Matcha Outlet

I don’t know what led me to choose a white base for this.

But, it works. It’s very earthy, which sounds like it might be an odd combination for cookies and cream, but it makes it taste a lot like black tea. It actually tastes a lot like the Milk & Cookies tea from 52teas last Christmas.

I will say more later when I’m not nervously freaking out inside.

I have a coconut milk creamer I really want to use with this one, but I went with milk for the time being since I bought half a gallon. It was 40 cents more to get twice as much milk, no wonder I stick with coconut milk. I wanted to bake up something with matcha but yeah, not feeling like it. Plus my plan is to send it to some people because I know I’m the only one over here who will eat some matcha biscotti or shortbread. I guess with the job now I’ll have people who will eat matcha food though haha.

This one though I’d totally put in shortbread, or actually I’d like to make the punition cookies I bought in Paris. A boulangerie near where we stayed, Poilâne, makes these cookies and they are in the Dorie Greenspan cookbook I have (and also online: http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2007/04/better-butter-a-tasting-and-a-recipe.html). I brought them back home no problem but my boyfriend ate them all :( Still haven’t told him I have the recipe to make them. They are so buttery I imagine a creamy matcha added to the recipe would be intriguing.

Anyway after last night’s success with the Cookies and Cream matcha, I figured I’d make a hot latte with this and the whole point of all this blah blah blah was that I used regular milk and I should really use the coconut milk creamer and see if I die and go to creamy heaven.

With just 2% milk though this is pretty rich and creamy. This one definitely tastes amazing hot or cold, but I think the vanilla comes out a bit more when it’s hot, and as previously mentioned, cold it tastes a lot like whipped cream.

I quite like this 50/50 base. It seems to have just a slight green matcha taste to it and it has just a little of the maltiness of the white matcha.

Ok hopefully I did the name right.

I have a job interview tomorrow! I was walking down the street downtown quite pleased with myself. And it was even better to come home to three new matchas.

Of course I had wanted this one the most so I had to try it first. It still very much resembles your usual green matcha, at least in color.

I made a cold latte because I was thinking whipped cream. The smell in the glass is marvelous. More than marvelous. Pure sweet creaminess. It makes me want a donut, actually, and I’m not their biggest fan unless they’re really, really good (see note on passionfruit matcha!).

Tastewise, the matcha itself still tastes mostly like a green one, but it’s lighter in flavor. At first it doesn’t taste like it’s going to be as creamy as the smell, but it comes on after the matcha. It’s a nice, lingering custardy flavor.

So glad I got a large bag of this. When I do not feel silly from medication I will get to work on my full review for my blog of course~

I didn’t realize it was cocoa powder added for the flavor here. Of course I also didn’t read a single thing about it because it was on sale, and you buy immediately when things are on sale.

I’m drinking it cold even though I just came in from outside and it has remarkably cooled down. This is not a sweet chocolate flavor at all, which I love. At the same time it doesn’t actually taste like cocoa powder, or feel like it, in the way a tea like DavidsTea’s Chocolate Cake does.

As usual I have it with a bit of milk and a couple ice cubes. I’m not a fan of the coconut milk I have right now, and I think a different brand or at least one that’s slightly sweetened would really shine with this matcha. It doesn’t even add a richness to this, and that was what I was really hoping for. I still haven’t found my favorite.

This definitely reminds me of matcha and the chocolat chaud I had in Paris…here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/p%C3%A2tisserie-viennoise-paris-2#hrid:6zEUX8xdSIVsBJ9ZpAvxrg Okay that goes right to my review but there is also some blasphemer who comes up first otherwise at least on my usual setting on Yelp.
It was ridiculous. It’s why I wish I had a richer “cream” to match, so that I could pretend I had an iced matcha version of it. This is definitely nowhere as chocolatey but it is very similar in that it’s not sweet, it’s well, chocolate.

Last week, I got a donut with passionfruit icing, so I’ve really been craving more passionfruit stuff. And the donut, but it’s a pain to get over to this donut shop so I was hoping maybe this matcha could curb the cravings because the passionfruit part was the best part!

This tastes very similar to the passionfruit frosting when I add agave, but of course with matcha, which last I checked is probably a much better base for something passionfruit flavored than a donut, at least for waistlines.

