Matcha Outlet

Sometimes I eat like a pregnant lady, though I’m not actually preggers. Last incident a few months ago involved kimchi followed up with some peanut butter. Today is another crazy case.

Soymilk + Almond butter + peanut butter + kale + honey + cheesecake matcha + protein powder. Together, not bad. Though thinking about a kale nut butter cheesecake sounds kinda gross.

I am totally weird.

I have a little bit of soy milk left which I’m saving to review some more matcha later. However, I just lifted weights and need a protein bump which I normally do with a protein smoothie. Instead:

1/4tsp of Cheesecake Matcha sifted + Strawberry non-fat high protein greek yogurt (150g, Dannon Light and Fit Greek)

The colour is awful pukey green brown pink but the taste is really good! The cheesecake comes out, makes a smoother yogurt and goes with the tartness of the strawberry. A little hint of green tea. It’s like eating strawberry cheesecake filling! It’s pretty sweet, maybe almost too sweet for me.

With that said, I think I could pull off plain greek yogurt with a flavored matcha.

Cheesecake matcha

This is my second matcha from Red Leaf teas http://www.redleaftea.com/ to try – I had a great experience with my first matcha from them, Caramel Matcha, so I was excited to put another order in.

I’m a big cheesecake fan that rarely eats cheesecake. I prefer to bake my own treats. Cheesecake, in my opinion, is expensive to make and quite a bit of work, so I make it on special occasions. The other issue I have is that my husband does not like cheesecake, and I need another person to eat it with me so I don’t eat the whole thing myself!
With that said, when I see cheesecake teas or other fun dessert teas, I jump on them. No to little calories and all the sweet deliciousness! Cheesecake matcha? Oh hells yes! Red leaf teas has great sales and within hours of it being posted on sale, I snagged it.

The specs on the matcha I ordered:

Cheesecake Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html
Size: Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust I went with Robust flavoring this time (the last time I tried Delicate) because I decided to not mess around.

Red Leaf gives you lots of power over your matcha – you can set the flavor strength and matcha quality. Wanna go hardcore elite mode? Try a Imperial superior grade.

I ordered in the middle of the night, but my order was shipped the following morning. Red leaf is very prompt!

Straight out of the package, smells strongly sweet cheesecake goodness. I can’t tell that there’s supposed to be lovely green matcha in this package!

Note on packaging, their matcha (at least the small size from my experience) comes in gold foil non resealable packets. This time around I ordered a small tin, which is very handy if you do not have a small tin. The tin is good quality, size of a squat spice tin, but all metal with a twist top with plastic grooves inside to ensure a good seal. You don’t want the air to damage your matcha! I took off the sticker label off the foil packaging and stuck it on my tin – very handy!

I still don’t have all the pro matcha gear, so rest assured if you want to have matcha do don’t need all the gear to try it! At this time I just use a standard ½ teaspoon measuring spoon, wide mug, fine tea strainer to act as a sifter and a bamboo whisk I got from my local Daiso, a japanese dollar store. Previously I used a wire whisk but that takes more time to whisk but is very do able. If anything, sifting the matcha is the most important step I wouldn’t skip. Red Leaf also gives you the option to buy the matcha accessories along with your order.

I whisked up Cheesecake matcha following the instructions given in a pamplet in my order. I found this batch was harder to get the nice froth than my Caramel matcha. Cheesecake matcha is more brown green compared to Caramel matcha – I’m unsure if it’s the flavoring strength or different flavor that effects the colour.

Prepared traditionally with just hot water, the Cheesecake matcha is earthy, mouth watering, full flavor green tea. No bitterness. There’s an additional hit of smoothness in this matcha at the end of my sip. Very fun and delicious!

However, my favorite way to enjoy matchas is as a latte. I immediately had another cup of matcha. This time I added organic light vanilla soymilk, a teaspoon of sugar to a whisked cup of matcha. As a latte, the matcha changes into full force CHEESECAKE mode! Smooth, creamy and that hit of tangy cheesecake!

