Matcha Outlet

YUM! This is absolutely delicious. Some of the other chocolate Matcha teas I’ve had have come off tasting a bit like ovaltine. That’s not a bad thing, as I like Ovaltine just fine, but, I like that this actually tastes like chocolate! The best way I can describe this is a combination of Matcha and a thinned sipping chocolate. Very yummy.

I bought this tea (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bee-pollen-matcha.html) because when summer rolls around, I am a little puddle of miserable. Seriously, my allergies attack with everything they’ve got and there are days where I simply cannot go outside. Last summer, I discovered green tea seemed to help with some of the symptoms, as did local honey. So when I spotted Bee Pollen Matcha, I had to try it, if only to keep on hand for when I make smoothies all summer. Mmmm smoothies. A little frozen fruit, a splash of tea, and I am in heaven. This is why I bought a blender!

This is most likely a case of mind over matter, but the first few sips of this tasted like honey to me. I don’t know if it actually does, it’s not overwhelmingly sweet, but it tastes a touch like honey. Kind of like how Honeybee from DavidsTea tastes like…well, how you imagine a bee would taste. All bzzzz and the like. But it is sweet enough and flavorful enough that while I was drinking it at work, I kept reaching for it. I tend to place my travel mug on the corner of the desk and forget it’s there until I lose my voice.

This matcha is also a good addition to my smoothies, since it provides calcium and protein. As someone on a dairy-free diet, the ability to get calcium in my tea is very important to me. A friend of mine says that “drinking tea for the health benefits is like having sex for the exercise,” but after a summer of allergies made manageable by local honey and green tea, I’m a believer. Do I think tea is going to magically make me skinner? No. Damn it. But I do firmly believe that teas like this matcha can help with things like allergies and vitamin deficiencies. If nothing else, this tea keeps me away from carbonated drinks like Coke and Dr. Pepper….mmm, Dr. Pepper. It also helps me cut back on sugary fruit juices and heart attack causing energy drinks. Matcha is all I need to get that rush to help me make it through my day. And this particular matcha is a tasty, tasty option. I love it! A sweet green tea that makes you feel like you’re drinking something that will give you superpowers? That also helps you get your vitamins and bounce around your office like you just had a large can of Red Bull? Sign me up!

I just plain love Red Leaf Tea for their bundling options. 30 grams of this matcha, Goji Berry (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/goji-berry-matcha.html), is 15.99. However, if you bump it up to large (60 g), it’s only 8 dollars more (23.99) for twice the matcha! Love. So much love. It makes it really easy to just buy a sample and then get a great deal on the ones you love.

I took this one to work with me today and it just about saved my life. It gave me the much-needed energy to deal with with busiest doctor in our practice. It was light and sweet and painfully refreshing. I had some while it was hot, but by the time I was able to find time for finish my thermos-full, it was cold. Even better! My thermos is vaccum-sealed, so I carefully shook it to mix it up again and downed the rest…oh yes. This will definitely be an amazing addition to my summer smoothies. Never mind that it snowed today. Anyway, the berryness of this was just right, not overly sweet or fake, just amazingly delicious. I’m only familiar with goji berries in tea, but this is the best goji flavored tea I’ve ever had. To be honest, I kept taking sips and being surprised by how good it was. I have the memory span of a goldfish, so it was like I given a gift of amazing tea every time I took a sip. If you’re a berry fan who isn’t really into strong greens, this might be the tea to get you into matcha. It wasn’t overwhelmingly bitter like some matchas can be, it was just a smooth, tasty sip for a long workshift.

I am very impressed with their matcha, I have to say. My wife recently bought me a matcha whisk (so much easier!), but I was making it with a regular whisk in a cereal bowl and I have yet to encounter a clump. Like someone else said about their matchas, it’s not flavoring added to cover an inferior product. I really like, though, that you can choose which grade of matcha you get. I’m a matcha newbie, the cheapest grade is fine with me, but for those with more refined tastes, you can have Imperial grade matcha that tastes like goji berries!

You can also choose the level of flavoring! Gah! It’s like the choose your own adventure book of the matcha world. I see these matchas becoming a very big addiction for me. I’ll just be sitting in the corner with 100 tins of matcha labelled “Delicate Vanilla” “Robust Cinnamon” “’There’s Matcha in This??? Goji”. I would never sleep again because of all the matcha I was drinking, but hey, you gotta make some sacrifices, right?

With all the tasty flavored ones, I haven’t been using this one. But I figured it would be good in a smoothie. I forgot I bought strawberries, so in they went along with some frozen mango and pineapple, and coconut milk to smooth things out, along with a big scoop of this matcha.

I’ve been mixing up the flavored ones in smoothies lately but it gets too be too many different fruits haha. Oddly I can’t taste much of the matcha in this compared to the ones where I used like peach and orange together. And I used the same amount of matcha. Of course I’ve also had it for a really long time at this point, since March, but it’s been in an airtight jar kept in a drawer.