I tend to add milk to matcha when I have it cold because it’s too much for me if I don’t; I was worried it would clash with the passionfruit, but it is a non-dairy variety of milk from coconut. I FINALLY got the one I have been searching for, and it was $2.75 for half a gallon to boot. My closest Publix doesn’t ever have a damn thing I’m looking for, so I went to the newest one around here, complete day and night difference. Sad because I like them but abandoning stores because they had been doing poorly is rude.

Okay that’s not really related but I had to go pick some up to try my new matchas. And it’s still annoying me.

I try not to get passionfruit flavored teas cause I know they’ll never compare but this one is easily the best (for example it blows that Maracuja flavored tea from Upton out of the water) with no competition. I didn’t think it was that hard to get passionfruit right given it’s fascinating to us here being all “exotic” so to speak.

I bought it with the Belgium chocolate one and I’m gonna mix them after I try that one by itself. Oh yes, passionfruit and chocolate are amazing together.

It’s been so long since I’ve had matcha. I feel silly.

Now of course this has probably aged, though I’ve been keeping it all in the fridge. But I think the problem more is that I have forgotten the parameters I liked. So really I think I made this too light, because it smells like cheesecake in the tin, and this sure tastes like matcha.

I also realized I don’t have milk of some sort so I probably went too heavy on the coconut milk creamer. Oh well. It’s the matcha part that counts right? I don’t want this stupid flu that so many people have.

I need to get back into the reviewing for more matcha thing, I am in desperate need for some of the other flavors but first I should finish off what I have :)

Four words: mango berry cheesecake smoothie.

The end.

No really if you haven’t used this one to make a smoothie yet, follow softrevolution’s lead ASAP.

The only way this could be even better is if white chocolate matcha was out already.

I just gave my mom some of this mixed with milk, and she’s like, did you come up with this yourself? Hahaha. I will probably make it again for her with a bit more matcha in it since this was the first time she’s ever had it. Cold with milk is seriously the best way to drink this ever.

I also just remembered when writing my review for my blog that the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook has a recipe for liquid cheesecake and when I finally get around to making it (it’s basically undercooked cheesecake filling) I am adding this matcha in!

Except at the same time I wonder if this should be saved for drinking like this, and just unflavored matcha should go into cheesecake. It’s not like a recipe for a full cheesecake so I may have to try it despite this feeling.

I’m having another. One thing, I am having major clumping problems so I’d definitely sift this first if you have the means. I’m not sure if it’s the matcha or me since right now I am not with my whisk. Not that it makes this any less delicious but just something I’m noticing.

I want to make ice cream with this, if only my freezer wasn’t full of peach jam.

ahhhhhhhhHHHHHHH!!!

That could be all, basically.

I’m drinking it cold with milk and yes, yes indeed this is totally cheesecake matcha. With some kind of sweetener, it’d be even closer but I wanted to try it just like this at first. Rich, tangy, awesome.

Oh man oh man oh man if you haven’t ordered this yet, you need to. I’m going to have another cup like this later!

OH YES.

Steepster, we have Spetzi matcha takeoff. I’m surprised a 1:1 ratio worked so well. I thought I was going to need to go heavier on the Cola matcha since typically you need to use far more Coke to orange soda/juice for a good spetzi but this turns out brilliantly. I used a 1/4 tsp of each, whisked it up in water, then diluted it with coconut milk. I added a touch of agave, and some ice to fill the glass.

So perfect. The cola matcha brings its soda flavor and still has that effervescent quality to it. The orange matcha is just the right amount of fruit flavor to match. Definitely an interesting combination but it’s just so good. Although now I’d like to try just orange juice in the cola matcha but the color of that might not be pretty.

Since Red Leaf has 2 in 1s now I figured I’d make an entry for this anyway in case anyone else thinks of it.

Today my dad rode around Atlanta Motor Speedway in some kind of open wheel formula car! They claim Indycar but it’s clearly not to anyone who has watched Indy ever. This is him getting in the car! http://instagram.com/p/M1lTMCJa52/
Afterwards, since it took no time at all (they said be an hour early but he got to ride right away) my mom wanted to buy peaches. Really. I just made SO MUCH JAM and I was giving her some, so we stopped at the state farmers market again and it was basically full of watermelon. I wanted one sooo badly but refrained for once.

So finally back home, I decided since both fruits were on my mind again, why not mix these matchas with some coconut milk cream? These are awesome together. First it tastes solely like the watermelon, but then the peach comes in. I could drink these together all night but I will try not to, because sleep would be great at some point. Can I just declare my love for this coconut milk creamer stuff? It has such a rich taste without being heavy whatsoever and it makes all these matchas taste so good with just a small amount of it.