Overall, very good matcha and cheesecakey. For me, I want something more than base cheesecake, I’ll add some raspberry or caramel matcha for my next cup! Ahh, I love how flexible matcha is!

Now, my next evil plot: baking a cheesecake, but not just any ordinary cheesecake, a green tea cheesecake with this Cheesecake matcha in it! Red Leaf tea has recipes on their site (https://www.redleaftea.com/index.php?dispatch=pages.view&page_id=36 ), but googling around I found a couple matcha cheesecake recipes too. Unfortunately with watching my calories I can only have one small slice of cheesecake. Anyone wanna share it with me?

I’ve had my eye on Red Leaf Tea’s Cheesecake Matcha for some time now. Amanda was generous enough to send me a sample of her’s – which I immediately fell in love with. I believe her’s was “delicately” flavored. There was a nice tang to the matcha which was consumed – in record time – as an icy latte.

When I got around to finally placing my order for this, a month later (gasp!), I had a very difficult time trying to figure out which matcha base to go with. I knew I already liked the regular ol’ starter matcha, but would I branch out and try the white or red base? I probably placed each version in my cart at least 3 times before the basic grade finally became my choice. Seriously, it was a really hard choice to make!

So as a frame of reference my order was comprised like this: small, starter matcha with robust flavoring (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html ) and a small metal tin, which I’ve come to really like! The tin is a nice size for a small matcha and doesn’t hog my precious refrigerator space. When I find myself in between matchas, I like that I can reuse the tins to take small samplings of loose leaf tea when I travel. I’m a sucker for small, reusable items!

Anyway, the smell of the matcha is tangy and slightly sweet, even though there’s no sugar added to the flavoring. I prepared this my usual way – cold latte style. Two ounces of warmed water with a teaspoon of matcha and a half teaspoon of super-fine sugar – wisk until blended. I didn’t try sifting the matcha this time, and it frothed up very nicely without any clumping. Six ounces of cold, creamy whole milk (yes, I’m naughty!) and the taste was so smooth and creamy with a bit of tang – just how I like my cheesecake to be!

After my first cup as a cold latte, I went for a second cup – this time as a warmed, straight matcha. The tang and creaminess are much less noticable the second time around, but the matcha base is much more prevalent. As the cup cools, the tangy taste comes to the forefront with the matcha and the creaminess lags behind. It’s kind of like having two very different teas, which is pretty awesome for just buying the one! A creamy, dessert-like cup of tangy cheesecake with milk/dairy alternative or a green tea with a little tang – it’s up to whatever kind of mood you’re in!

MMM cheesecake :D it’s my absolute favorite dessert. So when I saw that there was a cheesecake flavored matcha I pretty much ordered it right then and there. When I opened the package the smell was so creamy and delicious smelling. Here is a link:

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

It actually tastes like I’m eating cheesecake with matcha in it. The first few sips I took were a bit sour then as it started to cool down I got a more creamy, sweet cheesecake flavor. I’m getting a bit of the sourness in the aftertaste but hey, it’s still amazing.
So, usually I hate adding milk or sweetener to my teas but I decided I’d try adding some almond milk to the last little bit I had in my bowl. It was ok. It added a bit to the creaminess but then just added a weird almond flavor too. I think what would really make this one extra delicious would be to add some sweetened vanilla almond milk. Oo that sounds good!
I honestly don’t think I’d go for the ‘distinctive’ flavor because this one already has so much! And it mixes well with the bittersweet matcha flavor. It just tastes like a big slice of green cheesecake :D
SO I suggest you hop on over to Redleaftea.com and buy yourself some cheesecake matcha. Here is the link my friends:

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

So I decided to save my 100th tasting note for this wonderful matcha! Which you can buy here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/raspberry-truffle-matcha.html

