Matcha Outlet

Backlogging from yesterday. Tasty! See other notes!

Special Thanks to Azzrian for this one!

Eventho this is REALLY GOOD – I do like Matcha Mountains and Shanti’s Blueberry Matcha’s a bit more. BUT…don’t take that as a BAD thing…this is REALLY GOOD, too!

It has a medium-strong Green tea/Matcha Base that is smooth and true! LOVE that! The Blueberry flavor is secondary but also natural and true tasting. I wouldn’t mind even more Blueberry Flavor but it is super good as-is, too! YUM! Juicy yet smooth yet green matcha!

I went for another matcha latte this morning and wow, something has really changed since the last time I attempted this!

I think I’m getting how to prepare this stuff a little better now. This time my matcha wasn’t grainey, but thick and smooth instead. I don’t think I was taking enough time whisking in the past and I would end up with a grainey, funky texture and would even have some green globs at the bottom of my cup.

Mmm this time it’s much more enjoyable! I can see what all the fuss is about. Here is a picture of my matcha latte this morning:

http://flic.kr/p/ddFq2W

My first matcha ever =) I tried it for the first time yesterday and it was a very confusing experience. Since I don’t have any experience with matcha, I’m going to hold off on rating it for now. I’d like to try a few more matchas so I can get a good idea of what qualities I’m looking for.

Matcha is a strange taste and texture. My first sip I thought “Hmmm….I don’t think I like this” but as I drank on the flavor started to grow on me…interesting…green…good? I’m not sure yet.

One thing I do know is that I spent the rest of the night thinking about that cup of tea. Thinking about the flavor and texture. I don’t think I can really comment on the tiramisu flavor because I was too busy focusing on the matcha itself.

This morning I really wanted to try it again and this time I made it as a latte. The frothy milk goes really well and balances the cup out nicely. It “takes the edge off” I guess. Not that I wasn’t interested in the edge…I was actually a little dissappointed that the flavor wasn’t as strong. Perhaps I should use a little extra powder when making a latte? The tiramisu flavor was much more pronounced in this cup – sweet, creamy, delicious!

I ordered my matcha basic grade and with delicate flavor (the pre-selected options) but next time I think I’m going to pay for the distinctive flavor level and see how that goes.

I got my matcha here : http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/tiramisu-matcha.html

Overall it was a very different first experience! It was nothing like what I expected. I have to say I am really really intruiged by the whole thing. I wasn’t sure I really liked matcha upon the first sip, but as I drank on the flavor really started to grow on me. I think my next matcha order will be an unflavored one. I’m definitely going to continue experimenting.

I love tiramisu. I mean, I really really love it. If I go out for Italian, you can bet on what dessert I’ll have (no matter how good anything else is). Even a medicore slice of tiramisu is good, but a really great piece is just… perfection. Coffee, chocolate, cream, ladyfingers. It’s tangy, rich, decadent, and so so good. The best I ever had was in Paris, though several places in NY have tiramisu that is almost as good. Of course, I had to try the tiramisu flavored matcha! And because I love the flavor so much, I went for the Robust level and the black matcha base which I just loved so much on the Cookies & Cream.

This matcha really solidifies my love for the black matcha base. I think… I might even like it better than green matcha! In fact, I think I might like the base here better than the flavoring. This was my first time with Robust, but I don’t think it is significantly more flavored than Distinctive. Then again, I think it really depends on the flavor itself—I’ve had delicate matcha that was stronger flavored than this one (Caramel) and my Cotton Candy at distinctive was so strong I honestly could barely taste the matcha! Here I think the Robust works well, it’s definitely not the strongest dessert flavor.

You can taste many of the elements: coffee, cream, and chocolate. I think the black base bolsters them a lot, since the similar notes make it taste more like tiramisu. I can’t imagine this one with a green base, I feel like the grassiness would be kind of in competition with the trio of tiramisu elements. Well, the green does have good reviews, but I think I prefer it with a black base!