Now if only Red Leaf would get back to me with my next certificate so I can get orange and combine it with the Coke flavored matcha…there is my true summer drink!

Ok, last night I took watermelon, mint, and a half teaspoon of this matcha and made myself a lovely drink. I don’t know what else to call it because it’s not really a smoothie, but it was good. Before I put the matcha in, the mint was way too strong. But with the matcha, it mixed with the green tea and had a green taste without being too overbearing.

And while I was cutting up the rest of the watermelon just now, I had to try what Invader Zim suggested in the comments on my tasting note from yesterday. I took a piece of watermelon then rubbed the matcha on it and ate it. SO. GOOD. I had to stop myself because a) I had a different cup of tea waiting on me and b) I was going to probably run out of the matcha.

I knew this was coming today, so I stopped and bought a quarter of a watermelon on the way home. Except of course, the stupid train aggravated my back so I took pain meds and now I don’t want to touch a knife for a few hours. But still, I had to try this immediately especially since I finally got a legitimate matcha making whisk. Although I had discovered that my smoothie maker attachment for my hand mixer did an excellent job.

I of course spilled everywhere but that’s the cup’s fault. After seeing aisling of tea’s note that this had that bitterness of the peach, I used room temp water and all is well.

The watermelon was a bit light, so I added some sugar and now it tastes a lot more like sweet, juicy watermelon mixed with matcha. Drop in a touch of cream, a couple ice cubes, and this is the perfect mid-afternoon refreshment in the summer.

Later on though, the smoothie attachment is coming back out, along with the watermelon and some of the mint in my garden.

This is also probably the most realistic tasting watermelon tea I’ve had. I enjoy Luscious Watermelon but if given a choice between it and this matcha, I’d take the matcha. Out of all of them I’ve tried so far from Red Leaf, I think this one is tops in combining the flavor with the matcha itself.

I don’t know if anyone remembers Coca-Cola Blak from a few years back. It was Coke mixed with coffee, and I looooved it. I’m so sad it was discontinued. I have no idea why I loved it. I was reminded of it with this new flavored matcha from Red Leaf so I knew I had to get it. And when you live in the land of Coca-Cola, you kind of need to know how this thing tastes!

I think this would probably terrify many people because it’s pretty unique…but oh man it’s so good.

When I opened the bag it definitely smelled like Coke, it even smells effervescent. I waited as long as I could but I needed to have it ASAP. I figured the only way to really have this is to drink it cold, because hot cola would be kind of weird.

I put a bit of creamer in it, and it really tastes like Coca-Cola! The matcha is pretty much covered by the flavor, but at the end there’s a bit of the flavor of it. I don’t even care. I can’t stand soda other than Coke Zero because of the syrupy nature of it, and this is WAY better.

Imagining it now with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it…

I’ve had this one a couple times now, and while I’m not loving it straight, you know how it is delicious? Make up the matcha a little strong, then add vanilla ice cream and fruit in the blender and whirl for a minute or two. That my friends? Is what I’m drinking right now and dang is it good!

(I’ve been a bit awol lately . . . RL kind of ate me. Hoping to get back and active now!)

Made this to try and kickstart my morning. While the matcha failed on that account, it was delicious enough that I could drink it as matcha rather than having to latte it. Yum.

I blended up half a peach and added it to some of this. I think the temperature was too high again, so I think I’ll just stick with using room temp water on this stuff. It has a bit of a bitter aftertaste. But on the plus side, it frothed up so amazingly well. I usually can’t get it whisked up fast enough to get a lot of bubbles but this time I did and it was beautiful.

Before the aftertaste though it is so sweet and peachy, I still feel like I “wasted” one of my peaches though because they are the most beautiful and delicious ones I have ever had. Their flesh color is so intense, they almost look like mangos inside. Their flavor does come through so not all is lost and I guess it’s less messy than me eating it.

The addition of cream actually cuts down on the bitterness a lot, and thankfully tames the sweetness a bit too because it was getting to be too much for me! Now this is reeeeeally good.

I’m getting their watermelon one next…you don’t even need to guess that I’ll be replicating this but with watermelon! Seriously the more I drink it, the more heavenly it tastes.

First off, thank you Red Leaf Tea for sending me a replacement for this matcha. It is much appreciated.