Picking out my next matcha became pretty easy when I saw this one. I LOVE chocolatey, sweet teas. This one smelt SO good when I opened the package. The smell of chocolate raspberries filled the room. Plus right after that we opened the cheesecake matcha and then the entire kitchen smelt like chocolate raspberry cheesecake! Hmm.. Maybe I’ll have to try a mix of that? Mm.. I love Red Leaf Tea :D
Last night I got home around midnight so I didn’t get a chance until this morning. I will admit I used a bit more matcha then I should have… But it tasted wonderful! The chocolate raspberry kind of hides behind the matcha, it’s more of the aftertaste. It’s very creamy and smooth. I got the ‘delicate’ option for flavoring on this and I’m sitting here wishing I had picked the ‘distinctive’ choice. This is one matcha I wouldn’t mind having a lot of this flavor in! The chocolate raspberry flavor is teasing me behind the matcha. But it’s still a wonderful treat when you’re craving something sweet! This is one of the ‘must try’ matchas because of it’s unique flavor! And that’s what I love about Red Leaf Tea. They are the only company I know that sales flavored matcha. So thank you Red Leaf!! So again, here is the link to go get this sweet, chocolatey matcha:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/raspberry-truffle-matcha.html

When I saw that Red Leaf was doing another sale on Cheesecake matcha, I knew I couldn’t resist. Since I already tried some green matcha for my last order of caramel, and cheesecake was a desert tea, I decided to spring for the white matcha this time because I really wanted to try it. I had never had white matcha tea before. I figured I could always mix it with caramel, too. I even sprang for the faster shipping to make up for the postal holiday.

I ordered the 30g Cheesecake Matcha, White Matcha, with Robust Flavoring
(found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html). I’m not sure what the quality of white matcha is, since you don’t get a choice of different qualities of matcha like you do with the green, but I’m assuming it is comparable to the Starter (Basic Grade). When I opened up the package, it had a cheesecake smell to it, but it also had an interesting butterscotch undertone to it. I’m not sure if that was the white matcha or just the flavoring. The powder was darker than I expected too. I expected white powder, but as you can see from the picture, it was more of an off-brown color. I was also surprised at how dark the liquid became when I mixed up my first cup. It was a medium-brownish color and I guess I was expecting something lighter because of white tea.

The taste was definitely interesting. I could taste some cheesecake, but the white tea brought an interesting flavor, too. It’s hard to describe, because I haven’t really had any experience with white matcha, but it’s definitely less vegetal than regular green tea matcha is. It definitely is a lighter taste, similar to how I expect white tea to be. I’m not sure how I feel about it. I might try the green/white matcha mix next time. I also want to mix the caramel to see how it compares.

Just like with the caramel matcha, I found that the flavors enhanced when I added milk. It definitely made it smoother and gave it more of a desert flavoring. I didn’t find the flavoring quite as strong and distinctive as the caramel flavoring even though they were the same level (robust), so I’m thinking the white tea matcha is a little more overpowering than the green tea. I also had a little harder time mixing the white matcha than I did with the green. But, this may have been due to user error.

All in all, the white cheesecake matcha was an interesting experiment. I think in the future, though, I may just stick to the green matcha base. Or, I may go with a stronger flavoring.

I used two teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie (robust flavored) Matcha in the buttermilk pancake recipe I made this morning. I liked it and probably would have used a little more if it was just me, but I didn’t want to scare my husband away from breakfast.

The pancakes were a Fall-ish shade of green too!

With the start of September I have been craving autumnal flavors, especially pumpkin. So needless to say I was really bummed to find that the post office was holding my latest Red Leaf Tea order over the Labor Day holiday. Was I being punished? Probably not, but it definitely made receiving it today all the more exciting!

Upon opening tearing into the non-resealable foil packaging, the robust pumpkin pie flavoring filled my nose. It was AMAZING! It smelled exactly like a spiced pumpkin pie was sitting in my kitchen.

