Matcha Outlet

I received a free sample of this from Red Leaf and boy am I glad that I did, it was a really nice morning treat.

I’m going to be spending the entire day at a birthday party for 2 year olds and I figured I would need all the extra energy I could muster up. This fit the bill perfectly and was super easy to make using my magic bullet and warm milk. It frothed up nicely and I didn’t need to worry about frothing milk separately, which is one of the reasons I don’t make more milk based drinks at home. I’m super lazy in the mornings and I love that this took no energy at all to prepare. This could possibly change my not a morning person ways. Maybe. I’m really not a morning person.

With the first sip I was hit with a wonderfully strong caramel flavor followed up by the sugar rush. There is a lot of sugar in this so next time I try it I’ll probably only use half the suggested amount. I don’t generally consume this much sugar so early in the morning, so this is a personal preference.

Check it out here, this could become your next addiction
http://www.redleaftea.com/matchaccino/caramel-matchaccino.html

I got this one from Lala, who warned me that she didn’t care for it, that it has a very chemical taste to it, and that it doesn’t taste like it smells. Which is unfortunate, because it smells pretty good! Like peach candy, kind of on the artificial end, which I happen to really like.

First tiny little sip: Wow, this is pretty chemical tasting. Not too bad, though. Oddly enough, it reminds me of the Harry Potter potions set that I had when I was little, although goodness knows what they put in those things.

Second, bigger sip: OH GOD YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THE BURNING. I’m… not really sure I can drink this. I think I’m going to try it as a latte, with lots of sugar. … and then I’ll probably send it along to the next person crazy enough to try it. =]

I bought tons of this a long time ago when it was on sale. I haven’t been drinking it much lately, but cold tea season is here.

My day began at 6:45 am going out to feed the chickens. Then I started working on a bed of shrubbery that was planted over 50 years ago by the original owners of the house. Do you know how hard it is to clear a bed after that long?

I worked an hour outside and came in to homeschool daughter. When she started some extensive written work, I went back out and worked another 2 1/2 hours, digging up roots and buried bricks and saplings that have sprung up and liriope that has spread higgledy-piggledy.

By the time I came in I was red as a beet and nauseated because I am a total wimp in heat. It was past time to eat but I just couldn’t face it. I rested a while, had a small lunch, and then the thungries hit. You remember that Nestle Quik commercial? No? That is because 95% of you are too young to remember it!

I looked around for something and thought of this. Perfect! I needed to keep my energy up because we had company coming. I mixed it with my aerolatte right in the glass, and drank it through a straw. SLURP! Just right.

This is the “special blend” batch again. I have had the munchies a lot lately and decided to have this instead of snacking. I can’t believe what a bargain this was, and I am 90% sure it is the lower grade in the bag. The usual grade is better, sure, but for the price this is totally drinkable and enjoyable, I get almost double out of it because it is rich enough to make more than they say, and it was so inexpensive that I got three bags at once because the shipping the same. Now I have enough for 90 large lattes and I think I paid $20 with shipping. This was a seriously good deal. I have to work the election Tuesday and I plan to take this and a gallon of milk with me to share with everyone.

Last week when Red Leaf Tea offered free tea for reviews – actually $1 plus shipping – I jumped on it. When my son and his girlfriend spend the weekend at my house they always want matcha lattes, which I usually make with my flavored matcha but I have made it from the MATCHAccino mix before. Then a day later the special “oops and uh-oh” blend was offered. I decided to take a chance that Red Leaf wouldn’t sell us something truly horrible and get two large bags of the special blend as well.

I am happy to say that I am drinking my special blend right now, way later than I should, and it is good! I do not know for sure that I got one of the “uh oh” bags but I think it is based on the color. When I open the bag that is definitely the usual grade I will compare the two, but I dare not drink two lattes this late in the evening,

Although they recommend one tablespoon to eight ounces of milk, I just fill my big glass, which is more like sixteen ounces, maybe more. Still, the flavor is rich caramel. I did add less than a teaspoon of raw cane sugar since I added so much extra milk, and honestly I think I finished the whole glass in less than two minutes.

