Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Boysenberry is an interesting fruit that greatly resembles a big sized raspberry, loganberry and blackberry. Its sharp and tart taste is mellowed by Matcha’s velvety flavour to make a Boysenberry Matcha treat that blends perfectly into the palate. This richly fruity treat is perfect for those people who want to expand their fruit filled snacks with different fresh new flavours. Boysenberry Matcha can also become a perfect hot weather treat to both cool and excite the palate with its enlivening sharp taste. It forms an interesting addition in the occasions of young children with its interesting reputation for being the surprise fruit-based treat.
Learn more about this Boysenberry Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
When I realized that Red Leaf Tea had a boysenberry flavored Matcha, I had to get some! I love boysenberries. I attribute this to my childhood … specifically, to all the time I spent at the Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park in Buena Park, California. I love that place! As a kid, I liked it better there than at Disneyland, and the boysenberries had something to do with that!
Of course, there were a few other factors that made this the place to be when I was a kid. Back then you could feed the ducks at the pond across the street … and then there was the amazing fried chicken from Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant! Well, Mrs. Knott’s not only knew how to fry a chicken, but she sure could make a mean Boysenberry Preserves too (and a great syrup that was used to top the funnel cakes that you could buy just across the way from the Log Ride!)
Boysenberries have a special place in my heart because of Knott’s Berry Farm, and thanks to Red Leaf Tea, I’m able to relive some of the joy that boysenberries brought me in my youth with this Boysenberry Matcha! It is so good! It tastes authentic and just like a tangy, sweet-tart boysenberry, together with the deliciously fresh, lush taste of Matcha!
My “default” selections when it comes to the flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea is “starter/basic grade” matcha and distinctive flavoring. This is what I chose for this Boysenberry Matcha as well. I like to be able to taste both the Matcha and the flavoring, and the distinctive level of flavoring seems to really work for my palate. I can taste the tingly berry taste of the Boysenberry, and it tastes so true to the fruit that it tastes as though I might have plucked a few boysenberries off of the vine, immediately pureed it, and stirred the puree in to my chawan! It is sweet and juicy and pleasantly tart.
The flavor of the Matcha is nicely showcased here too. It tastes sweet with vegetative notes, and it has a lovely creamy taste that accentuates the flavor of the berry very nicely. This tastes great served in the traditional style – with hot water whisked into the pre-sifted Matcha until incorporated – but I think it would also make a stunning latte or an excellent addition to a smoothie, so you can bet that I’ll be trying a Boysenberry Matcha smoothie and a Boysenberry Matcha latte very soon!
I love this Boysenberry Matcha – and I think that it would have made Mrs. Knott very proud!
Plum Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Well-loved Plum Matcha with its invitingly sweet taste tempered by Matcha’s light velvety touch makes it an exceptional drink that can make the perfect accompaniment for both food and drinks where both young children and adults are present because of its ability to attract many enthusiastic followers. Its tasty play on the palate and full bodied charm enhanced by Matcha’s grassy appeal, make Plum Matcha a treat that can holds its own in an assortment of many different refreshments.
Learn more about this Plum Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve talked a lot about my beloved gramma. She was the one person in my life while growing up and through my twenties that loved me unconditionally. No matter what I’ve done … or failed to do … my gramma loved me. No matter what. I didn’t get that from my mother, I didn’t get that from my step-mother, or even my father. My gramma was my saving grace, without her, I can’t say that I’d be here today. She is the one person that showed me what it was to love and be loved. I miss her so much.
So, there are times when I taste a tea and I’m reminded of my gramma. These teas are usually fruit flavored … like this Plum Matcha from Red Leaf Tea. That’s because my gramma had a very prolific garden that included just about any fruit tree that you can imagine (even a huge avocado tree!) and berry vines … even grape vines! It was in my gramma’s garden that I learned that tomatoes taste good, so long as they’re home grown and picked off the vine at the right time. It was in my gramma’s garden too that I learned to love plums.
My gramma would make jelly or jam out of most of the fruits that she harvested, because her trees and vines were so prolific that if she didn’t find some way to preserve them they’d have spoiled before they could all have been consumed fresh. One of my favorite jellies from gramma was her plum jelly. It was so sweet and true to the fruit … it really tasted just like a fresh plum, only sweeter.