I immediately made this into a cold latte based on the delicious smell alone. All I could think of was “WOW!”. Two ounces of warmed water blended with the pumpkin pie matcha (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pumpkin-pie-matcha.html ), a smidge of sugar and a healthy 6 ounces of icy-cold milk later, I found myself speechless! After downing the entire cup in record time, I must admit I really want another one! This is Fall in a cup!

My default ordering for Red Leaf Tea has become robust flavoring. I love flavoring, what can I say? In this particular offering the spices are rich! Cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg – they all mingle with the pumpkin without overpowering it. It sort of reminds me of the old Starbucks Pumpkin Pie coffee lattes I used to look forward to around this time of year. I loved them so much I’d try recreating them at home. Well now I don’t have to! There’s a much healthier version right here without the added sugar.

Regret began to fill my mind – I really should have gotten more than a small, robust blend! This will not last me very long.

I needed a pick-me-up after attending my youngest daughter’s orientation for the new school year. There were too many screaming kids and just too many people for this agoraphobic. And I forgot to take my Ativan before attending so I ended up walking away with my body seizing up and in pain. Ugh… the joys of a panic attack.

So I needed this. I made a latte again, and I really like it like this. Usually, I’ll go for the traditional style preparation for the flavored Matcha but, the cheesecake is just so much better with that little added creaminess. It’s good in the traditional preparation, but as a latte, it’s awesome.

And even with the extra flavor that the milk adds, it doesn’t mask the flavors. In fact, I think I can taste the flavors better with the milk than without with this one. I can taste the cheesecake: the sweet, creamy, tangy flavor of cream cheese and even the crust. I don’t know that it’s really “graham cracker” crust that I’m tasting, but, I do taste a buttery, pastry like taste. It’s really yummy.

Oh… YUM! I’ve had this twice today, actually. The first I served traditional style, in a bowl, whisked with water until frothy. It was good like that. But for the serious YUM factor, you’ve got to do this one as a latte. It gives an added boost to the creaminess of the cheesecake flavor, that if I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was drinking a cup of warm liquified cheesecake. So very good.

Just warm some milk, sift the matcha, add the warmed milk, and whisk (I wouldn’t use your bamboo whisk with the milk, as it might encourage bacteria growth. I’d get a wire whisk or a hand frother) until completely incorporated, and drink. …that last part happens very quickly, as my cup is already empty.

Yummy… and certainly glad I got it. Is it my favorite Matcha flavor from Red Leaf? No. Pear is still the best. :)

Well well, here’s another matcha that took my tastebuds by surprise. I ordered the Belgium Chocolate matcha expecting, well, I didn’t know what to expect! Haha.
I’ve never had a chocolate flavoured green tea before, but for some reason I didn’t even blink or flinch at the thought of a chocolate matcha. It must be the faith in flavour that Red Leaf has instilled in me – if cotton candy works, why not chocolate, right?

There were a few more reasons I sprung for the chocolate – I had also ordered the strawberry and knew they would make an amazing pair! (Chocolate covered strawberry matcha, how sexy!), but I also have caramel and cheesecake matchas which it would also blend well with! Let’s not forget a chocolate covered banana iced latte (might add a little bit of english toffee in there as well for a Skor effect!)

What can I say? I feel like a matcha mad scientist. I’ve got a blending itch that I have to scratch!

So far my favourite way to enjoy this matcha is as a hot latte with all the fixings! I whisk up 1.5 teaspoons of matcha with just enough water (175 F) to make a paste. I then add about a half of cup of water (same temp) and sweetener (white sugar for me) and whisk some more to dissolve the sugar. A simple syrup would also work! Now I heat up ½ cup milk and cream (half and half) in the microwave and froth it up with my milk frother. Add the half and half to your matcha, top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings! This treat is oh so comforting, and could even be recreated with soy/almond milk or 1% for a light but indulgent treat!

Before this matcha I hadn’t found a flavoured tea of ANY kind that was a “replacement” for treats. Yes, I am in love with the cheesecake matcha – but it doesn’t replace my cravings for a big fatty piece of creamy thick cheesecake. Nor does a chocolate cake tea turn me away from the frozen McCains delight sitting in my freezer. This tea, however, DOES cure my craving for chocolate and hot chocolate! Sometimes I get a real hankering for a package of powdered hot “chocolate” – but I don’t even consider this a “substitute” – it’s the real thing!

