Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Lime Matcha’s rich deeply tangy flavor is excellent for many baked foods. It also lends its rich freshness to many pies, ice creams and smoothies. It also makes an exceptional accompaniment for many fish dishes because it brings out the taste of the fish in a deliciously satisfying way. This flavor is also a taste enhancer and brings out the true taste of many low taste foods and drinks. It is great for special occasions where people need their taste buds enlivened by the added presence of Lime Matcha in their foods and drinks.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I mentioned on Steepster, I ordered this Lime Matcha primarily for the blending opportunities it offered. I have managed to amass quite a collection of flavored Matcha, as you can imagine, and I wanted to add a flavor or two that could be used as something that would add interest to other flavors. Mainly, I was thinking that this would taste mighty good with the Watermelon, but I am sure it would go nicely with other flavors as well.
The aroma of the dry leaf as well as the prepared Matcha is that of a lime tree. It smells quite like the scents I’d notice if I were sitting beneath a lime tree: the sunny, citrus-y fragrance of lime, hints of lime blossom, the leaves, the earth, and the tree itself. All of those smells are captured within this flavored Matcha.
This is really quite a unique and delightful Matcha. The tartness of the lime is strong but not overpowering, and it offers a pleasing contrast to the sweet, “green” taste of the Matcha. Also compelling are the bitter notes of the lime, and I suspect that it is this characteristic especially that allows me to explore the earthy tones of the Matcha a bit better. I usually taste a hint of earthiness to a Matcha, but now I taste more than just a hint. It isn’t a overwhelming component to the taste but it is enough to add real interest to the overall tea.
It is these bitter notes that have caught my attention, as well as my imagination. I am wondering how this Matcha might taste prepared in a similar fashion to how I prepared this bowl, but with one difference: the addition of a pinch of salt to the bowl just before whisking. I wonder how the salt will affect these bitter tones. Will it make the Matcha taste sweeter? I think it will, and I look forward to finding out in the near future. I also look forward to adding a bit of this Matcha to smoothies too! YUM!
A really lovely Matcha experience – I love the way that the lime has brightened up the bowl. Very nice, indeed!
Licorice Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
The licorice plant is native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. Licorice is well known for being used as a sweet additive that is added to many types of candy. It is thought to be as much as 50 times sweeter than sugar. However, licorice has many more valuable uses than as a sweetening agent. In fact, Licorice is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can help to soothe arthritis. It also works to help the stomach make more mucus for its lining. This reduces problems with upset stomachs, ulcers, and acid indigestion. Apart from all these benefits, licorice can be a valuable herbal medication towards living a healthy lifestyle.
Learn more about this Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I must admit that I was a little afraid of this Matcha.
I love licorice (I’ve never really made any secret of that), however, Red Leaf Tea has a very active presence on Steepster and some time ago, they were asking for input on possible new Matcha flavors that the Steepster members would most like to see made available at Red Leaf Tea. And among the proposed new flavors was Licorice (Improved Flavor) … and that scared me a bit. Is that suggesting that the current licorice flavor is not good? Since that was a flavor I was planning on ordering very soon, I was a bit worried that in tasting the “old” flavoring, it might not be very good because there was a proposed improved flavor.
BUT … this is wonderful! It tastes like Matcha with liquified black Jelly Bellys (one of my very favorite flavors) thoroughly mixed in. The licorice flavor is really remarkably good. It tastes sweet like licorice candy, with its delightful sharpness and spice. I don’t think I could get a better flavor if I were sipping on Matcha and popping a black Jelly Belly into my mouth in between bites. It is so, so good!
And with as strong as the licorice flavor is – and it is strong, the aftertaste sort of reminds me of the Altoid’s Liquorice candy with its almost minty-like, spiced overtones – it doesn’t overpower the sweet, leafy flavor of the Matcha. At least, not completely. The licorice flavor IS stronger than the Matcha but, the Matcha does come through – and I like the way these two work together.
Given that this was the old flavor that has been proposed to be replaced with the new and improved licorice flavor, I considered getting the delicate flavor instead, but I’m really glad I didn’t. This is absolutely wonderful. The balance between Matcha and licorice flavor works well for this licorice lover. Now, I’m just wondering how much better this could get … given that there is supposedly an “improved flavor” … because I’m loving this just the way it is!
