Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Arbor Teas

Tea Description:

Matcha is a variety of Japanese green tea that is stone ground at the end of the manufacturing process, resulting in an ultra-fine tea powder that is typically whisked in hot water until a frothy consistency is reached, as in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. The resulting brew has much more body and flavor than tea brewed in a conventional fashion, with a thick, rich green taste and slight bitterness.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is one of the very best Matcha teas I’ve yet to encounter.  The color is vivid green – a very bright and beautiful green!  It whisks into a frothy, creamy liquid that stays frothy long after I finished whisking!  More often than not, a Matcha may froth up but after about 10 minutes, the froth begins to disappear.  This Matcha stayed frothy until I finished the chawan!  And the Matcha remained dispersed throughout – it didn’t begin settling at the bottom of the chawan.  It was smooth and grit-free until I finished.

The flavor is sweet and vegetal, with a buttery flavor that adds to the creamy aspect.  It is thick and satisfying.  There is a hint of bitterness that arrives about mid-sip … not a off-putting bitterness, but a savory tone that seems to rescue the palate from the sweetness of the Matcha, providing balance and a well-rounded taste.

One of the very best things about Matcha – aside from the incredible health benefits that comes from the consumption of the entire leaf – is its energizing qualities.  After a chawan of Matcha I get a huge energy boost, and it keeps me going for quite some time.

And this Matcha … is the best of the best!  I highly recommend it!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Shanti Tea

Tea Description:

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  The Tao of Tea

Tea Description:

Also known as “powdered green tea” and traditionally used in Chanoyu – the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Matcha has a special spiritual significance in Japan. It is said that a person operating within the rules of Chanoyu finds the five senses working at their fullest. Matcha is essential to Japan’s traditional art of the tea ceremony, bringing about with each cup mental concentration, emotional stability, and composure of the mind. Unlike black tea and green tea whose ingredients are infused in water and discarded, Matcha has ingredients that can be utilized fully to activate the organic functions of the human body. It is a beverage good for both the mind and the body. Matcha contains essential vitamins and minerals and has shown long term health benefits due to its many disease fighting nutrients. Matcha has 9 times the beta carotene of spinach, 4 times that of carrots, and approximately 10 times the polyphenols and antioxidants of regular teas.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Over the past few years, I’ve consumed quite a bit of Matcha.  Some is better than others, of course.  This Liquid Jade from The Tao of Tea is a good one – not the best, but certainly better than some others that I’ve tried.

What I like best about this Matcha is the flavor of it:  sweet, with very little of the bittersweet flavor that I usually detect with Matcha.  This one is sweeter.  Very pleasant and not quite as vegetative, although there is some seaweed-ish taste to it that is especially noticeable right at the finish, just before the aftertaste.  And that part is weird for me because typically, I am not fond of seaweed.  But … this I like!  Perhaps it is because the seaweed flavor is a bit sweeter than it is savory.

It coats the palate with the silky mouthfeel, and I like that it doesn’t feel chalky, nor does it taste chalky.  Instead, it tastes and feels buttery smooth.  It’s really quite delicious.

The Matcha stays suspended in the liquid and doesn’t settle to the bottom, and that’s a big plus in my book.  On the downside, there is not as much froth as I would have liked and the color is not quite as bright as I would have liked.  I would say that this is a really good, mild-tasting Matcha, and it would be good for those who are new to Matcha as well as for those who typically find Matcha to be a bit too much for them.  I find the silky smooth texture and taste of this Matcha to be much more palatable than some of the stronger Matcha teas that I’ve tasted. Overall, it is a very enjoyable Matcha.  OH… and another big plus:  it’s organic!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Red Leaf Tea

Product Description:

137 times more antioxidants than any other green tea!

Enjoy the splendor, color and intoxicating smell of Royal Matcha green tea. Let its beautiful hue and lovely scent invigorate your senses.

This really is a royal tea of green tea leaves ground by granite to make a fine powder for your enjoyment and is easily prepared. Its stone ground preparation also affords it all the nutrition it naturally possesses without compromise making it one of the highest quality teas available.

Learn more about this tea here.

Product Review:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  And what better way to ring in the new year than with a bowl of Matcha?  It will give you a power-packed punch of energy to get going on those new years resolutions!