Find it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/belgium-chocolate-matcha.html

English Toffee Matcha

You can get your own here:

So what can I say … I thought this would be just like a chocolate caramel even though english toffee in the candy form is not – its nutty, chocolately, buttery, crunchy and AMAZING. I love english toffee can you tell? I think the only thing better is salted caramel – OMG I wonder if Red Leaf Teas can get a salted caramel flavor!?!?
Sorry I got sidetracked obviously but when I opened the pouch I was excited because the smell was so amazingly good. I was preparing myself to be let down just in case because I figured this would be a difficult one to get right. I mean I really don’t know when I can stop doubting Red Leaf Tea lol they have never let me down to date, so why would they now right? But still, I had to be cautious as I prepared my bowl of yumminess not to get my heart broken for the first time.

As I am typing this I look sadly at my glass, as it is not half full or even half empty but it is totally empty and I am beginning to eat the remaining ice because there is still a little remnants of matcha hanging onto the cubes. If I could get my tongue down into the tall glass I would lick the inside of it!

Having made my typical matcha latte, cold, with ice, creamer, milk, and the matcha mix I think I gulped it down in a matter of minutes, and I am being generous, it was probably more like a manner of seconds! Its a wonder I even can recall what it tasted like as it blasted past my taste buds so quickly!

It was in fact nutty, buttery, caramlish but with the toffee flavor of correctly burnt sugar flavor, and of course just the right amount of chocolate but not so much to mask the other wonderful flavors! And as always the amazing matcha powder base shines through taking away the guilt of the sweetly sinful, ummm sweetness!

My matcha was composed of:

Options:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

As always I suggest the really nice tins from Red Leaf teas which will cost you 4.00 extra but are well worth it with screw top air tight lids! Easier to scoop your powder base out of and no mess, unless your clumsy like me and manage to get some on the table anyway. Yes I did scoop it into my strainer lol.

So again Red Leaf you delight me! Thank you for all your amazing matcha offerings and keep them coming! I have my eyes on your site for the new flavors you had mentioned in the threads here on steepster!

Again to buy this flavor of matcha here is the link:

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

I will probably use vanilla matcha instead of strawberry for this one.. but.. you guys: I ordered a Zoku! AH! I’M STOKED!
YAY for visa points to buy things for free when you’re broke!

This is the recipe that inspired me to buy the Strawberry matcha, even if I won’t use it in the recipe:

http://www.sweetestkitchen.com/2012/06/matcha-latte-strawberry-popsicles/

When I purchased my last set of matcha, there were a few fruit teas I wanted to try. I knew for sure I was trying Belgium Chocolate and Cheesecake – so what fruit would go with those two? Hmm.. Strawberry Cheesecake matcha? YES. Chocolate covered Strawberry matcha? Double YES! And thus, Strawberry matcha was in my cart and a legend was born! Found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/strawberry-matcha.html

How dramatic! Let’s get to the good stuff: as always, I fall in love with the first sniff. Cutting open the corner of the gold foil bag was like a flavour overload! The sweet strawberry scent was too good to be true – and happily for me, it tasted just like it smelled!!!

That can be rare in a tea, but I’ve come to learn that Red Leaf Tea sets their bar just as high as I set mine! That leaves me very rarely disappointed, and almost always happily surprised with the quality, scent and flavour! Strawberry was no exception!

(Excuse the amount of exclamation marks, I really can’t help it)

I ordered by my usual parameters: Basic Grade Matcha with Delicate flavouring. One day I will invest in tins, but right now I have a system that keeps my matcha fresh – a mix of the tiny tins from DavidsTea (from their “Wall” teas), and freezer bags kept in a special tin box. It’s pretty and I like it! I kind of thrive in a world of controlled chaos – it’s either the artist in me, or the lazy in me! Probably both – but I thought I should share my “technique” since the tins are a hot topic these days!