My order specifications for this Matcha is similar to most of the other Matcha teas I’ve tried lately from Red Leaf Tea: the classic, basic grade Matcha with a distinctive level of flavoring. And it turned out fantastic! The flavoring here is spot-on so if you’re a licorice lover like I am – these are the specs … and this is the Matcha for you!
Creme Brulee Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
When exotic, oriental and velvety Matcha is combined with the wildly popular Crème Brulee, the resulting taste can only be described as mouth watering. Crème Brulee Matcha is the desert of choice for those very warm and balmy days when guests are assembled and their tastes buds are primed for an unforgettable treat. The rich sweet burnt cream taste combined with Matcha’s uplifting touch, can turn an ordinary bland day into an extraordinary adventure for the palate. When served cool, this delectable and aesthetic looking desert always exceeds its expectations.
Crème Brulee Matcha is ideal for many settings where both adults and children are gathered. This is because, its creamy sweet taste makes it a favorite among young children, while Matcha’s balancing touch gives adults the extra edge that they need to make this excellent treat truly outstanding. With Crème Brulee Matcha nobody can go wrong irrespective of their surroundings. It blends perfectly with many other well loved deserts but quickly becomes a favorite because of the lasting feeling of pure pleasure in the mouth. Although it is best served cold, Crème Brulee Matcha can be taken at any time of the day or night despite the changing seasons of the year. It always leaves the lingering feeling of wanting more of the same.
100% Pure Matcha, Ceremonial Grade, Natural Flavors, No Artificial Coloring, No Sweeteners, No Preservatives, MSG/Chemical Additive Free.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Most of you probably do not know this about me yet but I am a matcha junkie. If there were a support group for matcha lovers – I would be in it! My support group however consists of other tea and matcha lovers so they enable me rather than hold me back and I am just fine with that!
I have quite the collection of matcha and I have my favorites but yet at the same time, I have yet to find a flavored matcha from Red Leaf Tea that I dislike! So I am absolutely biased – I just wanted to get that on the table.
So this particular flavor Creme Brulee, is very buttery. When I opened the package BUTTER is the first thought that came to mind. I offered it to my daughter to sniff and she said the same thing “smells buttery”. Now another admission of mine is that I love butter. Straight butter, I will always steal a taste directly from the stick when cooking, but it has to be real butter – no margarine for this girl!
When I sampled this tea for the first time just a bit ago, I gulped it down so fast I had to make a second to finish the review. Poor me, haha!
This matcha is creamy, and yes, buttery, and sweet. It does taste like the custard part of a creme brulee, however the burnt sugar crust is not totally lacking, its there but subtle. If you are a die hard, culinary backed goods expert you MAY find fault in this creme brulee matcha creation, however if you are like me, and only lucky enough to get your hands on some real creme brulee every great once in a while then you should be more than pleased! Granted this IS matcha, not the actual dessert, and in all of Red Leaf Tea’s matcha I feel that the true flavors of whatever is being recreated is done quite well! This one does not beat out my love for Caramel Popcorn, or Butterscotch, or even Macadamia Nut Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, however it would make my top 10 list, easy!
Apricot Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
The sweet taste of apricots reminds someone of peaches and combined with the balancing effect of oriental Matcha, makes for true palate entertainment. Apricot Matcha is a sweet treat that can be taken anytime day or night when someone just wants to savor the wonders of their surroundings while enjoying a sumptuous treat. It is also the perfect treat for the special occasions of kids whose guardians want to expand the assortment of refreshment alternatives with great additions. Apricot Matcha can be taken with or without food because it’s fulfilling taste leaves its takers wanting more.
Learn more about this Apricot Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I didn’t really want to write this review. Why? Because, well, I just don’t like this flavored Matcha. I have tried quite a few flavored Matcha by now, and this is the first one from Red Leaf Tea that I’ve tried and did not like. I have loved the others that I’ve tried up until now, and I really love this company, and I hated to say anything bad about them.