I was excited to see that we still get the free measuring scoop in the large size bag. Silly of me to be excited about that, isn’t it? I really recommend that you take a chance on this special blend if you like flavored matcha lattes. I ordered three bags total because the shipping was the same however many I ordered. The shipping is reasonable when you feel how heavy the box is when it arrives!

Red Leaf, thank you for making this offer available to us!

I was fortunate enough to get in on the tasting when Red Leaf was about to release this product, and then with a later order they sent me a free sample of this. I think the caramel flavored matcha was the very first purchase I made from them, so I thought this was a brilliant flavor to start with for the mixes.

It is super easy to make, has fewer calories than most of the things I reach for when the afternoon hungries hit, and it is good for me. My son’s girlfriend asks for it every time she comes over, and it is my hubby’s favorite latte. (This is tied with almond flavor for me!)

http://www.redleaftea.com/matchaccino/caramel-matchaccino.html

With matchaccino you don’t have to choose a certain flavor level, and I find the amount they are putting just perfect.

This is the best matcha! I had it as a frappe late this afternoon to cool off and re-energize!

Made this one as a hot latte, and it was super awesome! I frothed about 6 oz warm 2% milk and mixed in 1 TBSP of the MATCHAccino mix. It was delicious, creamy, smooth. A good balance between the green matcha and the sweetness. I can never make a latte taste like this by using just plain matcha. Not sure what the secret ingredient is. It did start to settle towards the end of the cup and tasted a bit gritty.

I dedicate this note to KS (even though it is not Thursday), because he always posts about his delicious Starbucks green tea frap. Usually on Thursdays.

Usually what happens is KS posts about how delicious his green tea frap is, then I go to Starbucks to get one and end up getting snacks and treats and gums and mints and usually end up getting a drink that is not a green tea frap because I get distracted by shiney things. Then I get home and am like, Gee, I want a green tea frap.

So a while ago, I got a free sample for caramel MATCHAccino from Red Leaf Tea and it was delicious. I thought, why don’t I try a green tea MATCHAccino, then I can have it whenever I want. Because, you know, it is too complicated to get out all the things you need to make your own with just plain green matcha. There wasn’t that flavour on Red Leafs website. So I emailed Robert and he said they didn’t have it but he could certainly make some. So he did and posted it in the website. So yesterday it came! Hooray!

Not only is it in a releasable package, but it came with a scoop, yes a scoop. Whoop! The dry mix smells of strong, sweet and creamy green matcha. It smells very sweet, which is slightly concerning. I used 1 scoop, which I believe to be 1TBSP in 7oz of 2% milk, blendered it with 2 ice cubes. Now my blender isn’t the greatest. I kind of gets the ice chopped up, but not too small and still big enough that it gets stuck in the end of your straw and you can’t get any of the drink out.

It tasted almost spot on to the Starbucks green tea frap. It is strong but sweet matcha, smooth. There is less sweetness than what a Starbucks has, but I am ok with that. It wasn’t as smoothie like with the lack of crushed ice, but I don’t think I am going to get around that, unless I get out the snoopy snow cone maker and shave up some ice. I usually get a powder type taste with the Starbucks frap that I am not getting with this one. However, the MATCHAccino is giving me quite an aftertaste. But this may be due to the 2% milk. I usually drink skim, but didn’t have any in the fridge this morning. The Starbucks is a bit thicker and creamier.

So if I just do a basic comparison, Red Leaf advertises this to have 58 calories, 0g fat, 100% natural, no artificial sweeteners or colouring, no preservatives.
Starbucks for a tall has 320 calories, 12g fat, not sure about the other stuff.

The MATCHAccino is not as sweet, creamy or thick as a Starbucks, but I can also customize it better, and I like it less sweet.

So this doesn’t mean I am never going to Starbucks again (because I am sure I will need mints and gum and shiney things at some point) but I might be playing barista at home a bit more often.