And that’s just what I experienced when I first opened the pouch of this Plum Matcha. I smelled my gramma’s Plum Jelly! Before I knew it, my mouth was watering, and I couldn’t help but remember all the delicious plum jelly I’d had in the past thanks to gramma’s hard work and amazing fruit-growing abilities!
This Matcha tastes so good! The plum flavor is authentic and sweet, and it accentuates the flavor of the matcha so well. The bitter as well as the sweet of the Matcha comes through. And when I say “bitter” here, I mean the delicious, savory kind of bitter taste that offers balance to the sweet tastes. In this case, bitter is good! In addition to the vegetative notes of the Matcha, I also taste a delicious spiced tone to the Matcha; warm spice that adds to the invigorating qualities of the tea.
The Matcha is creamy and smooth, and it goes down so easily… before you know it, your bowl of Matcha is EMPTY and you’re wanting more! But, I caution you to be careful … one bowl of Matcha is delightfully invigorating, and two bowls of Matcha in one day offers you the energy you need to get things done (like the laundry, UGH!) but, more than that, and you might be bouncing off the walls. It is a very energizing beverage!
Cheesecake Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
When the much loved cheesecake is combined with exotic Matcha, the resulting Cheesecake Matcha is unforgettable and very delicious. With its creamy and buttery undertones and a hint of Matcha spiciness, a Cheesecake Matcha treat can easily take its place among the everyday favorite snack choices. This versatile treat adapts to the palate and can sometimes taste salty or creamy or sour depending on who is enjoying it. This varied taste makes this delectable treat truly exceptional and very favored among those who prefer non sweet snacks in their refreshment alternatives.
Learn more about this Cheesecake Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
Cheesecake? Did someone say cheesecake? Why, yes please, I’d love some cheesecake! Cheesecake Matcha from Red Leaf Tea, that is. It’s the perfect way to indulge in the sweet, luscious flavor of cheesecake without suffering any of the guilt that comes afterward.
So I guess after that introduction, it’s no big secret: I love cheesecake. I’m sure that this is something I have in common with most everyone who is reading this. I mean, really, who doesn’t like cheesecake? But what I don’t love is the aforementioned guilty feelings after eating a slice of cheesecake (all those calories and all that fat!) and I also kind of feel sluggish and ready for a nap after I eat it.
But, that’s what’s so great about this Cheesecake Matcha – I can have the flavor of cheesecake without that sluggish desire to nap afterward. Just the opposite, really, because Matcha is a very energizing tea drink – I have the energy to do just about anything after drinking Matcha!
I have tried this Cheesecake Matcha a couple of times now, and this has allowed me to tasted it a couple of different ways. The first time I drank it, I first prepared it the way I usually prepare Matcha: Traditional style. I scooped and sifted the matcha into the chawan. (oh, and you CAN sift this flavored Matcha. In the past, I’ve recommended refraining from sifting flavored Matcha in the past because it seemed as though it was separating bits of the flavoring from the Matcha, and that kind of negated the whole idea of flavored Matcha, right? Well, I don’t know exactly how Red Leaf Tea flavors their tea, but, it is all very fine powder, and sifts through my fine wire mesh. No separation!) After sifting, I added the hot water, and whisk until incorporated, adding water until the desired consistency is reached.
Served this traditional style, it was very tasty and very true to the concept. That is to say, it tasted like Matcha with cheesecake flavor. I could taste the creamy cheesecake flavor, the tangy cream cheese, even a little bit of sweet pastry. The flavor of the Matcha was not to be overlooked; it was bittersweet, leaning more toward the sweet than the bitter. Lovely notes of vegetation which I thought complimented the delightful cheesecake flavor quite nicely.
But, I found an even better way to enjoy this Matcha – as a LATTE! Use steaming milk instead of hot water to whisk in to the Matcha. I recommend using a frothing tool for this task rather than a bamboo whisk … or even a spoon, although the frothing tool is more effective and will produce a nice frothy cap.
I found that by going latte with this Matcha, the creaminess of the cheesecake flavor really emerged. It was creamy when I prepared it traditionally … but it was super rich and creamy and decadent when I made the latte, and really, when you want cheesecake, don’t you want the rich, creamy decadence? Of course you do! Go for it! Even though you are adding a few more calories and fat grams to the Matcha when you prepare it with milk (depending, of course, upon the fat content of the milk), you’ll still wind up with far, FAR fewer calories and fat with this Matcha than you would with even a thin slice of cheesecake.
