Never again will I be able to even look at a ‘premium’ or ‘culinary’ grade without a bit of disdain. Without even tasting it I get a perfect sense of how amazing this experience will be simply from the color. Then we bring in the aroma and suddenly I have been transported away. An ethereal encounter. It’s sweet. The sweetest vegetation possible, mixed with soft vegetal notes. Even the sensation of touch is exquisite. Unequivocally soft. The dry matcha flavor is mind-blowing. I honestly thought I had tried good matcha before. And I haven’t even begun to make it. The liquid froths up nicely. Though I admit my frothing skills are less than stellar. A gorgeous emerald color. There is a very interesting yin-yang situation going on in my mouth every time I sip. Calming yet activating. Smooth yet moderately bitter but not in a bad way. Grassy and vegetal. I might just have to lick the bowl when I’m through. . . .
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Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: kettl
Description: A single cultivar 100% Gokou matcha from Shirakawa, Uji. This is a wonderful chance to try unblended Gokou Matcha – made from one of Uji’s most celebrated local culitvars. Gokou has an intoxicating aroma with a balanced, full bodied finish. Made by a true living legend.
What is so special about this tea? This matcha hails from unarguably the most revered tencha garden in all of Uji – The gardens of Mr. Kiyoharu Tsuji. Gokou is one of the more uniquely fragranced Matcha from Tsuji san with a notable Gyokuro like “shaded aroma” quality. Tsuji san has mastered the production of a handful of cultivars – Gokou among them. With more #1 showings at Japan’s all national tea fair, it is safe to say his name is etched in the history of Uji tea production. His teas exude a notable power from intensive garden management and fertilization as well as the deep red clay soil of Shirakawa. The L-Theanine and amino acid levels of his teas are some of the highest recorded – and this comes through on the palate. We recommend using slightly cooler water to bring out that umami.
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Yame Ceremonial Blend Matcha/Naoki Matcha -CuppaGeek-
Matcha, oh I love thee but how I have been disappointed in thee. Matcha is one of those teas that you really get what you pay for. If you pick up a cheaper priced matcha on say Amazon or in the grocery store, chances are you are going to get a matcha that you are not going to enjoy. I know. because I’ve done it. Those matchas aren’t bad in a pinch but once you’ve had the good stuff, you really crave that matcha from that moment on.
That is exactly what happened when I first enjoyed Yame Ceremonial Matcha from Naoki Matcha. I knew that I would only have the matcha for a short amount of time since I was sending the delight off to another one of the SororiTea Sisters to check out. So I took out my lovely whisk, my favorite bowl to whisk up some matcha in and went to work whisking and frothing up almond milk to add in at a later time.
I was in for a treat! This matcha is delicious and on point. Lovely notes of sweetness mingle beautifully with a hint of floral here or there along with a richness that I devoured. I really can’t say that I’ve ever picked up on floral notes in matchas I’ve enjoyed in the past so that was a unique experience. Beyond the floral notes, the smoothness that this matcha offers is just so alluring along with a touch of a buttery finish.
All in all, just lovely. Once I added in a dollop of frothed almond milk, I had myself a treat that almost seemed to good to be true for a matcha I whipped up at home that was unflavored without any additions beyond the dab of milk. Spot on, one of my favorite matchas that I’ve had in some time and I plan on picking up more once my current matcha supply runs low.
What is even better is that the matcha seemed to be a finer powder than I usually use and whisking up the matcha took no time. Highly recommend this one and a great matcha that is worth the price.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Naoki Matcha
Description
his blend won a Silver Award in a National Tea Competition. It has a naturally sweet taste with floral notes.
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misaki / Matchaeologist
This is the top tier of matcha for Matchaeologist. I was impressed with matsu save for the color, so my expectations for this one are definitely higher. So let’s begin!
First the color. Gorgeous! Just what I was hoping. That luscious emerald/jade green. Slightly chocolatey aroma. Very soft to the touch. Likewise with the liquid, a serene green appearance. Wish it was accented with a lovely froth but that is something I find hard to do.
As I poured in more water a unique marine aroma drifted up to my nose. Wish I could explain it but it was gone so quickly. Silky mouth feel. That slightly marine flavor came back again; it’s almost fishy in flavor but it comes and goes so quickly. Do not worry though as strange as it is I’ve only had the sensation a few times in the many sips I’ve taken. Maybe it’s me?
