Matcha Outlet

Well I have felt lethargic and blah all day, maybe from the fast food for lunch or the late night. I had a small nap but don’t feel any more rested. My stomach has been finnicky today as well. So time for some matcha to straighten me out. I was going to make one of the ones I had already open, but I got looking…they have been open for around 10 months and every time I was making them, they smelled good but tasted bland. And I had a dew servings of each. So I made an executive decision to get rid of the last bits and open this final pack, which has waited patiently for 10 months lol.

So the dry smell is tangy, not overly cheesecake like in my opinion, but a sweet tangyness nonetheless. I made half a tsp with just hot water, my standard method. Whisked it up, and it smells kind of the same as the dry, maybe a bit more green tea. Not as crazy good smelling as previous ones.

As for the taste, I get a generic kind of creamy sweetness, not readily identifiable as cheesecake, but it is a different creaminess than the french vanilla. Interesting, and the flavor is growing on me. I went into it expecting a crazy cheesecake flavor, but now that I am accepting it’s more mellow, I am enjoying it. It should be much easier to get through 1 package of matcha than 3 open at a time haha. And this one will go down pretty easy I think, if I keep up drinking it! Happy to have tried this flavor, another good one by Red Leaf!

Sipdown (134)!

Christmas #3 takes place tomorrow – I know it seems awfully late to still be celebrating Christmas but I still need to do my exchange with my Aunt and Grandma so we’re doing that tomorrow since it was the earliest everyone could get together to do it. We’ll be heading to Moose Jaw early tomorrow morning, so I had to finish off my Christmas presents!

And that directly ties into this matcha, because one of my Christmas presents was matcha infused cookies for my Grandma! She asked that whatever I give her this year tie into the Tea Sommelier classes I’m taking ’cause she wants to learn more about them. So, I made some tea infused baking! Specifically I made sugar cookies: “Pina Colada” flavour. Or really, Pineapple Matcha and Coconut matcha flavour.

I had more pineapple matcha than coconut matcha, so that’s the more dominant flavour. It’s a little weird tasting a pineapple sugar cookie? But the coconut saves it and really does convey the pina colada flavour I was going for.

Hopefully my grandma likes ’em!

If all you want it Pina Colada Matcha you’re probably best off buying that flavor as it stands, but when you already have Coconut and Pineapple Matcha mixing the two is the next best thing! Check out the full review here:

http://steepster.com/roswellstrange/posts/318998#likes

Mixed this and Strawberries & Cream Matcha in a very tropical smoothie! Read the full tasting note for that here:

http://steepster.com/roswellstrange/posts/284272#comments

Thought I was done writing tasting notes for the day but I forgot that I sprinkled some of this on my lunch at Sobeys on Saturday! I made an instant cup of Mango Salsa Quinoa with mixed peppers, and then I heated up some Red Wine Cheddar from the Cheese Counter at the store into the mix, and sprinked on Pineapple Matcha – it was SO GOOD, even though I could hardly taste the matcha.

Sobeys has those Milk To Go drinks I love on for $1.00 right now so I bought a few different kinds; Caramilk ones just because and then some Vanilla ones to mix with matcha. I’ve got a couple sample bags of matcha in my work bag, so I just picked out this one and cold shook it into the bottle.

Unfortunately, even though I actually ended up using a larger amount of matcha than I normally do for matcha milk (limited measuring things in the staff room) I still couldn’t really taste the pineapple? I did taste some vegetalness from the green tea itself but no juicy sweet tropical fruit? What’s that about.

Boo.

Shaken into cold milk in my timolino on the walk to work. I was rushed so I opted for matcha for work tea, instead of brewing something. This is pretty much the easiest and fastest prep method. Just act like you’re doing a shake weight thinger with your tea/timolino while rushing to work! No lumps or nothin’. And as always this remained a creamy, sweet tropical treat!

Very rarely do I post teas out of order from when I’ve had them – but tonight I really want to make an exception because there’s something I feel like I really need to talk about. For those on Steepster who don’t know, the amazing comedian Robin Williams died today; apparently he took his own life.

