It’s that time once again!
I have taken the (perhaps crazy) task of reviewing even more matcha than I anticipated: Red Leaf Tea has asked me and a handful of skilled bloggers to take on the task of testing and comparing 30 or so different matcha in a large price range. I have been lax on comparing them, with traveling and whatnot, but I need to get cracking. Without further ado, here is the basic criteria in with I will be judging the teas by: Color, Texture, and Sweetness.
Note: All the teas were provided to me for review by Red Leaf Tea. I was not aware of which brands were which beforehand.
- Color: 3
- Sweetness: 5
- Texture: 4
The first sample I had was a light olive drab. The matcha woke up a bit with some hot water, but did not foam very well. Even though this tea was a tad gritty, it was smooth and grassy, in a good way.
- Color: 6
- Sweetness: 5
- Texture: 6
I would recognize RLT’s matcha anywhere, thanks to the last taste test. This floral and sweet matcha this one was an improvement.. A muted grassy color, I got some really nice foam from it, but it may have just been through practice, heh. The mixture was surprisingly tart, but still quite smooth.
JK Tea Shop Ceremony Grade Matcha
- Color: 6
- Sweetness: 5
- Texture: 5
Third one up! This one had a bit of a wet paint smell to it. The powder was a lighter, pastel shade of spring green. Not a favorite.
- Color: 6
- Sweetness: 7
- Texture: 6
Phew. At this time I realized that I had made a grave mistake. I hadn’t eaten before starting testing these, and I sure was feeling the effects. This one was the sweetest so far, with a lemony, acidic finish. It was a happy green color, which was promising.
- Color: 7
- Sweetness: 7
- Texture: 7
This one smelled and tasted just like pistachios! There was some strong marine notes as well, and a smoothness to round it out.
Yunomi Excellent Kitchen Grade Matcha
- Color: 7
- Sweetness: 8
- Texture: 7
A really good one in the bunch. It also has a good color, not as neon as #4, but what this one lacks in color, it makes up in taste.
Thanks for tuning in folks! Will it ever end? Stay tuned next time for another installment of Matcha Madness!
Assam Orthodox Black Tea (TGFOP1) from Starglory
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Starglory on Amazon
Tea Description:
Black Tea is consumed because of its natural flavour and for refreshment. Excellent cup of black tea helps a person to start a day positively with full of energy. At the end of a hectic, tiresome and busy day if a perfect black tea is taken , it will re energize and refresh oneself. This is one best Orthodox Black Tea sourced from Upper Assam Gardens.
Learn more about Starglory Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a fabulous Assam! It’s a rich, full-flavored, robust Assam – just what I’d expect from a top-notch Assam black tea, but it’s far less harsh than many Assam teas that I’ve encountered. This is smoother and sweeter!
To brew this, I used my trusty Breville One-Touch tea maker (I really love this machine!) I added 2 heaping bamboo scoops of tea to the basket – a little bit of extra leaf since the curls of the beautiful TGFOP1 leaf add some bulk to it versus the typical smaller torn leaf. Then I poured 500ml of water into the jug and set the parameters: 205°F and 2 1/2 minutes.
This particular Assam is a single garden tea from the Dibrugarh estate. I like that when I had a question about the Assam tea’s origins, Starglory Tea got back to me promptly with the answers I was looking for. I appreciate that kind of customer service! It makes me feel good about the company I’m dealing with!
This is a really smooth Assam. It’s malty and there is a wine-like note to this too. It’s got a crispness to it. It’s not quite as heavy as some Assam teas can be. It’s got that invigorating edge to it without being bitter. In fact, I’m not picking up on any bitterness to this at all. With many Assam teas, I tend to pick up on a slight bitterness, like hinting at bitterness. Not quite bitter, but suggesting to me that had I oversteeped the tea, it would have been. I’m not even getting the slight insinuation that this tea would be bitter! I like!
There are notes of cacao which I found surprising – in a very good way! It’s a rich, decadent cacao flavor with notes of flower in the background. Hints of fruit. Molasses which adds a rich, almost roasted flavor to the cup that accents the cacao quite beautifully.
While I am sure that this tea would take well to the additions of milk and honey (or other additions if you prefer) I would first recommend tasting it before you add anything to it! It has a very satisfying flavor served straight and there are so many lovely nuances to this tea and the additions might just overwhelm those other flavors.
This Assam is so good that I’m finding it hard to write this review as I drink it. I don’t want to stop sipping long enough to put the cup down and type! That’s the true measure for this reviewer of a really good tea – if I finish the cup of tea before I finish the review – it deserves all kinds of accolades. And look! My teacup is empty!
Assam Green Tea from Starglory
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Starglory on Amazon
Tea Description:
Green Tea is also known as health tea . Rich in antioxidants green tea helps in fighting and controlling many human diseases. Regular consumptions Green tea helps in keeping body fit and slim. This best Assam Green Tea is sourced from Upper Assam Garden.
