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Found five bags of this stashed away in my collection—I had no idea. It was a whirlwind of Christmas 2010, of just-rightness, warmth, and love.

Isn’t it nice when things just work?

I was lucky enough to win 30g of this from the KaiMatcha contest—thanks so much! Couldn’t wait to try it.

Color-gorgeously green and fresh, vibrant and enticing.
Aroma-deep, rich, and soothing.

I mixed a little less than 1/2 tsp with hot (about 140 degree F) water, first whisking it with a small amount of the water with my bamboo whisk (which really does the job). Next time I will get the froth better, but this time it was pretty darn good. The color, when added to the water, is stunning and deep. It’s a forest I could get lost in.

And the taste…this is without a doubt the best pure matcha I’ve had. It’s thick, buttery, smooth, lush. No astringency or bitterness here—none. It’s fabulous…my only goals for next time are to achieve a really nice froth.

I can’t wait to have another cup—thank you again for your generosity!

First time getting matcha from the legendary Red Leaf! After much deliberation, I ended up picking the Pumpkin Pie because hey, it’s fall.

You can get it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pumpkin-pie-matcha.html

My first adventure into this matcha led to me using too much (1 tsp) by accident—although it was incredibly strong (especially in the spicy note), the powder blended more smoothly than any other I’ve tried. It was really easy to whisk and froth with my bamboo whisk. Also, the color is worth noting—this matcha is so luxuriously green!

My first try, like I said, was a learning experience, but the second time I made it, I used about 1/4 tsp, some hot water, and soymilk. Frothed the matcha and water together, added the soymilk, and BAM! This is fantastic. The pumpkin pie flavor is spot on. I would recommend Delicate for this flavor because of the strength of the spices.

The texture of this is worth noting—in other companies’ matchas I’ve noticed a lot of silty residue toward the end of the bowl. Not so for this one; it’s incredibly smooth and blends perfectly, even when I used 4x the amount I should have by accident. Also, the aroma of the pumpkin and spices is intoxicating!

It’s perfect! Can’t wait to have more matcha-y adventures with this one.

Options:
Size : Small
Matcha Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Delicate

Try some; you’ll be glad you did.

Holy yum. I’d heard good things about this one, and even though I try to stay away from caffeine (I don’t want to become dependent on it like so many other people I know) I had to try it. Come on, just a little bit! Peer pressure! The first 50 grams are free…

(No, actually they weren’t. Just extending the metaphor.)

Anyway, 50g of this flew to me in a box with some other fall delights yesterday. I opened the bag with some fanfare and breathed in the luxuriant aroma of what to me smells like chocolate-covered raspberries (leaning heavily toward the raspberries). I couldn’t wait to try it, but it was night, you see, and I didn’t want to mess with that.

Morning came with its rosy fingers, and I was ready to try some—and as soon as the water hit the leaf, I was intoxicated. I felt like at that point, all the scent notes separated out, putting space between the chocolate, raspberry, phantom banana (I’m glad I’m not the only one), and the roasty mate. This was going to be good, I can feel it.

And oh, was it. Smooth, seamless intertwining of chocolate and raspberry, with phantom banana swirling in. This is truly one of the most fabulous teas I’ve ever tasted, and it’ll be hard to limit myself to 1 cup a day. (Speaking of which, I was intrigued to see how it would affect me. And I could notice a bit of a peppiness difference, but not anything astronomical. Good to know.)

Yum. Yum. Yum.

First time having this tea after a summer of being off teaching in Massachusetts. (Living out of a suitcase and being needed for 16 hours a day is not terribly conducive to gongfu times…) I’m back home at St. Olaf and everything is so right. Including this tea…the lightly caramelized, burnt raisin taste, the centering aroma, the rhythm of making cup after cup, celebrating the fact that my 5 oz glass teapot (thanks Garret!) is out of hibernation.

Some things will always be there.

Ah-yum. This brought joy to my life this summer working out in Massachusetts. Some proper tea in the morning was much appreciated…good basic EB with a toastiness that is really brought out by a splash of soymilk. (P.S. It’s good to be back to Steepster; it’s been far too long.)

Love this. Love this. Love this. I got some in a trade with one of my lovely friends…I’ve been on a quest for a good chai for a while, and I was looking for something that, ideally, didn’t have caffeine. This has the most perfect blend of spices—the smoky peppercorns, the cardamom, the cinnamon that doesn’t taste like red hots (I’m lookin’ at you, Cinnamon Rooibos Chai), and the coconut, which takes it over the top and makes it reminiscent of Adagio’s Thai chai (but a caffeine-free version). I can even get two steeps out of this one—the second one I usually drink straight up (the first one is generally with soymilk).

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Also, nothing clears up a cold like this one. I’m almost out…