On to the taste! I truly was taken by surprise. The flavour is simple but so effective that from this experience, I can’t think of a better combination than matcha and strawberries. That’s not to say that RLT has amazing flavour combos and super unique matchas – there is something just so simple, comforting and naturally delicious about this Strawberry Matcha. It’s tangy and sweet – I prepared it first straight up with a bit of sugar, second as an iced matcha latte. The flavour was a mix between strawberry milk (I used to devour the stuff as a kid) and a melted strawberry milkshake!

This inspires me to get some good quality vanilla ice cream and whip it up in my blender with this matcha! I looove matcha icecream and strawberry icecream, so I can’t think of a better combo for a homemade matcha shake! Hello! Need to do this before summer ends though… it’s coming to a close 

At least this matcha can be a little taste of summer all year long!

Grape Matcha

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

Hey did I mention I was getting really good at whisking? I am and it makes me happy! Even though I don’t honestly care if I have a ton of forth or not it is good to see all my matcha making coming to fruition in some SKILLS! haha so anyway … When I opened this matcha the smell was amazing – but then every one of Red Leaf matcha smells amazing! This one though I wanted to do something different with. Instead of my typical matcha latte I wanted something more eye opening, more sparkly, more vibrant! So today I made something with Italian Sparkling Water, Low fat all natural vanilla creamer, and matcha! This is my take on an Italian Cream Soda!

Now of course I tasted the matcha before making my blended drink, and you know what, it was quite good. It was a tad bitter but my water to matcha ratio was a bit off as I intentionally made this one a bit thicker to get my blend where I wanted it to be – but alas it was in-fact GRAPE all the way! I am thinking purple grapes. Everyone tends to have a favorite grape, but this seemed purple all the way.

Grape is not normally a flavor I go for unless we are speaking of an ice wine, or something similar, I do love wine infused teas, but as a rule, grape matcha was not one I would gravitate toward, but I got this one because I wanted to test not only the matcha but my own limits. I figure if I love this flavor of matcha then there is no way Red Leaf can go wrong with any of their flavors and so far they have not and trust me I have tired a lot of their flavors!

So here I sit with a sparkly, vibrant, creamy, grape matcha that has not lost any of its base qualities or flavors from the matcha powder itself due to all the insane things I have mixed with it. That to me friends says this matcha is supreme!

My matcha was composed of:

Options:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Distinctive
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

As always I recommend purchasing a tin from Red Leaf Tea to keep your matcha powder in! The screw top lids make for safe keeping as well as making your powder mess free and much easier scooping! Tins are 4.00 for a small one although they have larger ones if you order the larger matcha.

The grape in this matcha is more on the candy side, like a grape skittle as someone else mentioned, or a grape hard candy, and less like a natural grape flavor although Red Leaf Tea does in fact use all natural flavors in their matcha bases, it just comes over more as a sweet treat. Nothing wrong with that though!

Again if you would like to order this matcha click the link here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/grape-matcha.html

Maca Matcha

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

This is one of the more interesting matcha I have tired from Red Leaf. I wanted to try some flavors that I had never tried before to expand my horizons and in effort to “give back” to Red Leaf by reviewing some of the matcha that was lacking any reviews – especially since they have such a generous “Free Matcha” Program which you can find here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/free-matcha/

My matcha was composed of the following:

Options:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g) which was purchased for an extra 3.00 (price is going up to 4.00 soon which is still reasonable.)
As always I recommend you get the container – the lid screws on and off which keeps your powder safe from spillage and fresh!

I find the flavor of this matcha to be very creamy, sweet, caramel like in flavor with a slight cocoa flavor as well but then there is this little bite to it that is almost fruity. I have to say this is harder to explain than the mangosteen matcha because the mangosteen was mostly fruit flavor but this one has more depth to it and is by far richer in its mouthfeel!

