Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
The full bodied and bold Butternut pie taste gets its true edge of excitement with the addition of oriental Matcha to turn it into a truly thrilling culinary delight. Nothing comes close to the sensation that creamy Butternut pie Matcha delivers to its many takers. This delectable delight can be wildly popular across any age groups because it distributes different unique benefits depending on who is enjoying it. To the young in age, this bold tasting treat delivers sweet satisfaction and a yearning for more. To the young at heart this cherished treat delivers youthful enjoyment and leaves an unforgettable aftertaste.
Learn more about this flavored matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s Matcha Latte time, and for this afternoon’s Matcha Latte, I decided to go with a flavor that’s perfect for fall: Butternut Pie Flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea! Having previously tried Red Leaf Tea’s Pumpkin Pie flavored Matcha and reviewing it, I felt confident that I’d also enjoy this butternut squash variety. After all, butternut squash tastes very much like pumpkin.
And this is really good. In fact, I think that I might like this Butternut Pie Matcha better than the aforementioned Pumpkin Pie Matcha. I get a more clearly defined flavor of the butternut squash here than I recall tasting with the pumpkin pie – although in fairness to that flavored Matcha, it has been a while since I have tasted the Pumpkin Pie Matcha. But, I remember the Pumpkin Pie Matcha to have a bit more spice to it than this does … here, I taste a stronger note of butternut squash and not so much of a spice note.
Some of the more note-worthy flavors I’m tasting with every sip are the sweet notes of squash with hints of a nutty flavor, and a low note of a buttery, pastry-like flavor. I taste the sweet, vegetative note of Matcha and it melds beautifully with the squash notes. The sweetness of the squash seems to enhance the natural cacao notes of the Matcha, and you know I’m loving that!
This particular batch of flavored Matcha was crafted using the classic grade of Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, and a robust level of flavoring. My usual go to specifications are the classic grade of Matcha with a distinctive level of flavoring, however, I received a sampling from a friend who chose the robust level of flavoring, and I’m actually really glad that she did! I like how the butternut notes really shine through.
That said, I am finding that the robust level of flavoring does obscure the flavor of the Matcha just a wee bit. Not enough for me to really complain about because I can still taste the Matcha, and because the flavor of the Butternut Pie is just so tasty that it’s difficult to find fault with this chawan full of Matcha goodness.
As I mentioned above, I did prepare this as a latte, using mostly water to prepare the Matcha in the traditional way: first, I measure and sift the Matcha into my chawan, and then I pour in a small amount of hot water and whisk until the water is incorporated, then I add the rest of the water and whisk until the consistency is smooth. Then I added a small amount of warmed half & half to the chawan and stirred in the half & half with a fork. The Latte came out smooth, rich and creamy, with a nice amount of froth on top. The final ratio of water to half & half ended up being about 3 parts water to 1 part half & half.
This would be tasty prepared traditionally (without the half & half) but, I find that the addition of the dairy helps to bring out a sort of creamy, almost ‘whipped cream’ element to the drink and I really enjoyed that – it made for a delicious autumnal treat!
