Matcha Outlet

So someone decided to add coconut here. Awesome. :)

I had a mug of this as a hot latte this morning. I thought I got the lowest flavour level, but wow there’s a lot of flavour in this. If I use a whole scoop in a 16oz drink, it starts getting a little chemically.. so I usually use half a scoop.

I do like this, but next time (there WILL be a next time!) I’m making 100% sure I get the lowest flavour level. I just don’t need more than that!

It seems that I’m always making this up for my mother but never drink it myself. If I drank more of it I’d probably eat less- the steamed milk version is as rich and filling as cake! It made a nice dessert after Japanese food. Some days call for indulgence.

This is a silly old note that was originally posted to the Caramel page. Just moving it here!

Coconut, distinctive level flavoring. One pound package. Free shipping sucked me in again. No regrets, though, because the sugary deliciousness of this burns with the intensity of 1000 suns. I will never get a green tea frappe from Starbucks again (that statement is almost definitely a lie).

I made this up as a warm latte, with one tablespoon of powder and about a cup of frothed soy milk. I didn’t sift or whisk anything up although I superstitiously stirred with a spoon a few times in a halfhearted manner. There was no debris at the bottom so I figure I got away with it.

I’ve tried the regular coconut matcha from Red Leaf at a robust level, and wasn’t particularly won over by the whole sunscreen on the beach vibe. It turned out to be an excellent flavour here, however; it’s a lot lighter on the senses than the robust coconut matcha. This is exactly how I like my coconut- creamy, thick, and light, with a good dash of sweetness to boot. One pound will likely not last too long.

My invoice says I ordered Caramel but the package label and it’s powdery green contents clearly say Coconut. I’m not phased by this whatsoever, and wasn’t fully invested in caramel anyways.

Edit: looking back, I never thought my mother would get so attached to this blend! It’s the only thing she asked for Christmas so it must be good..

I’m having this in a latte made with a touch of honey, and some unsweetened coconut almond milk.

You see, I’m starting to get a migraine, but I really want to go dancing tonight – I’m even getting in free because I volunteered for a shift.

So. Caffeine, advil, some muscle relaxants, and a lot of hope. Some dinner would probably help too.

This is from Sil, and it’s distinctive. I have a tiny bit left that I will probably be mixing with the tiny bit of Caramel later this evening.

It’s definitely vanilla-y. I’m not sure which vanilla I like better – I’ll have to review my notes. There’s this, French Vanilla, and Boston Cream (yes, I class that as vanilla! It’s pastry cream, which is essentially amazing vanilla pudding.). Eenie meenie miney moe.

:)

Thanks for this sample too, Sil. :)

Distinct level. I’m liking the distinct level better in these flavoured matcha, actually. I get more matcha flavour, which is nice.

I’m having it as a hot latte with almond coconut milk today. This stuff tastes fairly strongly of coconut, so I think it will go better with the pineapple than the plain almond milk did.

Mmm, vanilla.

(PS. I am STILL stuffed up from the cold. So frustrated, I want to drink all the samples!)

I won this in a contest. I actually chose this over a trip to an international tea estate, but you know what? I’m so glad I did. This stuff is AMAZING! It comes in a pouch with a scoop. Add 1 scoop to 8 oz of warm milk and blend. I put it in my latte maker and am so impressed, I could drink this everyday. It’s frothy, a beautiful green matcha color and tastes incredible with slightest hint of caramel. I can also taste the matcha. This is going to have a permanent place in my tea cabinet!

Sipdown! Thanks, Sil. This was sooooo good!

I’m just having it in water today. I think I prefer it as a latte. I might prefer ALL matcha as lattes.

It’s tart and green and pineappley. It’s nice, but I think I’ll add some warmed milk.

This is even better with the almond-coconut milk. Yum.

It’s like dried or dry candied pineapple. Not much tartness, just smooth pineapple flavour all the way. Definitely on my to-buy list.

Yum! Yum yum yum.

Distinct flavouring, from Sil. Again. :)

Smells like candied dried pineapple. The flavour isn’t as strong, but still. So tasty, even as a hot latte. I’ve found my sweet spot for making these things, so I expect most flavours will taste good, if I like the components. :)

(Whisk matcha in 165F water, microwave almond milk for 1:30, mix together, add more water if needed, maybe some sugar, drink.)