The green powder base flavor comes through stunningly in this flavor of matcha and its grassy, earthy, and wholesome tasting but then I take another sip and I swear I am having a milkshake!

I tired this both straight and in my typical latte form which consists of matcha mixture, ice, about a quarter cup of milk and about an eighth of a cup of vanilla creamer.

This matcha has a much thicker texture to it than other matcha from Red Leaf tea and gives you that feeling of satisfaction if you are hungry.

This is a far more green earth flavor than any of the other matcha I have tried and the base flavor really comes through nicely even with the addition of milk and cream yet the flavor of the maca itself does not seem to be lost in translation even though before this matcha I have never had maca so I am not with experience in what maca actually tastes like I am loving the flavor I am getting!

I did find some interesting information on Maca here: http://www.wholisticresearch.com/info/artshow.php3?artid=233

Don’t be afraid to branch out when it comes to the more diverse flavors Red Leaf has to offer! Expand your horizons – this one is really quite wonderful!
Again here is the link to purchase this matcha flavor:
Buy it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/maca-matcha.html

Cheesecake Matcha

Buy it here:

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

Your crazy if you don’t get some NOW as it is on sale for 11.19 – that is an insanely low price for an amazingly good matcha – both in flavor and base quality! I love Red Leaf Tea the company, their service, their dedication to customer support and involvement and their teas, especially their matcha but they offer many other wonderful teas as well.

This particular matcha tastes EXACTLY like cheesecake and not that fake cheesecake made with inferior “cheesecake” stuffing stuff you can buy pre made in the store but real cheesecake made at home from scratch or from a fine restaurant or bakery!

It is not overly sweet either which I was surprised at because I honestly was expecting something more fake tasting and overly sugary.

I was both surprised and pleased when I took my first sip and realized this was the real deal! I still am amazed that Red Leaf Tea can get such excellent flavor from all natural sources into a matcha!

This flavor melded perfectly with the green tea base giving it a beautiful slightly sweet and creamy earthy flavor! I imagine it would be insanely good in a white base as well!

Now I will admit this is not my all time favorite flavor from Red Leaf but with so many to choose from that is not shocking I mean everyone has their own personal flavor favorites and I am not the ultimate cheese cake fan, although lately I have been sipping a lot of cheesecake flavored teas and I do love a good slice of cheese cake now and then but there are other flavors for me personally I would prefer but again that is just a personal flavor favorite thing and has NO reflection on the amazingness of this matcha flavor!

You can almost taste the crumbly cheesecake crust in this as well as the taste of the filling so you do get that whole cheesecake experience.

My matcha was composed as the following:

Options:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

The tin is 4.00 extra but well worth it as it has a nice screw on lid that keeps you from spilling your matcha and makes scooping much easier than out of the bag!

I have been perfectly happy with the starter grade of matcha but there are other grades you can purchase. I drink most of my matcha in lattes so the grade is not AS important to me but I have also very much loved the Royal grade as well. Also consider the many options of base matcha Red Lead offers because they have recently expanded the selection to include Black and Red as well as a 50/50 blend of green and white!

Between the amazing flavor offerings, the many ways to make your matcha personal to your taste and the supreme customer service and support Red Leaf Tea offers you can’t go wrong!

Now if you want to get yourself some of this cheesecake matcha and get it at a steal of a deal do so as soon as possible because deals like this only last so long!

Here it is again http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

And if you are reading this after the amazing deal is over please know its still worth every penny of the full price and you should’t cheap out on yourself when selecting a matcha – you won’t be disappointed in Red Leaf matcha and I can’t say that for all matcha out there – only Red Leaf so far has put a smile on my face!