I found out today while at work; they announced it over the radio and immediately my heart sank and I felt a huge pit in my stomach. I had to take a moment and stop what I was doing; celebrity deaths (and of course death in general) are sad but this is the first one in my life time that has really hit home. Robin Williams was a huge part of my childhood growing up and, while I know it’s not my generation alone who will mourn him, I feel like this one hits especially close for my generation. Jumanji, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society, and of course many of his other brilliant works have been such an integral part of growing up for me.

And I think the fact that he was such an amazing comedian who brought so much laughter to so many people is a huge part of why this is so hard to stomach for me; but it’s an important reminder that even the happiest seeming people can be going through so much deep inside; something I think I know all too well about myself.

So tonight even though my matcha milkshake/smoothie should taste sweet and tropical (raspberries, pineapple matcha, milk, vanilla ice cream) everything is bitter sweet and sad instead. Even Tre, who normally has so much to say, is being quiet tonight while we both mourn the loss of such a beloved man.

Tonight to honour Robin we’ll be watching Dead Poets Society; Tre’s never seen it, but it was a really important movie for me in high school and probably my favourite Robin William’s movie other than Aladdin.

And of course who can forget his amazing guest appearance on Whose Line, which is undeniably one of my favourite shows ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35YHvoNXxAA

RIP Oh Captain, my Captain!

So, I really really love RLT’s flavoured matcha – and of all the different kinds I own this is probably the most versatile: I’ve successfully used it cold shaken in water, whisked into cold milk, in smoothies and milkshakes, and as a matcha soda. No matter how I use it the flavour remains distinctly juicy pineapple. Tonight, I went with matcha soda.

Here’s my recipe:

1.5 tsp. of matcha disolved into about 2 oz. of hot water
1 tsp. of sugar
1 can of club soda

Interestingly, as a matcha soda I find that the pineapple, while retaining some of the natural taste it has, becomes a little bit more like candied pineapple, and in the case of this particular batch it tasted just a little bit like bubble gum – but I enjoyed how different that was, and the added element/dimension it brought to the flavour. It is also possible the added sweetness was more from the added sugar; typically I do not ad d any sweetner to any of my tea, the matcha soda being the exception because I find the sweetner is needed to combat the taste of the club soda.

Just a friendly reminder if you’re gonna go the match soda route; remember to occasionally stir it a little bit because otherwise any matcha that didn’t properly dissolve will end up sitting on the bottom and your last few sips will be really, really concentrated!

And that, folks, is the last of my epic, long as fuck queue – so I can finally go to sleep now, and start fresh tomorrow without any backlog! Hooray! I feel like I’ve accomplished so much.

Enjoyed a concoction of this one, a bottle of Vanilla Milk, and a few tbsp. of Pina Colada drink mix at work a few days back. It was nothing short of heavenly; pretty much it was super rich, juicy pineapple and lots of thick vanilla and cream flavour with the lightest touch (but still present) of Coconut.

I need to start stocking up on Vanilla Milk just so I can enjoy using this matcha in it. I could drink that sweet tropical ambrosia every day of the week and be happy!

Cracked open my 30g packet of this for breakfast this morning (well, technically afternoon). It smelled so fresh and yummy! Because I still have bottles of vanilla milk I figured I’d shake a 1/2 tsp. of this up into the vanilla milk and sip on that on the walk to work.

The Cookies & Cream matcha I tried this way last night was super sweet and cloying but I thought this one was delicious! It was absolutely a creamy pineapple drink bursting with flavour. Despite the lack of coconut, it actually heavily reminded me of the Pina Colada Vodka Mudshakes that I love to keep around! It was the same sorta thick, rich tropical pineapple flavour. Mmm!

I have one more bottle of the vanilla milk left so I may just do this again tomorrow morning instead of trying a new flavour. Although Cheesecake sounds promising too…

Sipdown (202/205)!

This one’s departing my cupboard with much sadness, but also in the tastiest way ever! Matcha smoothie! So, this is mixed up with one frozen banana and one and a half cups of cold milk, and it is oh so delicious and good. In total, there’s just a bit more than 1 tsp. of matcha in here, and while I could have split that into two smaller amounts this was totally the way to go.

