europe instead of grape. I love how the purple candies in a mix of fruit chewy candies (like starburst) are black currant in Europe! That’s what this matcha smelled like in dry form.

I prepared it how I have been usually, which is to say 1 tsp of matcha sifted into a bowl, making sure to dump out the “flavor crystals” that collect at the bottom of my very fine sieve. I take a little ~180°F water just to loosen up the powder and make sure there are no clumps, then another couple ounces. Whisk very hard (I use a standard metal kitchen whisk) for 30 seconds, then add enough water so that the total amount of water added is 8oz (I measure out 8oz before I start the process and go from there).

I have to say, at first the aroma of the prepared matcha was a little funky to me, but I think I am still getting used to matcha. It did continue to smell like black currant candy, but with greenish matcha-y undertones. I sipped it while still pretty hot and decided to add about a teaspoon of sugar, which I find helps bring out the flavors a bit for me (though not entirely necessary). This is definitely a black currant candy flavor. I occasionally drink black currant juice, and other black currant teas, and the flavor is often darker and richer, in a way that is difficult to explain. This doesn’t taste like other black currant teas, it tastes like black currant candy (with some matcha of course)! Which while a little disappointing is not that disappointing because, as I said, I love black currant candy. If you do too, you’ll love this.

Had this again today and the cheesecake flavour was completely absent. I was hoping that waiting a few weeks would allow the flavours to meld a bit better (like with other flavoured teas) but it doesn’t seem to have helped. There was something present in the matcha in terms of flavour, but it was mostly a light sweetness and not any identifiable flavours. Kind of a bummer.

Full disclosure: I won this as a prize from Red Leaf Tea for helping to rename their Sugar Destroyer tea so I am not sure what the flavour strength is on this one. Thanks RLT! I would guess it’s not very strong as I didn’t get much aroma from the bag. There was some definite sweetness, but it smelled sort of generic, much like I found the cookie and cream matcha to smell. Actually, they both sort of smelled like the caramel matcha. For a non-green tea drinker, I think I need really high levels of flavouring in my matcha to make it palatable. Otherwise, what’s the point in flavour, eh? : )

The taste is..something else altogether. It is sweet. Not sugar sweet, but naturally sweet, rather than an addition. Sort of like how fruit is sweet but candy is cloying? Anyway, it’s yummy. Smooth with a sense of richness. I wouldn’t call it cheesecake if I hadn’t seen that on the label but it IS nice. Once again, a stronger flavour level would probably help distinguish the taste for me but that’s a personal weakness. I do get a bit of bitterness that lingers on the tongue – I’m not loving that. I think I will add a hint of honey to nix that.

Okay, honey may have turned into grapefruit agave. So sure me, it’s delicious. With the sweetener, the bitterness is muted and barely noticeable, which I prefer. I think this mixed with the caramel matcha would be super delicious – though it’s good on it’s own, it needs a little something to take it up a notch for me. It would be super yummy as an additive to a smoothie or cookies or something like that.

I’ll start off by saying that tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts, and I am (a little bit) happy that it isn’t something I can have often, because I’d weigh as much as three elephants. I’m not sure I would ever add matcha to my homemade tiramisu – no one else would even try it – but I was intrigued and decided to add it to my order.

This is the best flavoured matcha I have ever tried. It is leaps ahead of everything else. I was worried it wouldn’t mix well with the matcha flavour, but it did. I had another tiramisu tea (not matcha, I think it was a rooibos) and it wasn’t authentic at all with the flavour. Everything about it is perfect. I’ve tried it both iced as a latte and hot. I’d give the edge to the iced version; the flavour just really seemed to pop. Hot it was still amazing – it had a solid tiramisu flavour that was decadent and creamy and I just can’t find any fault with it at all! The only bad thing about this tea is how fast I’m going to need to buy more of it! I think at some point I will try putting this in the blender and making a frappucino style drink! If only I had ordered it at the beginning of the summer….now I am always cold and looking for a hot drink. If you are trying to pick a sweet dessert flavour this is definitely the one I would go with. Just writing this review makes me want to go make more – but I am so torn because I don’t want it to be gone too quickly!! Check it out here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/tiramisu-matcha.html

This is my first tea from Red Leaf Tea, as well as my first flavored matcha. So let’s get down to it.
THE SPECS:
Size: Small (30 grams)
Quality: Royal Grade(Premium)Green Matcha
Flavor Strength: Distinctive
Other: I also opted for the small metal tin.

I was first introduced by Red Leaf Teas on this site when I looked at the top rated teas, wanting to try something different that was proven to be delicious. The top rated tea was Red Leaf Tea’s Caramel Matcha. When I went to the site, they had a matcha for sale, which was the Bavarian Cream Matcha, found here —> http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html . I decided I would take advantage of the sale to try something new. I am so glad I did!! First, the feature of being able to choose the grade, flavor strength, and size of the matcha is ingenious. It is also clear that this company means to put out the best product possible, and wants you to handle it properly to get the best experience. I was surprised to learn that matcha should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness.
Onto the flavor itself. This matcha is wonderful. The smell is delicious; creamy, citrusy, vanilla smell. Just like a custard should be. Making this the traditional way, the matcha itself is smooth with a hint of pleasant bitterness on the back end. The Bavarian Cream flavor does not disappoint. It is rich and custardy and refreshing. It balances the grassy green flavor of the matcha wonderfully. The citrus-like flavor comes through and is bright, making this a cup of delectable complexity. I still have a problem with frothing and whisking properly, so I prefer this in other nontraditional way. My favorite method is in a breakfast smoothie, as follows:

1 tablespoon Matcha
1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
~1 cup frozen banana chunks, more or less depending on desired thickness
1 cup of milk (I use almond coconut milk, since I’m lactose intolerant)

just add all of the ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. This is a definite perk-me-up. You will have no problem feeling, full, satisfied, awake and alert after this momma.

Anywho, in conclusion, this is just damn delicious, and I WILL be getting more. I suggest you do the same.

Cheesecake matcha basically sounds like a dream come true. I’m not sure why I didn’t order this with my first order – I LOVE cheesecake, both making it (which I am great at, if I do say so myself haha) and eating it (which I am equally good at, maybe too good). So if I can get matcha that will satisfy my cheesecake craving without all the calories, I am definitely going to try it!

I received this with my order of tiramisu and caramel, and although it had the least distinctive smell and flavour, it definitely still had an authentic cheesecakey-ness that was so worth it. I think the best part of this was that it wasn’t just matcha that tasted like cheesecake – it tastes like what I imagine matcha-flavoured cheesecake would taste like (I haven’t ventured into the world of baking with matcha because I am the only one who would eat it and I really don’t need to eat an entire batch of cookies, cheesecake, etc. By myself!).

Sweet, but not too sweet, with that little hint of tanginess that you get from cream cheese, this is a perfect after-dinner tea. I am going to make it again and do a better job – I had it iced the first time, and I think that is how I will prefer it, but it wasn’t quite cold enough. I took it to work in my timolino and forgot to put ice cubes in! That will be a necessity next time. I can’t wait to mix this with a few other flavours!