This is a good matcha, though perhaps not as mind-blowing and great as some of the others I’ve tried from Red Leaf. It’s actually quite similar to cookies & cream, but without such a bold chocolate taste. What I find really interesting is that I’d swear I can taste a bit of alcohol here—not artificial flavoring, but like what they soak the bottom layer of real tiramisu in. Interesting! You can pick this one up here:

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

I think where this matcha will REALLY shine is in baking. Just imagine, a lovely delicate square of Tiramisu Black Matcha Pound Cake. Aww yeah.

As a kid, I was kind of obsessed with cotton candy. If I got any, no one could eat it but me, I’d go through an entire bag in about 5 minutes. If it was fresh cotton candy, probably 2. Anything cotton candy flavored I HAD to have. I think this has carried over into adulthood, since I go bananas for cotton candy flavored tea. I consider the 52teas blend mana from heaven, so of course I freaked out a little when I saw Red Leaf had a cotton candy matcha. How I waited until my 4th order to get some I’ll never know!

But now my tea is here and in one of the new packages! They’re about half the size and silver, very cute plus they take up less space. Yes, I don’t put my matcha in tins. I know, bad matcha owner! But I go through it all pretty fast with 1-2 cups a day so I don’t worry about it going bad or tasting less potent. I think I have like… 1 cup of caramel left? And I got it a month ago, so just a bit of tape is fine for me! Anyway, I got my Cotton Candy with the following options:

Size: Small (30g)
Matcha: Classic (did they change the name of this one? I remember it being called Starter a few weeks ago)
Flavor: Distinctive

Cotton Candy is a STRONG flavor, so maybe I should have gone with Delicate but OH WELL I WANT MY COTTON CANDY. Seriously, the flavor at this level is so strong it might as well be the “there’s matcha in there?!” option. And I love it! I made this iced (mixed up the starter and just poured it in a cup with ice cold water)—usually I do lattes but I don’t see milk and cotton candy going well together. Plus I’ve found you can add a lot of water and still retain the flavor, while the same amount of starter will only mix well with a small mug of milk. I guess the milk kind of “dampens” the flavors? In any case, I had a nice large glass of cotton candy!

And OH MAN does it taste like cotton candy. The beginning of the sip is just matcha taste, but everything after that… heaven. It might as well be melted (green) cotton candy in my glass. And the taste lingers, my mouth was all cotton candy-y for a good half hour after I finished. This is just… it’s so good. If you like cotton candy you owe it to yourself to try this one out right now. Seriously! You can get some here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cotton-candy-matcha.html

Mmmm tiramisu matcha. I suppose I should branch out into the fruit or plain matchas eventually, but I’ve been having a lot of fun with the desserts so far. Opening the package today, this smelled creamy, chocolatey, and there was a little fruity sharpness to it also.

I prepared this the traditional way at first: 1 gram of matcha to about 4oz water – at this level I have enough matcha to get a decent froth and enough water that it doesn’t taste too thick and powdery for me to drink. I’ve given up on my chashaku, by the way, and just use a 1/2 tsp now because that is very close to 1 gram. The chashaku, once I measured, was giving me anywhere from .55 to 1.2 grams, depending on the angle I held it at and how the matcha piled.

Anyway, it tasted good just like that! I could have drunk the whole bowl straight, but I couldn’t resist adding a little milk – still good, but different! Much creamier, and the flavor got muted a bit. With just water, I could taste the flavors better – there’s so many that they’re hard to pull out, but the overall impression definitely aligns with tiramisu: cream, chocolate, sharpness that could come from coffee or cheese, fruitiness that I’ll attribute to rum :) I suspect this will be even better cold!

The was the starter grade of green matcha with delicate flavoring, and you can buy it at: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/tiramisu-matcha.html

Breakfast smoothie! 2 frozen bananas, almond coconut milk, two large spoonfuls of Trader Joe’s honey Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons of this matcha. Blend.