Regardless, if you like umami this has a wonderful umami undertone to it. Slightly grassy , no astringency.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Matchaeologist
Description:
This crème de la crème ceremonial-grade matcha brews an exquisite, buttery-sweet broth of chlorophyll elixir with rich and malty roasted aromas
The crown jewel of our artisan-roasted matcha, Misaki™ uses only the topmost leaves of shade-grown tea trees nurtured for over 30 years before harvest, boasting the sweetest and most luscious taste profile in our range. The captivating aromas of pure umami and roasted caramel can be experienced upon brewing. Packed full of L-theanine and immunity-boosting antioxidants, this rich ambrosia can also be prepared in ‘koicha’ (thick) consistency that can launch you into a transcendent state of alpha-wave nirvana
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Super Premium Matcha Tea/Kenko Tea. . .
Matcha. . .another variety of tea that I don’t seem to find myself enjoying enough of. Being the huge green tea fan, you’d like I’d drink matcha regularly but I always seem to forget about it. Recently I finally gave myself the pep talk of this is the year I’m going to get into shape and be healthier. As it stands right now, I’m not unhealthy but I could be in way better shape and take better care of myself.
One of the first changes I’ve recently made is to cut back my coffee intake. I LOVE my coffee. Especially in the morning with some steamed almond milk. . .just puts me in the right frame of mind to take on my hectic days. Today instead of reaching for that next cup of joe, I went for a matcha latte instead and that was absolutely the right call for the day.
Kenko Tea offers a Super Premium Matcha Tea that became my co-pilot for the morning. I whisked up the matcha and sat myself down to enjoy. And enjoy I did. The matcha provided a sweet and vegetal note all at the same time that I instantly fell in love with. I didn’t add in any kind of cream or sweetners. Just delicious bright matcha.
And I will be perfectly honest, I did find myself to have more energy during the day today and I didn’t find myself reaching for a lot of snacks. But again, I’ve been working on my eating habits and trying to lose some weight so the matcha really just fit well into my efforts.
After I got back from the office today, I actually ended up making myself another cup. Same as with the first cup, I was not disappointed with how the matcha whisked up (quite easily) and delivered a wonderful flavor. . . delicious. The flavors actually reminded me of spring which is perfect since today was the first day of spring!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Kenko Tea
Description
One month supply of Kenko’s Premium Ceremonial Grade Japanese matcha green tea powder.
Our premium ceremonial matcha tea is a high-quality matcha made for daily consumption. This ceremonial grade tea is an intense jade green powder with a delicate sweetness, grassy overtones, and very light astringency. It whisks to produce a creamy froth, and is ideal for a morning energy lift or a calming afternoon treat.
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Organic Matcha from Kiss Me Organics. . .
I’ve always had an affinity for matcha, but in recent months, I’ve become a bit obsessed. Like many of my tea-loving sisters, I stash the hot brews away for the summer as soon as it starts to warm up, but there’s still a part of me that longs for a tasty, un-iced cuppa from time to time. Black teas seem too heavy for this distinction in the summer, but fresh and vegetal matcha hits the perfect notes.
I’m not enough of a matcha expert to really be able to tell the finest distinctions between brands, but I can vouch that this one is right up there with some of my favorites: finely milled, fresh, bright and vegetal taste, and blends beautifully into my drink of choice (either straight in water, as a latte, or if I’m feeling really fun– iced!). A bonus– it’s organic! If this is something that’s important to you like it is to me, this is a great choice. If you’re looking for a matcha powder that hits all the right notes and won’t let you (erm– or your cup) down, this is a solid choice.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Kiss Me Organics
Description
Our Japanese-grown, 100% certified organic, Culinary Grade Matcha powder contains 137x the antioxidants of brewed green tea. Matcha is a potent antioxidant and consuming it can increase thermogenesis (the rate at which our body burns calories) by 30 to 50%. Our green tea powder contains a potent amino acid, L-Theanine, that helps reduce stress while providing a steady energy boost (for up to 6 hours), without the caffeine crash. KissMeOrganics Culinary grade matcha is made from 100% certified organic ingredients and comes in a BPA-FREE Packaging with resealable zipper pouch. Ideal for blending, baking and cooking.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