Definitely feeling and loving the matcha buzz! Until we meet again, Pinapple Matcha!

Third (late) morning/breakfast cup – this time prepared as tea soda. Sadly I’m going to be out of this soon, which is just awful because I love it so much! When I eventually break hiatus I’ll place a giant Red Leaf order and pick up more.

I used 1 tsp. of matcha to flavour a full can of Club Soda. No sweetner – this doesn’t really need it. I believe (I always forget) that this is distinct flavouring? Either VariaTEA or Sil should remind me.

Also, the carbonation is totally doing its part to wake me up! Yay for that! I’m also happy to report, I think I’ve finally gotten over the whole ‘drinking flavours that aren’t meant to be green’ thing so I no longer have to drink my matcha in solid water bottles and pretend I’m not, for example, drinking green eggnog. Also yay for that!

I’m so stupidly exhausted and tired…

This actually wasn’t on my list of teas to try tonight, but I was too tired to make much of anything else and talking about tea soda/matcha soda kind of put me in the mood to make some, so I decided to finally try this one out! I recieved this from the so kind VariaTEA and I know she received it from someone else initially, but I can’t remember who :(

Pineapple is my favourite fruit of all time and a flavour I heavily enjoy in tea, so I was very excited about this one! I don’t know what the specifications for this matcha are; I think maybe it’s robust? Or, at the least, distinctive? Dry it smells genuinely like pineapple; super sweet and yummy and fresh and just perfect.

I used 1/2 tsp. dissolved into about an ounce of hot water, and then diluted with a can of club soda. I’m getting pretty comfortable with the colour of matcha now when I’m drinking it (I had this weird mind thing going on about drinking icky looking green beverages) so I didn’t even pour this one into my water bottle to hide the colour while I drank it!

And taste wise, it was so good! Definitely a distinct pineapple taste that was just sweet enough and still maintained a natural quality. It reminded me a lot of the smell of Butiki’s Flowery Pineapple Oolong, actually. The green tea was still a little present, but not a lot and not nearly enough to overshadow my beloved pineapple. This was just a natural fit as something to try as a soda.

I’ve found a couple flavoured matchas now that I really enjoyed but was unsure about ordering, but I think this is the first where I can definitively say I would want more around and therefore would actually order some more.

I had to try this. And I’m not unimpressed. Having been a little spoiled by starting with Matchachino before trying the real thing, I wasn’t expecting to like it. I have a lot of trouble with unflavored matcha at this point, but hopefully that will change as I adjust to the flavor. This one though, is very good I’m happy to say. Its easy to drink as well.

That said I have a sample of the eggnog one (I don’t like eggnog even slightly but I was curious and now I’m too nervous to try it). Anyone wanna swap it for a sample of another matcha that they might have?

Made this with just regular hot water today. It was ok. There is not much eggnog taste. Mostly just a vanilla, caramel, creamy taste. This one was definitely better as a hot latte.

Received this one as a free sample from Red Leaf Tea.

I am neither here nor there with eggnog. I will drink it if it is around, but I do not think I have ever purchased a carton of eggnog for myself before.

The initial smell reminded me very much of the caramel matcha. But after I started to mix it up as a latte, it smelled like eggnog. I used 2 tsp with 12 oz warm frothed milk and a bit of white sugar to sweeten. It definitely tastes like eggnog, but eggnog mixed with matcha. I feel like I am getting notes of dark rum and nutmeg. The only thing, is there is just a tiny bit of that chemical taste I have had in some other flavoured matchas. It is still very much drinkable, I am just getting a tinge of it.

I am actually surprised byt the taste of this one.

I’m chuckling a little after reading the description. This drink will help me appear trendy AND adventurous! I better get out of the house to be seen with this drink in order to reap those benefits! ;)

This matcha came as a free sample with my order, I love free samples! This seems like an excellent way to try a new flavor and I wish they offered the option to buy 10 different flavors in this size as a try me pack.