When served as a latte, I found that the cream cheese flavor was just a little tangier, the buttery pastry flavor was a little more pronounced, and it was just TASTIER when I turned this into a latte.
Another awesome flavored Matcha from the HOME of flavored Matcha tea: Red Leaf Tea! If you’ve not yet tried any of these flavored Matcha, what are you waiting for? I recommend starting here, with the cheesecake, and you’ll be wondering what took you so long too!
Fig Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
The much loved fig fruit can be likened to eating a pear and an apple together. When it is combined with exotic Matcha, the resulting Fig Matcha treat makes a fruity sensation that can send the tastebuds reeling with delight. This delicious fruity treat can be part of the wide selection of treats within the tables of special occasions for young children. Its overall sweet fruity appeal would instantly make it likeable among the very young. It would also be a cool treat in hot weather when a person wants to relax with a trendy treat on hand. Fig Matcha is the perfect snack for all the right reasons.
Learn more about this fig flavored Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
Have I mentioned how much I love Red Leaf Tea lately? They are definitely my favorite source for Matcha. Now I know that there are those of you that think that flavored Matcha is somehow wrong, perhaps even sacrilegious. And I get that. And believe me when I tell you that I love pure Matcha just as much (if not more) than flavored Matcha, but, I also cannot deny how exciting all these flavors are from Red Leaf Tea, and how my mouth waters when I read some of the flavors that are available! So many flavors and so little time! (By the way, I feel it would be remiss not to mention the fact that Red Leaf Tea also offers pure, unflavored Matcha too – in several different grades, so whether you’re new to Matcha or someone who wants nothing but the best … Red Leaf Tea has got you covered!)
But when I saw this Fig Matcha I simply HAD to try it. I’ve mentioned before my love of fig. I have adored this fruit since I was very small. There are some foods that evoke fond childhood memories for me, and figs are one of them (actually, come to think about it, fruit is probably the main food group that evokes these memories!)
When I was very small, I remember vaguely living on a farm. It was for a short while, and it was never during what I’d call my main memory “patch” – that is, I remember pretty much everything by the time I was six or seven, but not so much before that. I think it’s that way for most people. But there are vague little images, vague little patches of memories that I recall from times before I was six or seven … and figs play a central role in one of those memory patches.
This farm that I lived on, I don’t remember who all lived on that farm. I know I lived there with my mother, but I know that other people lived there too. My mother and I stayed in a guest house that was on the farm, and I also remember sometimes living in the house across the street from the farm. The foods that I remember from my time on this farm include soup made from cactus … and fresh figs eaten right after it’s been picked off the tree, while it was still warm from the summer sun. I’d spend my afternoons wandering through that fig orchard, picking figs and eating them. So delicious.
Now, when I buy fresh figs at the supermarket, they do not taste as good as they did in those memories. And I don’t really care for Fig Newtons. I mean, they’re OK, and there are times when I actually crave Fig Newtons, which is kind of weird too, now that I think about it. But they aren’t on my shopping list regularly, and they aren’t something I usually keep stocked in the house now… and when I do happen to buy a package, they end up stale before the package is finished. I’m better off with one of the small sized packages that I can sometimes find in a convenience store.
But, there is still part of me that wants to recapture those happy memories, so when I see teas that are fig flavored, I usually end up buying them. Which brings me to now, with this Fig Matcha that sits in front of me.
The aroma is very fragrant, very Fig. And the flavor is very fig-like too. It has that sweet, succulent flavor of a fig, along with the slightly perfumed essence that I remember from the figs I ate so long ago. This is much more like the fig I remember from way back when than any fresh fig I’ve purchased in the supermarket or any fig confection for that matter. (Although, there are some pretty amazing fig crackers from O Pair)
The Matcha has much of the qualities you’d expect: it’s creamy and rich and slightly buttery. It’s vegetative. But here’s where it gets interesting. The vegetative taste has a slight … spicy … tone to it that I don’t think I’ve ever noticed from Matcha before. And all I can think is that the flavor of fig somehow brings this quality of the Matcha out, highlights it. It doesn’t taste like fig, but it is a welcome enhancement of the flavor of the fig. It gives the overall cup (bowl) a sort of autumnal feel – warm and comforting. Almost cake-like.