This is an very good ceremonial grade Matcha from Red Leaf Tea. The color is a bit darker than some Matcha, it whisks up to a deep jade color.  It is thick and rich, and it has a remarkable buttery note to it that I seldom notice in Matcha.  It has some rich, chocolate-like background notes, and very little vegetative taste which I find uncommon for a Matcha as well, as the vegetal taste is usually what I notice first.  Instead, I am tasting more earthiness than vegetative taste, and a well balanced bitter-sweet flavor.

It has a slightly chalky note to it which was particularly noticeable within the first two or three sips, but, each sip after that was quite smooth and very enjoyable.  No sediment at the bottom of the bowl, which was nice to see.

Overall, a tasty Matcha.  I think that this would be a good choice for someone who is looking for a less vegetative Matcha.  This one has some really distinctive flavors that are quite interesting and enjoyable.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Red Leaf Tea

Product Description:

Have you ever heard of Gymnema Sylvestre? Well, not many people have. Gymnema is really quite a neat and interesting herb nicknamed “The Sugar Destroyer” You may wonder why it is called that and you are about to find out. Gymnema is a unique herb that assists in many sugar-related aspects of life. It does not add sugar, replace sugar or any of that. What Gymnema Sylvestre does is this:

• Regulates blood sugar levels
• Curbs your appetite for sweets things and goodies
• Helps maintain a healthy weight
• Helps maintain normal cholesterol levels

Ideal for people who have a sweet tooth, this interesting herb makes it easier to resist sugar cravings and ensure healthier life without the needs for something sugary and sweet.

We are pretty excited about this herb, so much so that we have added to our famous and high-quality Matcha Green Tea. Our Sugar Destroy Matcha not only has the many benefits of Gymnema Sylvestre, but also the many health benefits of Matcha Green Tea.

Taster’s Review: 

Interesting!  I had never heard of Gymnema Sylvestre before trying this Matcha, but now that I’ve learned a little bit about it, it really has me excited.   Since I do have a sweet tooth (I actually believe I have more than one in there) and find myself actually craving sweets sometimes, I think that I could definitely benefit from this herb.

My sweet tooth seems to have control over me sometimes, and I like the idea of being able to control it.  That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy sweet things now and again, but I’d like to be able to decide when that will be, and not have my sweet tooth making all those decisions.

And Red Leaf Tea has given me a really tasty way to calm my sweet cravings with this Matcha.  I can taste the expected Matcha notes, that bittersweet vegetative flavor; and it has that creamy, thick texture that I’d expect from a high quality Matcha.  Not quite as frothy as some Matcha teas … it foams up nicely but I noticed that the foam faded rather quickly after whisking.

At first, I don’t actually taste the Gymnema Sylvestre … or at least, I don’t think I taste it.  That is to say, I’m not tasting something in addition to the flavor of Matcha.  There isn’t some weird or unusual taste that I don’t recognize here (the way I probably would if there were stevia in this product, for example).  As I near the bottom of my chawan, though, I notice a more distinct herbal-y kind of flavor.  Not off-putting, but definitely different from pure Matcha.

That being said, the Gymnema Sylvestre does alter the taste of the Matcha.  I am finding this Matcha to lack the high notes of a typical Matcha, making this a little less bitter, and not quite as grassy as I would normally experience from a bowl of Matcha.  It is still sweet, vegetative and with hints of bitterness … it is just that the strong grassy taste and bitter tones are not as distinctive as they might be in a bowl of Matcha without the Gymnema Sylvestre.   It is as if the Gymnema Sylvestre offset those high notes a bit, giving this Matcha a somewhat smoother, more even-tempered kind of flavor.

A really enjoyable and (of course) healthy Matcha – with an added bonus!  I like it!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Red Leaf Tea

Product Description:

Usually when you hear the word Matcha, you automatically think about Green Tea. Well, we have put a spin on the Matcha name and technique with our White Matcha. White Matcha is made in exactly the same way as regular Green Tea Matcha is made: stone ground to a fine powder. But we have done it with White Tea. Why would we offer you a White Matcha? For people who like Matcha Tea in its original form as a Green Tea, you know how flavorful and pure it is. We want to give that to all tea lovers. Whether you like Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea or any other kind of tea, we want you to experience the Matcha in different flavors.

Taster’s Review:

I was a little hesitant to try this White Matcha.  I love green Matcha and even Black and Red Matcha, but, I have tried a white Matcha in the past, and it was a bit too bitter for my liking, and I worried I might experience that same bitterness with this Matcha.

But this is delightful!  It has many of the qualities I’ve come to expect from green Matcha; it is creamy and rich, smooth and frothy.  But this boasts an incredibly light flavor.  Fresh and SWEET.  Like the same delicate sweetness that I’ve come to expect from a good Silver Needle or Bai Mu Dan… only this is intensified because it’s Matcha.