SO delicious! It was literally like drinking a milkshake. The bavarian cream flavor really came out in the smoothie. SO sweet and a bit yolky and super creamy. Just like custard! And frozen custard is ice cream so that explains why my smoothie tasted like a milk shake. Mmm, yummy! I think the white matcha is growing on me. :)

Soo…I probably shouldn’t have made this with vanilla soy milk from the get go. To be fair to the tea, I should have tried it first straight up. But from my past matcha experiences, the ones made with unmilk have always been my favorite. And husband somehow didn’t realize he was buying vanilla soy instead of plain. Oh well.

I’m trying a white matcha base here for the first time! The normal green matcha will always be my favorite but this white one is not bad! To start with, it whisked up like a dream. If you can call it whisking when you’re using a teaspoon… It tastes a bit floral, like a tasty white tea all on it’s own. I’m guessing that’s not the bavarian cream flavor. What is the bavarian cream flavor at work here? Well, it’s the fantastic desserty creamy flavor. Tasty. Especially with a bit of brown rock sugar.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the caffeine front with this tea. The green matcha makes my head hurt with the potent caffeine punch. Normal non-powdered white tea has been known to give me that same caffeine headache. Whatever bai mu dan Frank uses usually has this quality. Teavivre’s bai mu dan did the same thing. So what about this matchafied white tea I’m drinking? Well I’m happy to report that I’m feeling buzzed and alert but no headache! Either I’m getting better at this caffeine thing or this tea is just not that caffeinated to begin with. Either way, awesome! Let’s see what husband thinks…

Husband: (sniffs the cup) Did you put coconut rum in here?
Me: Nooooo. Figure out what it is.
Husband: (sips it) Coconut.
Me: It’s bavarian cream! Do you like this better or green matcha better?
Husband: The question is: where is my cup?

Success!

Please find this yummy matcha here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

I can’t believe I am the first to review this one! Crazy! I mean, it’s eggnog, a tasty delicious dessert-type treat. And the dessert matchas really do seem to get the most attention (for obvious reasons haha) BUT not this one! Maybe because it hasn’t gone on sale yet? I’ve wanted it for a while, and decided to just go for it in my last order. I needed one more, so eggnog hopped into my cart! I got:

Size: Small (30 grams)
Flavor: Delicate
Base: Basic Matcha

I’ve only gotten one matcha with the Delicate level of flavor: caramel, my very first one! I’ve found I really like the Distinctive, though I did get a Robust one in this order that I haven’t tried yet . However, eggnog is a REALLY strong flavor and I wasn’t sure if it would meld well with matcha so delicate it was. Just a regular starter base this time, since I adore my Pumpkin Pie with the green and thought eggnog might be similar in feel. You know, fall desserts! I plan on mixing them together very soon, mm pumplin pie eggnog.

Eggnog has a very distinctive taste: creamy, vanilla and almost custard-like with nutmeg and other fall spices. Much like the Bavarian Cream, this matcha actually captures the creaminess! Vanilla is dominant, along with a custard taste and nutmeg coming in at the end of the sip. Like pumpkin pie, it melds well with the grassiness of the matcha, keeping it from being so heavy. Honestly, I can’t even drink a mug of real eggnog, it’s wayyyy too rich. In fact, as much as I love it, it makes me nauseous. So this matcha is perfect! All the eggnog flavor without the eggnog ickiness. I love it! You can get some here:

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

And while it doesn’t seem to be super popular, I think it’s definitely worth a try! A very special flavor.