This is yet another stunning addition to the massive line of flavored Matcha that Red Leaf Tea offers … and yet another that I would put on the must try list, especially if you like figs. This is one that I think I’ll keep on hand, even though there are some that I liked better than this that I probably would not keep on hand. Weird, huh? Then again, nothing about my journey with figs seems very normal, if you think about it.
This is just another one of those things that add to it – in a very good, but weird way.
Pear Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green (Matcha)
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Pear matcha is a sweet-tasting drink that provides excellent reason to keep people together. This is because, the delightful taste of pear matcha keeps people wanting more because, the exquisite blend of ripened pear and matcha combine to make a tea that excites the palate with it invigorating flavor. Pear matcha is the drink for all seasons and reasons.
Learn more about this pear flavored Matcha here.
Taster’s Review:
Another flavored Matcha from Red Leaf Tea? Why yes! I really have to say that I can’t seem to get enough of the amazing selection of flavors of Matcha at Red Leaf Tea. And I love that the Free Matcha program allows me to explore so many flavors at so little cost! If you haven’t yet taken advantage of this program, you really should! It is a great way to try some new and exciting Matcha flavors that are customized to your personal taste level – for this Matcha, I chose the starter or basic grade of Matcha and the distinctive level of pear flavoring.
And there are even some new features to the Matcha set-up at Red Leaf Tea. You can choose not only from green tea for your flavored Matcha, but also white tea, black tea, or rooibos! So, if you love Matcha but find that the caffeine is a bit too much for you, try the rooibos Matcha. Or if you want a little less of a vegetative taste to your Matcha, go with the white Matcha! And for those of you who prefer your Matcha pure and unfettered – Red Leaf Tea also offers pure Matcha in various grades for every level of Matcha connoisseur. The options seem nearly limitless! I love that!
So, let’s get on with the latest flavor in my chawan! Well, actually, it’s not a chawan now, it’s a small bowl. Unfortunately, I recently cracked my chawan and need to get another one. The small bowl that I’m using is almost shaped like a chawan though, but it is a thinner material, and I miss the weighty feel of my Matcha bowl. Anyway… enough of my story of sorrow, let’s talk about the good stuff: Pear Matcha!
I can’t get over how much this smells like pear. Ripe, delicious pear! I didn’t even have to hold the package up to my nose to smell it, from the moment I opened the package, a strong aroma of pear emanated from it. I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like this from a pear flavored tea before. I’ve had several pear flavored teas, but this one is the first with such a strong scent of pear that its unmistakeably pear.
So, I’m thrilled with the fragrance alone. I love pear, but, as I’ve lamented over a few times before, it seems that pear is a difficult flavor to capture in tea. I’ve managed to find a few pear teas that do an exceptional job at nailing the pear flavor, and I’m just hoping this tastes as pear-fully delicious as it smells, so that I can add this Pear Matcha to that small number of teas that have a well-flavored pear tea.
Oh wow! This is PEAR. It tastes very true to the fruit. Sweet, succulent pear. I can almost feel the pulpy texture of the pear as I sip this Matcha because the pear flavor tastes so authentic.
What I’m also loving about this Matcha is that it frothed up so beautifully! It seems that with flavored Matcha, sometimes the flavor ends up replacing the lovely frothy cap of the Matcha, and I like that I have a nice, creamy-looking bowl of Matcha in front of me that seems to be disappearing very quickly! Matcha is one of those teas that just disappear way too quickly! Matcha is just so good.
But even as I reach the end of this bowl of Matcha, I notice that the powder has stayed well suspended into the hot water. It hasn’t really separated a whole lot. There is some separation, but, not so much that I need to get the whisk out again. I just swish the bowl around carefully, and the Matcha powder reintegrates into the tea.
The liquor is smooth and sweet with vegetative notes that marry beautifully with the distinct flavor of pear. The texture is creamy and smooth. No chalkiness. The pear tastes so delicious, just like biting into a fresh, ripe pear… like I said before, I can almost feel the texture of the pear pulp as the liquid washes over my palate. So amazingly good.
Of the many flavored Matcha teas that I’ve tried thus far from Red Leaf Tea, I think this one is one of my top three favorites … I might even go so far as to say it is my favorite! And it is definitely my favorite pear tea … and that is saying something, because I had created a pear tea that I was rather fond of in my tea flavoring/blending days. I think I like this even better than that often missed tea. Yes … this Matcha is THAT good! It’s awesome!