This has a light vegetative taste – not at all like the vegetal taste you’d get from green Matcha (not saying that vegetative taste is bad, just that it is stronger in green Matcha than in this White Matcha).  It also possesses some nutty tones that I don’t usually experience with white tea because of their delicate nature.  It has an incredibly clean taste – like the taste of cool mountain air in the springtime after a early morning rain.

This Matcha manages to bring forth all the delicious flavor of a white tea – but without the wispy, delicate quality of a white tea.  I am loving this!

And… as I sit here, contemplating this White Matcha as well as the other NUMEROUS varieties of Matcha offered by Red Leaf Tea … my mind wanders to their vast Earl Grey collection … and I can’t help but wonder if they might somehow merge these two things and create an Earl Grey flavored Black Matcha.  It’s just a thought.  Just a thought…

Tea Review:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Shanti Tea

Product Description:

Matcha tea is kind of like a super-powered green tea—since you’re ingesting the whole leaf instead of just the brewed beverage, you get up to ten times the antioxidant effect and nutritional value of your standard green. Matcha’s rich in antioxidants, as well as chlorophyll and fiber, and has been found to have natural mood enhancing effects. All in all, matcha’s got no match when it comes to healthy teas.

Taster’s Review:

Just like in my review of Shanti Tea’s Cinnamon Matcha, even though this is labeled as “Cocoa Matcha Latte,” I am choosing not to do this as a “Product Review” as I would with most Latte mixes, because the only ingredients to this blend are Matcha green tea powder and cacao powder.  Since it doesn’t contain dry milk, sweeteners or other “latte” like ingredients, I consider this to be more of a flavored Matcha than a latte mix.

After sifting this flavored Matcha, I noticed that the Matcha green tea powder and the cacao powder separated.  Interesting.  My only explanation (read:  guess) for that is that each powder is a different weight and/or size and they separate while sifting.  Perhaps someone with a more scientific brain might know the answer.  I’m an artist, not a scientist.

This whisks up smooth and lightly frothy… a little light on the froth, but that’s OK.  The first thought that came to my head when I took my first sip of this Matcha latte?  Ovaltine.  This doesn’t have that “hot chocolate-y” kind of flavor that I might have expected.  It definitely tastes more like Ovaltine to me, but I am finding it quite delicious, regardless.

It tastes very rich and chocolate-y and the texture is very creamy.  There is a slight chalkiness to this, but it is more like that “powdery” sensation you might experience from tasting cocoa powder than the chalkiness you might experience from Matcha.  I do recommend sweetening this just a little (I added the tiniest sprinkling of sugar) as the cocoa is an unsweetened, bittersweet cocoa and when combined with the slightly bitter taste of the matcha, I found myself wanting more of a sweet chocolate taste.

I used a  1:1 ratio of hot water and steamed milk to make my latte, and it turned out absolutely wonderful.  Sweet and rich with chocolate-y flavor, but without overwhelming the sweet, vegetative Matcha notes.  I notice the Matcha flavor more towards the end of the sip and moving into the aftertaste, with the chocolate-y tones presenting themselves more towards the start.  It is creamy and very satisfying, and it even satisfies a chocolate craving (yay!)

YUM!

Where to Buy:  Tea Forté

Product Description:

Slimming matcha, with a tingle of cinnamon
to aid in keeping you fit and feeling fab.

Ingredients:  sorbitol, xylitol, organic matcha green tea, Fair Trade Certified™ organic white tea, natural flavors, calcium stearate

Taster’s Review:

Like the Ginger Pear (Regroup) Minteas that I tasted and reviewed previously, I’m liking these Matcha Chai Minteas.  They remind me a bit of a cinnamon mint with an invigorating burst of cinnamon flavor that is somewhat reminiscent of “Big Red” chewing gum (do they still even make that?  I can’t recall seeing it for a long time … but then, I haven’t really been looking.)

Unless I’m really focusing on the flavors, I don’t discern much of a Matcha flavor or a white tea flavor in these, nor do I notice many other chai-like flavors other than a strong, spicy cinnamon note.  The flavors are there, they are just less noticeable than the cinnamon.  The other flavors become much more apparent after I’ve allowed the Mintea to dissolve for a few minutes on my tongue, and then bite into the undissolved portion.  Then I can really notice more of the chai flavors as well as the Matcha.  Yum!