So, I made a hot latte of this for my mom today. I had to come up to my house to pick up a few things, and she requested to try this one last time I was here as I rattled off all the matchas I had just gotten haha. So, I whipped one up (with a real sifter too and not my tea strainer!) and she is in LOVE. It’s on her birthday wishlist, aka if we don’t get it for her we will suffer some sort of horrible wrath. Another Red Leaf convert in the making! (she wants creme brulee next)

Whenever I order from Red Leaf, I seem to gravitate towards the dessert-y or exotic flavors, and overlook things I’d usually go for. “Rose Matcha, how mundane!” is what I thought at first. But after experimenting with a lot of candy-like flavors, I wanted something simple that I knew I’d love. And what do I love more than floral flavors? So, Rose Matcha found its way into my cart, and with a fancy base too! I got:

Size: Small (30 grams)
Flavor: Distinctive
Quality: White Matcha

I got the 50/50 matcha mix for Bavarian Cream, and I really liked it so I decided to go for the full monty this time. White tea + rose is always good, so why not with matcha? Well, it definitely works! The white base is actually… grey-brown, which I was expecting but it’s browner than in the pictures. The flavor is different from the 50/50 blend a LOT (obviously): no grassiness at all, and there’s a really nice fruity taste. Peach, maybe? It’s very nice! Of course it has natural fruity notes as well, which compliment the rose.

Now, about the rose flavoring. I really like perfume-y flavors, but most people don’t. In the bag this smells like a perfume store, seriously strong! But once mixed up into a nice iced latte, the rose is smooth and really only slightly floral. It’s like rose candies: sweet (the most naturally sweet matcha I’ve tried) and with a good rose flavor but with no perfume notes. I think people who only kind of like floral teas would even love this!

It’s quite unusual compared to the other matchas I’ve tried, but I love it. So tasty and really refreshing in a way even the fruity ones aren’t! I’m also really happy I went with the white base, it goes sooo perfectly with the rose. I think lavender is next up for me!

You can buy this matcha here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/rose-matcha.html

Bavarian Cream Matcha
Size : Small
Flavor: Distinctive
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

Here is where to get his fantastic matcha:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

So, this is what I have learned this week….I SUCK at whisking. I have weak wrists and they start to get sore before I can get good foam going……lol, I know I am a wimp.

Anyway, so I have learned that instead of making hot matcha in a bowl, I have started making cold matcha lattes. I have also learned that I don’t like matcha as much hot. I much prefer it cold. I find that it is sweeter and less vegetal somehow. Maybe it is just in my head, I am not sure. But I like it better. So that is what I am gonna do!

So, this is what I do:
½ teaspoon matcha powder, sifted
½ cup milk
Put in my Magic Bullet and blend away. The foam is incredible and there is absolutely no clumps! Then I add 3-4 ice cubes to keep it cold.

Today, I made this with my new Bavarian Cream that arrived yesterday. This is so good. Creamy, like custard with hints of vanilla and a tiny bit of lemon. And it gave me good energy where I am not jittery or shaky, but awake and energized.

Maybe not quite as good as the cheesecake matcha but pretty close. This would also be delicious in a smoothie no doubt!

I might even have to re-stock this matcha when I am finished my tin!

My boyfriend’s car broke down so now we only have one car between the two of us…. Which means driving him to work… Very early this morning. I didn’t have enough time to steep any tea so I went with some matcha :) it was lacking because I didn’t put enough in my travel mug but it was still comforting and creamy. And warm… Since it’s rainy and cold outside.

Well, this is my last matcha of the night. French Vanilla! Which you can find here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/french-vanilla-matcha.html

I’ve been on a search for a nice, frothy, creamy matcha and I’ve read in other reviews that this is the creamiest of the two vanillas. I opened this one with my friend and she mentioned that it smelled like frosting on cupcakes. It definitely does smell like frosting! Even whipped up it smells delicious.
Mm :] This is definitely the creamiest matcha I’ve had so far. It reminds me of a cupcake. Like the entire cupcake, not just the frosting. It’s very velvety and smooth. There is a slight bitterness but there is a sweet smoothness that blends it nicely. I could see myself blending this with a lot of the matchas I have already. And I can also see myself just drinking the entire thing plain!
I ordered the “delicate” flavoring on this one and I’m wishing I had gotten the “distinctive” option. The vanilla mixed with the matcha kind of reminds me of melted green tea ice cream. It’s great and all, but at the moment I’m just wanting the creamy vanilla.
I would recommend this flavor to anyone! I think it’s a great one to start with if you’re just starting to explore the exciting world of matcha. So I will leave you with a link to this wonderful, creamy matcha!
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/french-vanilla-matcha.html

Goodnight fellow Steepsters!