I mixed it with a little sugar, powdered goat milk and hot water. Usually with eggnog, the most dominant flavor or scent is nutmeg, but it is more subtle in this letting the creamy custard like flavors shine. It is a little bitter mid sip, I’m guessing the free samples are the basic grade matcha which has that nip to it. I get a more full eggnog flavor as an aftertaste with it being creamier during the sip. It is a fun holiday flavor, but it isn’t amazing me with it’s flavor intensity. Looks like there is enough in the sample for a couple more cups, so I’ll try something different next time to see if I can get more flavor out of it. I’m excited that I got to try it. Thank you Red Leaf for the sample!

Backlog:

I think I ordered this one out of curiosity more than anything else.

Sweet and tart flavor, a pleasant fruity taste that reminds me of something between grapes and peaches. Almost candy-like, like sweet-tart candies.

The matcha is smooth and buttery. I went with the “usual” specifications for me: classic matcha grade with a distinctive level of flavoring. I like the way this worked out, I can taste the gooseberry and I can taste the matcha. A good balance between the two.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/10/26/gooseberry-flavored-matcha-red-leaf-tea/

Sample sipdown! I didn’t quite have a full serving left, so I mixed this in with some ovaltine for breakfast. VERY GOOD COMBO!

Very tasty Christmas Eve latte for breakfast thanks to the generous CrowKettle!

As suspected the pumpkin pie flavor DOES pair very nicely with white matcha. I drank this whisked with warm whole milk and a little bit of honey. Super rich and tasty :)

Matcha sipdown….

My daughter finished this today. She did like it, but for her, the additional cost over regular flavored matcha just did not make sense.

One thing of note….I was really annoyed getting the last few servings from the bag. The included scoop was brilliant until the end. By then, the handle as not long enough and I had to stick my hand way down into the bag and hope I could manage to get the mix in the measuring cup. I think if I were to repurchase (which is not likely) I would be hoping for a scoop with a longer handle, or even the equivalent in a measuring spoon with a longer handle. I am sure the volume can be approximated for someone who needs the information.

Matcha of the morning…..

I decided to give this one another go today. It is a little sweet for me, but I think I will have my sweets loving daughter try this. I think the improved texture when blending up with ice will definitely make a difference for her. I will report back!

Blended with ice and milk.

Matcha of the morning…..

It was time to pull this one out just to see how it compares to the way I usually prepare my matcha. For a cold version of this, it calls for 6-8 oz of milk and some ice, plus a scoop of the matchaccino mix, and then blend in a blender. When I make regular matcha, it is 6-8 oz milk, 6 ice cubes, 1/2 tsp matcha, and 1 packet of Spenda blended up.

First off, I think I got the lower quality based on the reviews I read here. I think I read somewhere here at Steepster where Red Leaf mentioned that there was a lower quality matcha batch that got mixed with a good batch, so you were kind of taking a chance, hence the lower price. No worries on that as the price I paid was fair. The product in my bag is kind of a brownish green rather than the bright green I am used to for matcha.

This differs slightly in overall taste. I do find the caramel flavor is kind of light (it is delicate). To me it mostly just tastes sweet. A little too sweet. The texture is much better, but I have some ideas why that I will explain later. I can tell the difference in matcha quality as it tastes just a little green. This is not bad (remember I have the lower quality that was a cancelled “special order?”), but I think it would be better in the usual grade of matcha.

The texture differences are all due to the sugar, xanthan gum, and tapioca dextrose. Sugar itself adds bulk in comparison to Splenda. Xanthan Gum is definitely a thickener, and from what I can quickly research on the tapioca dextrose, I think it is a lower sweet/higher bulk than the cane sugar. It is nice because the ‘middle’ of this feels filled when drinking it. In my usual version, you can kind of sense the ice just not quite being enough to fill it out. If that makes sense. The only thing that seems to suffer because of the added bulk is there is not as much room for frothiness.

I think for me, I will stick to the normal flavored matcha. Adding the Splenda is not an issue for me as that it what I use to sweeten all of my tea. It just comes out frothier (unless that is a product of the quality of the matcha and not the bulking agents.)