I think I can taste it, it just makes it taste sort of flat. Like it’s pulled from the sweetness. I’ve never understood adding sugar to smoothies because what is fruit, but this one I almost feel like I should.

Guess I’ll stick with crazy blackberry-raspberry-cherry-pineapple-banana with orange and peach matcha smoothies?

This one I’m gonna relegate to baked goods already. I keep telling myself I’m gonna bake with matcha and I don’t do it. Well if this one is less tasty in drinks then it’s time to do it!

So after the first iced matcha latte I made, I made another…and made myself sick to my stomach so I had to negate so much matcha with pizza. Except I so rarely get pizza and usually make them bring me it, so I got lost trying to find the pizza place I ended up in some way rich neighborhood and then I didn’t want matcha anymore.

Finally today I feel it is okay to go back to the matcha since I got enough nachos for 3 people at lunch and won’t have to go outside again. I added some sweetener, but it wasn’t enough. I don’t think I would really like this sweeter unless it came from the matcha itself.

Also I had no idea last week I think that Starbucks has green tea lattes so I tried one and it failed in comparison to using this stuff. Not surprising but I wanted to at least compare with the most readily available version I could get around here.

I will not drink another one when I finish this off. I will not.

So I’ve been wanting matcha for awhile, and didn’t really want to spend too much on it. I’d only had it before at a Japanese tea ceremony, and I thought it’d be worth trying again.

When I couldn’t find a modestly price matcha at an international market, I figured $14 and change for 30g shipped to me wasn’t going to hurt.

I don’t have the proper tools but you know what, an immersion blender does a fine job too. After using it to whisk the matcha up nicely, I added about 4 oz of coconut milk and poured it over ice.

It’s not bright green like your typical matcha, but a rather precious pastel olive green.

It was a bit chalky at first, but I ended up pouring it into another glass and now it’s perfect. The thickness gives it a really rich taste. It’s not too sweet, which I’d figure for its price point. It’s a touch bitter, but I think the usual green, vegetal flavors tone it down a lot. I used water that was probably around 180 degrees so maybe I’d go even lower next time.

Not bad! I’ll give it a try by itself later, considering half the glass has me feeling rather reinvigorated right now.

Backlogging a bit here:

First off thanks to aisling of tea whose review piqued my interest enough to pursue this tea! :)

The idea of a flavored matcha did boggle me at first. Accustomed to the lively, fresh vegetation taste of traditional matchas I was worried what flavoring might do to something already so close to perfection!

My concerns were unnecessary, it would appear because this stuff is delicious!! It’s still quality matcha at it’s base, so there’s no attempts at adding flavoring to mask an inferior tea here. It’s delicious!! And as I was unfamiliar with Madagascar Vanilla as well I’m going to have to borrow from aisling of tea here and agree that it does have a full, decadent richness about it similar to french vanilla. It’s easy to see such a succulent treat coming from the wild and windy, rainy island.

Even better still is Red Leaf’s system. Rarely in tea pursuits does the tea drinker have so much control over the cup they’re about to enjoy. Variation in blends and batches are bound to deeply affect the range of flavors from steep to steep. But fret no more! Red leaf puts the power back in your hands! You get to choose not only the flavor of the matcha itself, but from a selection of the base matcha’s quality, the flavor potency, and storage options. It’s your perfect matcha in your ideal world.

Try this delicious tea here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html

Or choose from pretty much any other flavor + matcha combination under the sun at their website.

All in all, a wonderful treat to start the day or to pick you up halfway through!!

(posting this for both teas as I feel EVERYONE should know about it!)

I’m sure you’re all waiting on pins and needles for me to try the Shamrock Shake wannabe I’ve been talking about for ages XD. Well, I did it this morning with the following recipe:

1/4 t Mint Matcha
1/2 t Madagascar Vanilla Matcha
2 oz hot (but not boiling) water
4 oz vanilla soy milk
2 t of sugar because I like overkill

So I dumped the matcha and sugar into a Perfect Mug from Davids and whisked in the water with my handheld milk frother. I added the milk to the mix and…

OH

MY

BOB.

There are not words. Seriously, all I can say is that if you are a vanilla mint fan, buy these two matchas and get to mixing. Now. I’ll wait.

You ready? Awesome. It’s creamy, it’s sweet, it’s minty without being harsh, it’s creamy without being too sweet, it is heaven in a mug. Heaven.

Bumping my rating to the ceiling for this glorious mix.