I’m still surprised that I’m the only one who has logged this matcha. The aroma of it is beautiful. The flavor is lighter than I remember but that’s ok with me. Oh, how I love rose flavored things :]

When I was picking out my next matcha I had absolutely NO idea what to get. When I saw the Rose matcha I thought it would be something different and new to try. It also reminds me of my grandma Annie. She LOVED bright red roses. So that’s another reason I got it :] You can find it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/rose-matcha.html

When I opened the pouch I got a beautiful burst of rose. Very floral. It wasn’t really delicate like holding a rose to your nose but more like spraying a really expensive rose perfume. It was refreshing after all of the fruit and dessert flavors.
The flavor of this is just as nice as the smell. It’s very different, obviously. I feel like there should be rose petals floating along with the bubbles. It tastes like there is a nice handful of them in here. It starts out a bit bitter but ends on a delicate, sweet note. The taste is quite floral and it mixes so well with the matcha. It really brings out the grassy/vegetal side of it.
This is definitely a unique matcha and a must try if you like floral tasting teas. I will admit, it’s one that you have to be in an adventurous mood but it’s 100% worth it! It’s such a lovely tea! And you can order it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/rose-matcha.html

Can you tell I got my awesome Red Leaf Tea order today? WELL I decided to try pear because I’ve nothing but great things about it. And you can find it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pear-matcha.html

When I opened the package I got a fruity burst of pear in my face! Mm it was delightful. It made my whole apartment smell like pear. And it only took me about 27 minutes to figure out where the smell was coming from. As I’m sitting here waiting for it to cool all I smell is sweet, sweet pear. It is pretty fantastic.
Ok. Here goes the first sip… Red Leaf has done it again… This pear matcha is extremely delicious! It tastes like a really, really ripe pear. Like when you let it get to it’s ultimate point of sweetness. It’s so sweet and juicy! Once again I got the “delicate” flavor option but I really feel like it works. The flavors don’t hide behind each other in this one. They work together to create this fabulous fruity, vegetal flavor. The juiciness of the pear brings out the natural sweetness in the matcha. This is a very unique matcha and I’d recommend it to anyone! I will leave the link for you:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pear-matcha.html

I just want to say a gigantic THANK YOU to Red Leaf Tea for having this matcha sale. It has really opened my eyes to the magical world of matcha.
Here is a magical link:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/banana-matcha.html

Ok. So when I went to Red Leaf’s website I was stumped on which matcha to try next so I let my boyfriend pick one. He suggested we try the banana next (even though he HATES bananas. Weird? Yes). So I got my awesomtastic Red Leaf package today and decided to try this one first. The smell is so fantastic. It reminds me of that banana Runts(I think someone mentioned that in a different review). It smells so sweet it made me flash back to the good old times when my cousins and I used to fight over the bag of runts to get to the rare banana ones. Oh, memories.
The first sip was magical. It does taste like bananas but with a sweet twist. It’s obviously an artificial banana taste but it’s very well done. It has that banana runt taste to it too. I got the “delicate” flavoring and I’m happy I did! The banana is very strong and works VERY well with the matcha and it’s natural sweetness. This is definitely not for you if you want the more natural banana taste. But it most definitely is for you if you’re looking for something sweet and don’t feel like digging through a bag of runts for the banana ones :] So if you are that person I will gladly leave the link for you again:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/banana-matcha.html

Thank you again Red Leaf Tea!!!! :D

I’ve been waiting to try Red Leaf matcha for so long now – I keep hearing such wonderful things about it! This was a birthday present to myself. I’ve finally had time to sit down and try it.