On the sad side, I don’t think this flavor is for me. It might have to do with the previous taste ingrained in my mind now, but I still get it. However it’s much better this time around. The soapy taste just comes through at the end but it doesn’t feel like it’s burning my tongue off like the first time. And before that happens, it does actually taste peachy!

Actually, as I drink more it starts to go away. I’ll work with this a bit more but it’s now much better. I’m thinking of making a peach syrup and adding it for a sweetener, since this does need it at least for me.

This does not taste good. I wanted an iced latte, but I wanted to take a sip while it was hot. PURE CHEMICAL TASTE.
Dumped it. Tried again, going all the way through for the latte this time…it’s still there, although now it’s relegated to a strong aftertaste that still makes it hard to drink. My tongue hurts from it.
I guess that might be the last time I pick “distinctive” flavoring. I’m going to brush my teeth now.

And the worst part is I got the royal matcha for it and it’s entirely ruined by this horrific aftertaste.

I REALLY hope there is just something wrong with this, I’m gonna email them now.

Now, I haven’t hidden this fact, but I am writing these reviews in exchange for free matcha. Free matcha! If you buy a matcha from Red Leaf Tea and review it with either 250 or 400 words, they’ll give you a credit for a free 30 g or 60 g of matcha. Which is why these reviews are soooo much longer than the others. But I like it, I like pushing myself to get those 400 words. It forces me to sit down and really focus on the tea and think about it. As a result of these reviews, I can’t stop thinking about the Madagascar Vanilla and I drink it all the time. And I mean, really, if the tea weren’t good, I wouldn’t work so hard to get more of it. And it really does offer those of us on a budget a good way to increase our stash (like I need any help with that!). I can’t stop raving about these matchas to every tea lover I know, and I do know that several people have purchased these teas based on these reviews. So it’s win-win. But I would never hesitate to give a matcha a bad review if I didn’t like it, free matcha or no.

Which brings me to this tea, Lemon Matcha (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/lemon-matcha-tea-organic.html). I wasn’t really sure of it. I ordered it for my wife in the hopes that it would be her gateway matcha drug, but she really doesn’t like matcha, so it will likely be a bust (though she’ll be a good sport and try it anyway). But I’m only a citrus fan to a point, that point usually being grapefruit. Mmm, grapefruit.

When I first started mixing it, it smelled like a mix between Lemonheads and lemon cleaner. But the sip is pure lemonhead. It tingles down my tongue! It’s tasty in its own way, and if you’re into Lemonheads and the like, I would definitely recommend this to you. My wife has a coworker who loves lemon, so this matcha might be hers after another cup or two. It has a lemony bite that someone who enjoys lemons and sour candy might love. It’s more of a mild vegetal flavor than a stronger matcha, which my wife appreciates in a matcha. The lemony bite can be cut with a touch of sugar, so while I can see that this matcha would be right up the alley of a lemonhead lover, it’s just not the tea for me. I am extremely grateful to have tried it, though!

For more information about the free matcha promotion, look here: http://www.redleaftea.com/free-matcha/

Received this as a free sample with my last RLT order. There was enough for 2 servings. The dry mix smells of sweet, thick, golden brown caramel. Like those Kraft caramel squares used in cooking, or just for a treat.

First, I tried this as a cold latte. The instructions call for using a blender to mix matcha, milk and ice, but I used my martini shaker. I used half of the sample, about 2 tsp, 8 oz skim milk and one ice cube. I shook it up for about 1 minute. It frothed up super nice. I didn’t have to froth any milk separately to add to the top. It tastes delicious. There is a creamy caramel flavour. It is nicely sweetened but not overly sweet. It is very thick, even though I only used skim milk. It is very smooth. You can tell that it is matcha, but it is a very slight taste underneath the caramel flavour. This makes a great latte, somewhat better than when you use just the regular flavoured matcha.

Also made this one as a hot latte. Frothed up about 8 oz warm skim milk and added to the rest of the sample. Hot, it is very similar taste to the cold latte. It is still very sweet caramel, but less sweet and a lot more creamy than when made cold.

I like this one both ways, would just depend on my mood for whether I have it hot or cold. I think this is a great idea for anyone that likes flavoured matcha, or matcha lattes. It is easy. It is also much less calories (58 cal, 0g fat) and much less expensive than buying a latte at the coffee shop.

This is definitely going on my next order, you can find it here:http://www.redleaftea.com/matchaccino/caramel-matchaccino.html