Two scoops of matcha, two scoops of soy protein powder, a bit of fresh ginger, and a cup of cranberry juice. Can’t really taste the matcha but this contraption is good- nutty, sweet, and tart. It’s almost creamy too. It makes up for not having a banana (or any fresh fruit) in the apartment right now.

Normally, this is a nice, mild flavour, even though it’s Robust. the nutty hemp blends into the natural notes of the green matcha well. I’m not sure this is something I would get again but it’s a pleasant flavour.

Edit: I had 3 scoops this again today in a smoothie with pear, ginger, lemon, cranberry juice, and a little soy protein for fizz. I’m down to my last scoop.. almost time to buy more matcha!

You all probably know by now that I like trying new things, especially if they are unusual or outside of my comfort zone, especially when it comes to foods and drinks. When I was window shopping for new teas to try I ran across Red Leaf Tea a company that specializes in fancy flavored Matcha. I admit, I did a double take, flavored Matcha? I have never heard of that but I was immediately intrigued, especially when I saw the awesome sale the flavor I am reviewing today was having. I had to try it and see what I think about flavored Matcha.

Caramel MATCHAccino is a fancy blend suitable for making Matcha Lattes (I admit I am a barbarian, this is my favorite way to drink Matcha) all I need was milk, ice, a blender, and whip cream. sadly I did not have any whip cream and I loathe ice in things (too cold, my teeth are super sensitive to that) so I just whipped up a milky blend. Before I get to the blending I should describe the aroma when I open the bag, and what an aroma it is! Intensely sweet caramel aroma just wafts up and gently slams you in the nose, and I say that as a compliment. With just the powder I do not smell much in the way of Matcha, just caramel sweetness.

Adding the milk and mixing it up the aroma becomes more like caramelized sugar rather than caramel candies, which I prefer actually. I had an incident when I was younger involving a tub of caramel sauce and just can not find the same pleasure as I once did. There is also more of a Matcha aroma as well, fresh and green and very distinctive. One of my favorite smells!

First I am going to try the drink cold since you can have it both ways (woohoo! versatility!) first thing I notice is creamy sweetness and then Bam! Matcha flavor! The taste is grassy and green and the caramel is like caramelized sugar. In fact I would say that this drink tastes like a Matcha flavored Flan! I need to make one of those now. I should also note that this drink feels really good on my sore throat.

Next is warm. I should apologize for the photo, I was a good ways into drinking it before I realized I forgot to take the blasted thing. The first thing I notice is that the aroma is much creamier and even more like a Flan. The taste is very rich and creamy, I would go so far as to say decadent. The taste of the Matcha is much more distinct and the sweetness takes on a burnt sugar taste and a bit of sugar cookies as well. I am not sure which of these versions I prefer since they are both really good! My first foray into flavored Matcha was a success and I am certainly intrigued to try some of my favorite flavors mixed with Matcha. Anyone want to take a guess at which flavor I am most likely to try next?

Blog and photos here: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/10/red-leaf-tea-caramel-matchaccino-tea.html

Holy hannah, this matcha is SWEET. I mean, there’s no sugar in it as far as I can tell, but the flavouring is really candy-like.

I made some of this (from VariaTEA!) into a white chocolate matcha latte today, and although I used less white chocolate than I do for my plain matcha white chocolate lattes, it’s so sweet I actually can’t finish it. I drank about 3/4 of my latte while it was still hot.

I still really like the flavouring (it’s distinctive, I think), but WOW. No need for more sugar.

I guess I’ll have some tomorrow, but just shaken with almond milk… :)

SIP DOWN.

I really enjoyed this one. I had it only as hot lattes with almond milk, and it worked really well. Definitely on my shopping list!

Made as a latte with almond milk! YUM!

Thanks, Sil! :)

Thanks, Sil! For real this time. :) Those little pots you sent the matcha in are adorable!

The flavoured matchas are so strong I can smell them through my cold. Wow! I’m having this one iced this morning. A couple spoons of matcha, mixed with some hot water, topped up with unsweetened almond milk and ice.

Delicious. I actually quite like this flavour with a cold, but I’m not certain how it would be without the cold. Would I be able to taste any chemical flavour? I’m not sure.