Flavor: Bavarian Cream
Flavoring: Delicate
Size: Small
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

I wanted to try it first with minimal flavor, so that I could try to get a taste for the matcha itself. I think next time I’ll spring for robust, at least until I become a bit more accustomed to the matcha taste.

I put about a teaspoon into my 8oz Bodum Pavina glass cup, and then added about 2-3oz of hot water. I was terrified of making the water too hot and therefore burning it, so I erred on the cool side. I think I accidentally made it too cool.

I whisked that with my stick frother and then kept whisking as I poured milk and a bit of agave into the rest of the mug. It formed a beautiful, pale jade color with a healthy amount of lighter-colored froth on top. The bubbles fizz and pop.

It tastes beautifully creamy, and I’m sure that a lot of that is coming from the mixture of the flavoring and the milk. Then there’s a grassy, green tea behind it. I’m struggling to describe the scent – I can’t really think of anything aside from “matcha.” It’s so distinctive.

I’m still a bit perplexed by this, but I really, really like it so far. If anyone has any tips on how to make this better, please share! I definitely want to try more Red Leaf.

You can find the matcha here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

Today’s breakfast tea! Very deliciously chocolate and coffee taste to wake me up!
Geeze, I really need to drink down my matcha faster!

Holy crabby batman! Just feeling cranky with my SHAWL OF DOOOOM! I have to knit the last row then bind off of HELL (picots) and totally sick of this beast! I’m ready to set this thing on fire!

Matcha break?

Tiramisu ice latte matcha, but with a 1/4 tsp of Caramel matcha! It’s like adding a squirt of caramel sauce on your tiramisu, if it wasn’t bad for you already! Super tasty, totally try it peeps if you got both matchas!

Uggg still cranky. Maybe my Butiki order that should be here in 1 – 2 hours will cheer me up.

I love tiramisu! However, I’ve eaten it only a few times in my life. The best one was actually a matcha tiramisu that I ate at the Richmond Night Market, in Richmond, BC Canada. The green tea tiramisu was so creamy, eggy, green tea, and sweet! I was excited to see that Red Leaf Teas http://www.redleaftea.com/ had created a tiramisu flavor! I’m all over that!

What I ordered:

Tiramisu Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/tiramisu-matcha.html
Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust (because I love my tiramisu)
Small Tin
By the way, appears there was a packaging change, now it’s in a silver foil bag, still non resealable.

The matcha powder on its own is very sweet and chocolate coffee smell.
Prepared as a regular hot matcha, the froth didn’t maintain itself – something I’ve been noticing whenever I ordered a “robust” level matcha. Without sweetener, it is coffee – like bitter with a hint of chocolate. It was a little too strong coffee bitterness for my liking, so I added a bit of sugar, which made the matcha taste smooth, creamy, little mocha and chocolately. I’m thinking this would be better as a hot latte.

Now onto my favorite part: iced matcha latte! (sifted tiramisu matcha + soy milk + sweetener + ice). This is spot on tiramisu, almost ice creamy since my matcha is cold. I can taste the whipped cream middle, which leaves a creamyness sensation on the tongue afterward, chocolately and slightly eggy. I don’t taste any bitterness and very slight coffee taste. The green tea is very background, from the “robust” flavoring.

Overall, not sure which Red Leaf Tea matcha I like more, Bavarian Cream or Tiramisu. Both and nice and complex. For the tiramisu, it be easy for it to be just mocha flavor, however this matcha pulls off the various elements of tiramisu, impressive! I wanna dust this matcha ontop of a real tiramisu! Oh heck, make my own tiramisu with this matcha, ehhh maybe on a well planned cheat day!