Made is one again this morning, cold shaken with water, but this time with 1 tsp instead of 1/2. It is still good with 1 tsp but it is much more creamier and matcha tasting. The black cherry is quite a bit in the background. I feel like I got more black cherry taste out of the 1/2 tsp. It is good either way. Just depends on what flavours I want.

After my peach matcha debacle, I needed something good. So I went for this one. I have never tried it but the reviews are all positive. I have robust flavouring.

The dry matcha smells strongly of nibs licorice. Mmmm. I love nibs.

I made this cold shaken, 1/2 tsp in about 8 oz water with a bit of white sugar.

The taste is surprisingly mild. There is a light taste similar to nibs. But I would describe this one as more black cherry syrup tasting. My grandma makes chokecherry syrup every year and this is almost bang on for what it tastes like. Very delicious. You can taste the matcha but it blends well with the black cherry flavour. I think I will bump up how much matcha I use and see if that makes a stronger taste, but otherwise it is pretty good the way it is.

Backlog…I had this on Wednesday, on the ferry to Vancouver for our meetup…I tried making it with a small mason jar and some hot water from the ferry and some milk. It was probably the hasty preparation, but it isn’t a favourite.

Thanks to Incendiare for the chance to try this matcha. I have some french vanilla that I think I will like better.

Another sipdown, thanks to Incendiare. (I’m going through smaller packages in the morning so I can feel accomplished!)

I… really don’t care for this one. It’s missing caramel and chocolate flavours. Maybe a little salt. Of the three I’ve tried this week, French Vanilla is my favourite. Then Boston Cream, then this one way on the other side of the page. :/

Ahh well, it’s not undrinkable, I just don’t care for the flavour.

Incendaire made it an easy thing the last couple days, but I think I should always start my mornings off with matcha lattes.

Not much to say on this one because I drank it too fast to pay attention properly. I still have a creamy vanilla aftertaste lingering around on my tongue so I’m going to assume there was a lot of that going on.

This would be an amazing matcha to mix into others- it’s so smooth!

Another sipdown! (102 + possibly 8 more?)

This was really tasty, Incendiare, so thank you for sharing! It smelled good enough that it motivated me to go for a walk and buy some milk. :)

I drank it down so quickly though that I couldn’t really remember the flavours, but I know I liked it.

I drank this at 6, and I think that maybe part of the reason I’m still awake and power-cleaning while the baby is down for the night is this matcha. :P Also, who needs sleep when we have tea? I’ll be grumpy in the morning until I make my first cuppa. (You know you’re addicted when…)

Still, I’m hoping she’ll sleep until 7 or 8. :P

“Another Traveling Tea Box?!?!”

Eh… The flavoring is really chemical tasting. This just isn’t for me. Yuck!

Thank you, Incendiare, for the awesome samples! I know you weren’t sold on this flavouring, but it made a delicious morning latte today. The royal grade is pretty fine, and I’m going to have a hard time not always opting for it now.. I’m not even going to try, actually. The matcha here mixes so smoothly!

I’ll admit that the macadamia nut flavouring is a tad abrasive. These guys taste like they’re loaded with salt, and leave that tingling aftertaste. They’re more the nuts you’d eat with beer and jerky than the kind you find flirting with desserts. The effect is strange in a latte, but not unpleasant. I still consumed this like I do all my other matcha lattes- waay too quickly. Always a good sign.

Yay sipdown! Haha. More like a perfect one-serving sample from Incendiare. (Robust flavour.)

This was delicious. I mixed it with a little hot water, and whisked it (with my tiny balloon whisk) until it was combined. Then I added a couple big ice cubes and filled my sippy cup with unsweetened plain almond milk.

It was like pudding. Really tasty! I’m not sure I’d want a whole 30g of this matcha, but it was good to try it, and I’d be willing to split it if we end up with a group matcha order at some point (uhh, not right now though. I need less tea before we do that!).