In preparation of a day spent running about with Miss Red Rose (TinaS), I made us a pair of matcha lattes. I dumped some matcha into the blender, added some super strong spearmint tea and cold soy milk and there we go! A super tasty (dairy free) vanilla mint matcha latte! So much love. So very tasty. Send my energy level through the roof! (poor Tina)

Added a few drops of Irish Creme agave to my matcha this morning, mmmm what a treat. I have to stop reaching for this one every morning, or I won’t have any left to blend with the ones I just ordered last night (with a $70 gift certificate for writing three reviews! If you’ve ordered from them, it’s really easy to get the free matcha promotion!)

In other news, I made a cup of this for my wife last night and she didn’t care for it, so there was half a mug sitting on the windowsill. We just caught Pekoe (our kitty) drinking it by dipping her paw into the mix and licking it clean. She did this several times before we could get it away from her, so at least she likes it!

Had a cuppa yesterday morning to try and wake up before work and because I was making a cup for Tina, so I may as well indulge.

I love this tea so much. Seriously, if you like matcha, try this one. It’s beyond amazing.

So I posted a review of this tea on my blog because Steepster doesn’t allow “dofollow” links. Regardless, I am in love with this tea! Read more about it here, where I get painfully Southern! http://wp.me/p1GKE7-3r

Yum yum yum. So I am trying (and often failing) to live a dairy free lifestyle, as dairy wreaks havoc on my system. But around this time of year, a mystical drink is brought out from shrouds of mystery…the Shamrock Shake. Long have I loved and adored this drink, my mother a huge fan of the creamy green goodness. We’re Scot-Irish, for heaven’s sake, it’s practically in our blood!

But after a few months of at least lessening the amount of dairy that enters my body, I know I cannot handle a milkshake, much less one of the ones from McDonalds. So my wife has been drinking them in secret, coming home with green lips and a minty fresh smile….the harlot!

But then I had a cup of this matcha. The vanilla-ness is right on, creamy, smooth and perfect. Intrigued, I dumped a scoop or two of it in with some soymilk and peppermint extract…oh my goodness. Shamrock Shake, I have missed you. It needs a bit of tweaking, I think I need the mint matcha from Red Leaf Teas to make this complete, the peppermint is too biting. And perhaps vanilla soy milk instead of unflavored…but yes. My quest for a Shamrock Shake has begun and it can only end in happy, happy tears! The matcha gives it the lovely green color and an added burst of energy as I spend my day researching and cooking a mass of dairy free soups. I am very impressed with Red Leaf Teas and their flavored matchas, and look forward to trying more! But I suspect vanilla will be a longstanding favorite.

Traveled for work again. This time I had different colleagues and the trip was much better. Much longer flight though. It’s a trade-off I guess.

I brought only this tea with me. Matcha is so easy. You just stir it into whatever water you have, be it hot or cold. Most of the time, I just added a some into my water bottle and shook the heck out of it. Frothy and delicious. I would have liked it better hot, but it’s still tea. Can’t complain. :) I also love the color of matcha. It’s such a lovely green. It makes you feel positively healthy. :)

I’m kind of a matcha noob, mostly because matcha is so expensive, but Red Leaf seems to have matcha at good prices. I’ve only had maybe two different matchas in my life so this Starter matcha is perfect for me. It’s kind of like how California Rolls are a perfect starter sushi. It’s pleasant and mild and hard to dislike. There’s better stuff out there, sure, but you want to get acquainted with what it is before you get too adventurous.
Anyway, even lacking the traditional matcha utensils, I think I still made a pretty good cup with a mug and a fork. I made it pretty thick at first, thinking I could water it down to suit my taste if necessary. It started out thick and foamy. Decadent! I took a sip of it in this thickened state and it was a bit too strong and bitter, so I added some water. The foam died down considerably. It’s got a nice creamy consistency even if it is thinner. There’s also a bit of chalkiness, but it’s not unpleasant. It’s a nice dark olive green. Very pretty. The taste is not too exciting, to be honest. It’s just green and mild. It’s got none of that sweetness or even oceanic flavor some matchas seem to have. It’s also a tad more bitter and the teeniest astringent than some other matchas I’ve had.
I suspect this would make a really good candidate for lattes since you don’t have to worry about hiding delicate nuances of flavor. It’s just a nice green creamy drink. This would probably also be good in a banana and almond milk smoothie. Or pancakes. nummy. In fact, this matcha reminds me a bit of Starbucks’ green tea lattes. Of course, their green tea lattes are only barely matcha tasting since they’re conserving the expensive powder, so having control over your own proportions is extremely awesome.
Overall, this is a pretty good matcha for the price. This is the lowest quality matcha they sell so I’m thinking it only gets better if you buy the other kinds. I can’t wait to try the royal matcha or vanilla matcha. While this particular matcha might be better used as a flavoring or a latte, I’ll bet the other ones are good for just drinking straight.
Also, wow, the caffeine kick is instant! I’m half done with my mug and I need to stop. Gonna heat up some milk and make a latte for the husband. :)

Later: The latte was well received!