However, what I’m enjoying most about these is not only the flavors but also the texture of them (they remind me of my gramma’s Certs that she used to keep in her purse whenever the grandkids wanted some “candy”).  They have a strong, slick surface that once dissolved slightly feels a little less slick, but still very fine and a bit like granular powder.  Once I bite into one, it becomes a smooth, powdery candy-like texture (but not a sugary texture).  And despite the candy-like texture of these, I like that they don’t taste too sweet.  There is a mild sweetness to them which keeps them palatable, but it never becomes cloying or sickly sweet.

As for the fitness/slimming aspect, I think I would need to have more of these on a regular basis before I actually noticed “Results.”  However, these are tasty enough that I certainly wouldn’t mind keeping these on hand and enjoying them on a regular basis… whenever I need something tasty to help freshen the breath and cleanse the palate.  Plus the tin is pretty cute too.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Red Leaf Tea

Product Description:

Our Black Matcha Tea powder consists of Black Tea leaves stone ground just like original Matcha. We have left all the original flavor and healthful qualities of Black Tea for you to enjoy without compromising the value and purity of it.

Read more about Red Leaf Tea’s Black Matcha here.

Taster’s Review:

Wowza!  Are you ready for a tea that will really SUPER START your day?  Have I got the tea for you.

This looks just like Matcha, except that instead of bright green, it is more of a dark brown color … it looks a bit like very finely ground cinnamon.  But don’t smell it while it’s dry (like you might do with cinnamon), otherwise the tea will be dispersed EVERYWHERE:  all over the kitchen counter, the floor, the air, and even up your nostrils.  Trust me when I say it’s not pleasant to have tea powder up your nose.  Want to guess how I know that?

I’ve tasted this particular Black Matcha twice now, once straight up (simply whisked with hot water and no additions), and once as a latte, steaming a little bit of 1% milk and whisking that in, using a ratio of about 2 parts hot water to 1 part steamed milk.  I enjoyed this Matcha both times, but, I think I prefer it as a latte.  It becomes so creamy and delicious!  It had the full, robust flavor of black tea (and then some!) PLUS the rich, creamy smoothness and texture of a hot chocolate.  Incredibly satisfying, and quite stimulating too.

The flavor of this Black Matcha is incredibly rich and bold, and it has that malty, baked-bread kind of flavor in the background which plays very nicely to the delicious caramel-y sweetness of the tea.  Slightly smoky and a slight earthy tone with a note of bitterness that contrasts with the aforementioned sweetness.  (To soften the bitterness even more, I suggest serving this in latte form as previously described, as I didn’t notice any bitterness to the latte)

I think this is the perfect tea to start off the day, especially if you’re one of those people who generally do not find much time for a hearty breakfast.  This has a very hearty, satisfying flavor and texture that will motivate you even on the most sluggish of mornings!

This is AWESOME!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:  Shanti Tea

Product Description:

Matcha tea is kind of like a super-powered green tea—since you’re ingesting the whole leaf instead of just the brewed beverage, you get up to ten times the antioxidant effect and nutritional value of your standard green. Matcha’s rich in antioxidants, as well as chlorophyll and fiber, and has been found to have natural mood enhancing effects. All in all, matcha’s got no match when it comes to healthy teas.

Taster’s Review:

Although they call this a “Cinnamon Matcha Latte” on the website, I am not doing this as a product review like I would do for most latte mixes, because this really only contains matcha and cinnamon, and it can be easily enjoyed as a flavored matcha or a latte, depending upon the drinker’s preference.

I happened to make this as a latte, using half hot water and half steamed milk.  The result is a yummy chawan full of cinnamon-ed Matcha goodness that reminds me a little bit of horchata.

Even though the photo above shows a green-colored powder, the color of this dry powder is brown – looking just like the ground cinnamon you might buy in the spice aisle of your supermarket.  It whisks up to a brownish-green, thick, creamy liquid with a light froth on top.  This doesn’t whisk up to be quite as frothy as some Matcha, but, it is still pleasantly foamy and rich.

The cinnamon in this offsets that slightly bitter taste of the Matcha very nicely, making a pleasantly sweet, warmly spiced treat that is neither too spicy nor too sweet.   It is a satisfying matcha that really energized me!  (Although I don’t want to clean the garage or anything, despite the extra energy)

If you like a sweeter latte, try adding a little bit of turbinado sugar and it becomes a cinnamon toast latte!  Seriously YUMMY!