Learn more about Starglory Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice!
The aroma of the dry leaf is distinctly grassy/vegetal. The brewed tea has a much softer scent and I pick up on very few of those strong grassy and vegetal tones that I noticed in the dry leaf.
To brew this tea, I used my Breville One-Touch. I measured out 2 bamboo scoops of tea into the basket of the tea maker and then poured fresh, cool water into the jug. The settings: 175°F for 1 1/2 minutes.
The results: The liquid is quite pale. A very pale, clear green. The aroma is soft, as I already mentioned. The flavor is really quite pleasant.
It’s sweet and smooth. There is very little astringency to it. It’s an energizing drink but it is also soothing and relaxing to sip. It’s as if it revitalizes you from the inside out. It doesn’t get you jumping but gives you that gentle nudge to get through the rest of the day.
The sip starts out sweet with hints of a honey-like note. I then notice a slight buttery/nutty note. It’s vegetal but not bitter. The vegetal tones are something between sweet grass and mild steamed veggies. The aftertaste has a light, citrusy note.
This is the kind of green tea that I would like to have in my pantry regularly for everyday drinking. It’s a smooth, sweet and even flavor, something that tastes great before, during or after meals, and all those moments in between. It’s a really enjoyable tea. I found it to be a really refreshing iced tea as well.
Lime Cola Guayusa from Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Bluebird Tea Co.
Tisane Description:
Energy boosting Guayusa tea is blended with cola nut and linden leaves in this lime and cola flavoured tea blend. Guayusa is another one of those Amazonian energy charged super plants and Linden leaves (Lime) has been used for centuries to treat colds, fevers and inflamation.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a guayusa tisane, so when I saw that Bluebird Tea Co. had this Lime Cola Guayusa, I knew it was something that I just had to try!
Guayusa is an herb that has a high caffeine content, so it’s one of those tisanes that you should consume earlier in the day so that you’re not overstimulated as the day comes to an end. I find that after I’ve consumed a cup of Guayusa, I’m much more alert and energized!
This is a tasty blend. I don’t know if I’m getting a true “Lime Cola” taste out of this, but it does taste good. Guayusa tends to have a slightly coffee-esque taste to it, but its smoother and not bitter the way a cup of joe tends to be. And I do get that thinned coffee taste from the Guayusa here.
Then I taste lime! It’s a bright, uplifting flavor that elevates the cup. I taste the citrus notes throughout the sip and well into the aftertaste where I’m getting a little tarty tingle on the tongue.
I do get a slight cola-like flavor and this is especially noticeable as the drink cools. While the drink is hot, though, I could barely taste any cola notes at all. This definitely tastes better chilled!
Even though I didn’t get as much “Lime Cola” taste as I thought I would based on the name of this tisane, I did really enjoy this. I found it tasty and of course, invigorating! A really tasty blend!
White Tea Chai Blend from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Tea Description:
White Tea with Chai (Cardamom, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Cloves, Ginger and Nutmeg)
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the pouch that held the tea bag that brewed this cup of White Tea Chai Blend from Tea of Life, I lifted the tea bag to my nose to get a whiff of what I would soon be tasting. And … I was a little surprised and just a little dismayed that I couldn’t smell much in the way of spice. I mean, spices should be FRAGRANT, right? When I smell a chai, I like there to be no mistake of what I’m smelling. I like to smell those vibrant, warm spices.
But, I didn’t smell a whole lot of spice from this chai, at least, not in it’s dry form. However, now that the tea has been brewed, I can really smell those spices. What a lovely aroma! I smell (in order of most prevalent scent): pepper, clove, cinnamon and cardamom. I am picking up hints of nutmeg and ginger too.
And the main reason why I want to be able to smell the spices is because I want to taste them when I take a sip! I love chai: I love that spice! And I can taste those spices here! The black pepper is the most dominating flavor that I taste in this cup, but because I can also taste the other spices, this doesn’t taste like a black pepper white tea, this tastes like a white tea chai!
The white tea is soft and deliciously delicate, and now that I think about it, it’s probably good that the spices presented such a subtle fragrance because had the spices been stronger than they are now, they would have surely overpowered the sweet white tea and I am enjoying the way the white tea is represented in this blend. It is soft, sweet, and it evokes thoughts of the taste of rain on fresh spring leaves. Not that I go out and start licking the leaves after a rain … but if I did, this is how I would like that to taste. It’s only because I don’t know that this is what I would taste that I don’t go out and start drinking rain off of leaves.
And I like how the pepper POPS in this. It makes for a really interesting and different tasting chai. Normally, pepper is a accenting ingredient, here, it takes more of a central focus. I like pepper, and I like how it’s brought to life here.
Overall, a really enjoyable chai!