You find this matcha here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/starter-matcha.html

This is a very rich, thick Matcha, as is to be expected from a Ceremonial grade. I agree with TeaEqualsBliss (thanks for sending me some of this, by the way!), this does have a buttery aspect to it that I don’t often experience with other Matcha.

Bittersweet and delicious. I wish it was a little less chalky, which is noticeable in the first couple of sips particularly but after those first couple of sips, it becomes quite smooth and very enjoyable.

Looking for a boost (gotta go make cookies!) and I’m thinking that this is just what I needed!

I held off on trying this one until I was brave and since I was feeling squirrelly (Did you see my previous post? I’m giving away tea!) I thought I would belly-up to the matcha bar and try it today!

Pu-erh matcha. Ok. Here-goes!

The matcha powder looks just like cocoa-powder. It doesn’t have a heavy aroma like I thought it would which is fine. I only just one scoop of this powder for my first go around and really – I think that is all I needed!

Once I added water – it didn’t foam or bubble like other matchas but I’m not basing my opinions on that. The liquid is the darkest-of-dark, tho, much like a tar-black in color.

The aroma is a subtle pu-erh scent. Thankfully.

The taste is silky and velvety and very strong considering the amount (or lack there of) I added to the water or the water I added to the powder depending on which way you look at it – I guess.

But the actual TASTE is rather nice. I like this one much more than I anticipated! And chalk-full of B Vitamins, Calcium, and folic acid – that’s always a PLUS.

Nice!

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this Matcha.

This is very interesting. I had never heard of Gymnema Sylvestre, but if it helps to keep that sweet tooth under control, then I am definitely excited about this herb.

This is a delicious Matcha, but it is a little different. It isn’t as foamy or frothy as some Matcha, it foams up after whisking, but it disappears rather quickly. The flavor is a bit more even than a typical Matcha. That is to say, it isn’t as distinctly grassy or bitter as a typical bowl of Matcha. It is more of an even-tempered flavor with fewer high notes. The sweet, vegetative and even bitter tones are still there, just not quite as distinct as they would normally be with a typical chawan full of Matcha.

As I near the end of my chawan of this Matcha, I notice more of a herbal-y kind of flavor. It isn’t off-putting, just definitely different from the normal Matcha flavors.

A very enjoyable, albeit different, bowl of Matcha!

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this Matcha!

Yeah… it’s probably a bit too late to be sipping on Matcha. But… I thought… hey maybe I’ll be alright with it since its WHITE Matcha. But, I’m already feeling myself getting that burst of GO.

This is really good. I’ve tried a couple of white Matcha teas in the past, but this one is definitely the best that I’ve tried. The others all had the same problem … they tasted too bitter… but this one is delightful. It has a pleasant sweetness and really no bitterness to speak of. Smooth and creamy and rich. YUMMMMM!

As promised, I am trying this today as a latte. I steamed a little bit of milk and used a little less water to make up for the additional liquid. The result: really nice. REALLY nice. So rich and creamy.

It’s really hard to describe this … it’s like black tea, but, not just stronger, but, thicker. Imagine black tea with the thick consistency of a smooth hot chocolate. It’s incredibly smooth and so very delicious. The black tea is robust and flavorful, slightly sweet with notes of deep cocoa. The latte just sends this over the top. I enjoy it straight without the milk, but with the milk, it becomes an amazingly comforting drink that is also quite stimulating.

AWESOME.

Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me this Matcha.

My first sip was a bit of a “shock” I think mostly because my taste buds are somewhat programmed to expect green matcha when I sip from my chawan… and this is like SURPRISE! It’s a nice surprise though. It is very bold and rich.

I think I am going to try this tomorrow as a latte before I rate it numerically.

I’m addicted to matcha lattes, and Strawberry Matcha from Red Leaf is one tasty matcha with which to make a latte! It’s amazing how good a quality matcha frothed with a little warm almond milk and a bit of agave can taste.

Initially I couldn’t really taste much of a strawberry-y flavor, but as my latte cooled the strawberry flavor began to develop. This matcha has a really delicate, fresh, natural, strawberry essence that makes for such a treat. The only downside to Red Leaf Strawberry Matcha is the crazy high price. Matchas are known to be pricey but this one is $19.00 for a 30-gram bag. I suspect drugs may be cheaper. I don’t know what kind of drugs, just drugs man.

This marks the second white matcha that has graced my miso soup bowl. Red Leaf’s smelled like…well…white tea – mildly nutty but floral. As for flavor, there really isn’t much to say beyond a simple word, “Awesome.” It was smooth from the start, never presenting a vegetal kick-back like some regular matchas do.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/05/18/review-red-leaf-tea-white-matcha-%E2%80%93-organic/