But ultimately, I did decide to write this review, because not only is honesty important to me as a tea reviewer, but honesty is equally as important to Red Leaf Tea too – they actually ASKED me to write a review on it, even though I did not like it!
And really, you’ve got to respect that. I think it’s very cool of Red Leaf Tea to actually WANT me to write this review, even though I didn’t really care for the product, and makes me respect them more as a tea purveyor. This is a company that I highly recommend to everyone.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this flavor of Matcha to anyone. It just doesn’t taste very good. And it’s not even that I dislike apricots – I love them! And I had such high hopes for this Matcha, unfortunately, it just didn’t prove to be as delicious as some of the other Matcha that I’ve tried (and LOVED) from Red Leaf Tea.
The flavor is overwhelmingly chemical, tasting a bit like perfume-y soap. Now, I didn’t like getting my mouth washed out with soap as a child, and I don’t like drinking soap now. And unfortunately, this soapy taste is so strong that it dominates the entire bowl. I can’t really taste anything beyond the strong perfume-y soap.
I even tried it a second time, hoping that maybe my taste buds were just having an off day or something. But three days later and I get the same result. This time, I tried mixing it: 1 part of this Apricot Matcha with 1 part of the Royal Matcha (which is pure/unflavored). This softened the soapy taste only somewhat, I am able to explore the flavors beyond the soapiness but, the chemical flavors are still very strong – overwhelmingly so. I can taste hints of apricot and Matcha this time around, but, not enough to be able to phase out the strong perfumed soap taste.
It makes me very sad that I disliked this Matcha so much, but this bad experience, while it did leave a bad taste in my mouth, it is one that will easily disappear after I’ve had a bowl of one of the other delicious Matcha that I’ve tried from Red Leaf Tea. And the fact that they are willing to have me say I dislike a tea – and in fact, encourage it, I think is very honorable.
Cinnamon Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
People all know the unique sweet aromatic scent of cinnamon. People use it in their cakes, sweets and other confectioneries when they want them to stand in a class of their own. The spicy taste of cinnamon is a well known delight on many palates. Including cinnamon in matcha brings about a delectable tea can be used for any special gathering where the participants are willing to partake of the zesty velvety aroma and taste that proves delightful to any appetite.
Learn more about this Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
Don’t let that photo fool you, there is no nutmeg or anise in this, just cinnamon.
But it is TRUE cinnamon taste, not some sugary sweet, artificial cinnamon flavor. This tastes like a sweet-spicy cinnamon that reminds me quite a bit of Saigon cinnamon (when I order cinnamon, I usually order equal parts of Saigon and Indonesian Cinnamon – well, if you want to get technical, it’s really cassia – and I combine these two cinnamon types. The Saigon is a bit spicier, while the Indonesian has a mellower taste.)
I went with my “go to” specifications when I ordered this Matcha: the classic Matcha with the distinctive level of flavoring. And I love it. However, it tastes more of cinnamon than of Matcha. In fact, this may just be Matcha’s answer to the Cinnamon Challenge (Note: I do not recommend trying the real cinnamon challenge. Instead, try this Matcha, it’s better for you).
As I said, this does taste more of cinnamon than of Matcha, and the cinnamon is quite aggressive with this level of flavoring. That’s not a complaint because I’m enjoying it, but, if you want to taste the Matcha, you might want to go with the delicate level of flavoring on this one. But, if what you want is a vibrant cinnamon drink that will knock your socks off – you should order it with the distinctive level. It’s amazing!
The cinnamon tastes spicy, even a little on the “hot” side but there is an exotic sweetness to it too. By the time I was about halfway finished with it, I noticed the flavor of the Matcha beginning to emerge, and I could taste hints of a buttery, vegetal taste.
And while I am enjoying this on it’s own, the main reason I chose this Cinnamon Matcha is because I thought it would offer some amazing blending opportunities. Imagine: Caramel Cinnamon Matcha! (mmm!) or Cinnamon Fig Matcha! Just about every flavored Matcha I now have in my pantry would work nicely as a blend with this Cinnamon Matcha. And this would be awesome lightly sprinkled over ice cream too!