Right now, this one and Pineapple (smells SO good!) are on my “must buy” list. :)

Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Distinctive

So I am at the point in my tea life where if I don’t like the tea, I am not going to force myself to drink it, or keep it in the cupboard forever in case I decide someday I am going to like it. So I would rather just give it away, or throw it away, or get rid of it somehow.

I tried mixing this one with French Vanilla flavoured matcha and regular matcha. Mixing it helped to blunt the chemical/perfume/soap taste of the matcha, but still not enough for me to enjoy drinking it. I think the matcha itself is good but there is just too much flavouring in it, so it is giving it that chemical taste. I think from reading other reviews, it would have been better with a more delicate flavouring.

So this is on the take away thread if anyone is interested in trying this (after reading my rave reviews of it and all – haha). :P

I love bergamot. So naturally this one was a must try for me. On first opening the package though, I was a bit disappointed. There is a very strong bergamot smell but it also very much reminds me of soap. Dinosara stated in her tasting note this one reminds her of cleaning solution and I would agree.

I ordered this one robust flavour, basic grade. I decided to first try as a hot latte. Mixed 1 tsp matcha in about 8 oz milk. There is definitely an Earl Grey taste but there is also that chemical taste that I have gotten with some of Red Leaf’s other flavours. It is not undrinkable but not as delicious as I had hoped. It is leaving a perfume type aftertaste in my mouth. It seems the matcha is having some kind of reaction with the milk, the milk is fizzing and frothing in my cup, similar to dish soap. This is weird. I am thinking I should have gotten a less level of flavour instead of robust. The hazard of buying before trying.

I am going to try mixing this one with other matchas and see what happens, if not I guess its going onto the take away thread.

Silentrequiem wrote a glowing review about the deliciousness of this tea PLUS this tea was temporarily available online for a ridiculously discounted price, so I bought two 1lb bags. It is definitely very, very tasty. I’ve only had it cold so far, and I’ve tried it with two different types of vanilla soymilk as well as with 1% real milk. I think I liked it better with soymilk (as long as there’s enough matcha powder to prevent the vanilla flavor from taking center stage). I’ve been making it with a bit more powder than recommended because I like the flavor stronger. The powder has a bunch of sweetener in it, so this is probably bad… I’ve also found it hard to drink this slowly because it’s just so tasty.

It’s best blended (to make sure there are no powder balls), but simply shaking the milk and powder in a sealed container works pretty well (although the last time I did this, I kept encountering powder balls and had to re-shake it halfway through). Overall, a very tasty tea [that I’m drinking too much of]!

Last bit of this. SO GOOD. Milk/water mix, hot. NOM.

In the habit of having a milky matcha before my morning coffee lately – pretty great way to start the day, gotta say.

Thank you Lala for this sample.

It’s Matcha Madness Monday and this mornings matcha is Raspberry and Cream in robust flavour. I love having matcha on Monday mornings when my soy milk is delivered, I used to be allergic to milk as a child and still to this day if I drink cows milk it gives me a painful, bloated stomach. So even though I am not vegan I use soy milk though I’m not sure if that makes my matcha late’s any different in taste compared to a cow milk one? No idea but thought I would mention it anyway.

So, this matcha does smell very sweet and like raspberries but there is something there hard to describe other than artificial. Reading Lala’s review she also said there is a chemical smell and honestly I smell it too. It’s not terrible but not the nicest matcha to enjoy the aroma of.

Some quick whisking and tada I have a lovely iced matcha late.

My first few sips reveal a sweet raspberry flavour that is rather on the subtle side despite being the robust blend. It does taste creamy too but it’s very hard to determine if it’s the blend or the soy milk. The green tea is mild in flavour but noticeable in the after taste.

Compared to Red Leaf Teas – Raspberry Truffle this Raspberry and Cream blend is much softer and lighter which can be good but I just don’t like it as much personally. I’m not usually a fan of chocolate anything (I have a savoury tooth instead of sweet) but it seemed a better fit for me than the cream.

Today I mixed Pumpkin Pie with Cheesecake, cold milk and frothed it right up. This was a pretty good combo, but not as satisfying as the Cheesecake/Belgium Chocolate.

Just a quick a note – Belgium Chocolate and Cheesecake matcha mixed together with warm milk is quite amazing!