So after my happy accident with coconut matcha I decided to do the same thing with butterscotch which I LOVE and could not rate ANY higher but oh if I could I WOULD!
Leaving out any water and just sifting my matcha base powder and then adding the milk right in – whisk away – BIG froth – then adding a little sweet cream non dairy liquid creamer – whisk again – HUGE HUGE froth – OMG OMG soooooo amazing and I am telling you this is deserving of more than a 100 rating.
Im so going to make butterscotch matcha cupcakes this weekend! :)

Butterscotch Matcha

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

If you love butterscotch hard candies then this is the matcha for you! Its my new secret sinful delight! This is EXACTLY like those butterscotch hard candies from childhood!

I think if I had to pick one matcha that I would never share with others this would have to be the one. Although there are so many I have yet to try I think so far this is my favorite. I just made myself laugh though because I have said that with almost every new matcha from Red Leaf Tea I have tried. Seriously though, this is so very yummy, and sweet, and just really the one that I feel will always hit the spot for me! What is even more cool is that when I mix it in my latte concoction – which is how I usually have my matcha, the butterscotch flavor comes out even more and is not by any means hidden underneath the milk or vanilla creamer!

I always do try matcha straight before mixing it in my latte and I will say that the butterscotch flavor is stronger in the latte mixture than straight which I found interesting and odd at the same time.

My matcha was composed of the following:

Options:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

You will pay an extra 4.00 for the tin which I recommend unless you have tins of your own at home. Far easier to scoop the powder from a tin than the bag and the bag is not resealable.

I almost always go with a robust flavor, not always but most all of the time especially with dessert flavors! Sometimes with berry or citrus flavors I go with distinctive. I have yet to find a distinctive flavor however that is not excellent! I think it is because I when I want a dessert flavor I want it all out dessert like and with the lighter fruity like matcha I don’t mind a little more of the base matcha to come through. Still, even with the robust flavoring I am absolutely getting the flavor of the base matcha here! Red Leaf Teas matcha powder base is excellent!

I don’t know how Red Leaf does it but their flavors are all natural and while I certainly appreciate the health benefits to matcha I am finding I reach for it more and more simply for the flavor but I can’t deny the excellent energy boost! Its like an energy drink without all the sugar which means you don’t come down and fall on your face later in the day! This is a different kind of energy boost, one that makes you more alert and on the ball and it does not end abruptly finding yourself feeling lower than before you had the drink as energy drinks do. This trails off nicely and in a mellow fashion allowing you to ease into the afternoon or evening!

I am now drinking at least one matcha per day, after my morning black tea!

Again here is where to find the Butterscotch Matcha:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/butterscotch-matcha.html

I still can’t get over how delicious this is..

So after my cola matcha experience I had to go for another interesting flavor. Bubblegum matcha! Here is the link:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bubble-gum-matcha.html

This morning I actually got a chance to make some. Seriously the water couldn’t heat up fast enough.. This matcha tastes exactly like bubblegum. No weird flavors going on here. It’s sweet and I feel like it works well with the matcha’s natural sweetness. After the first few sips I let the rest of it cool so I could try it at a lower temperature. It would be even better iced! At the cooler temperature it brought out the bubblegum a little bit more. It was nice :]
If you are feeling adventurous or in the need of something sweet I would recommend this matcha. This one is probably my new favorite and just might become the “must have” in my matcha collection :]

So here is the link for you one more time:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bubble-gum-matcha.html

Go enjoy some bubblegum matcha! :D

Weekends always seem too short… Weeks should be four work days and three rest days!! It makes perfect sense doesn’t it?? Well, since that won’t be happening any time soon… I might as well enjoy delicious tea in the mean time!

This matcha is tasty. No doubt about it. I love that I ended my Monday with a nice frothy cup of hot blueberry matcha. 

I felt that the blueberry flavoring was stronger this time around, but it didn’t overcome the matcha flavor so it was perfect. I love how versatile matcha can be. I added a tiny bit of milk to the last few sips and I had a green tea blueberry milkshake! (except it was warm…) 

Well, a good way to start my tea week! I will need to repurchase this one soon (and I purchased a large!…) I am having a hard time deciding which Red Leaf tea Matcha flavors to try next! :) So many yummy ones to chose from!