Madagascar Vanilla Matcha

Smells like a vanilla pie out of the bag. I have never had a vanilla pie, but this is what it would smell like and taste like. Very creamy and rich. I will be honest here, I have not tried this plain, I have used this to mix with other flavored matchas. This blend is the best mixer in terms of adding dimension to another flavor, it just seems to bump up the delicious factor on any other matcha in my cupboard. I highly recommend this matcha, the vanilla is the best I have experienced in a a tea, and I have tried several vanilla teas in my tea drinking career. Head on over to Redleaf Tea and pick up your own bag of this wonderfully flavored matcha:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html
Adding this Madasgascar Vanilla to the Pumpkin pie matcha really bumps up the creaminess of the Pumpkin and adds the right amount of smoothness to make this one blend I don’t seem to get tired prof drinking every morning. Vanilla chai was my first tea love, I drank boxes of Bigelowes Vanilla Chai tea, I knew the minute I ordered this MV matcha that I would be mixing it with my chai matcha and you know what? I am in love with this flavor profile all over again, except that now I have the antioxidant properties of a good matcha and a superb Madasgascar Vanilla in my cup.

I’m excited to dive into the world of Red Leaf’s flavored matchas! I sort of chose vanilla at random because there were so many that sounded good, and I’d never tried a flavored matcha before so I wasn’t sure what would go well with the pure green tea flavor of standard matchas. That seems like it would be a beast to try and flavor! But Red Leaf does it well, from what I hear.

I love a good vanilla flavoring, but this one is more subtle than most – more of a hint in the background than a loud presence. It adds a smooth sweetness compared to other unflavored matchas I have. As for the matcha itself, it’s quite delicious. A great example of matcha in general, without the astringency that’s put me off matcha before. You can tell they’ve used high quality green tea for this.

As for the whole presentation: the shipping is quick (and free if you order a 60g pack), and the tea comes in a foil bag that isn’t resealable, so have a small tin at the ready to transfer it over. Once I emptied mine into a tin I shook a bit of water into the packet just to make sure I got all the matcha-y goodness available to me.

I’m glad to have this in my cupboard and excited to try their other flavors! Maybe chocolate next?

I’m a fan of vanilla on all facets of its existence: the smell, the oddness of the pod, the picturesque orchid on which it grows. The history and mystique of the vanilla bean is as rich as its aroma; one of my favorite books is a history of the vanilla trade. And of course the taste! I used to make coconut milk ice cream with Madagascan vanilla beans every month for my family.
Despite its extremely difficult growing conditions and scarcity on a global scale, Madagascan vanilla is so soothing and ever present it is “plain vanilla.” It is the safe and sure option in western desserts. Challenged to pick a starting point in the dizzying array of Red Leaf Flavors, I naturally picked vanilla. Aren’t I a brave little toad? And I only spent twenty minutes picking between French or Madagascar!
This the real deal. The real vanilla bean! Every latte and crème cookie hints at the reality of this sleek and pure vanilla, matched by the clean grassiness of the matcha. I got the regular strength of flavoring since I love matcha as much as vanilla. The two most distinct flavors of my strange childhood of mixed heritage in powdered bliss! It’s just as sweet as ice cream too. Most people think matcha is quite bitter, this version is great for those who need to limit their sugar, like me.
I got into the habit of sprinkling matcha on my post-ride ice cream but I can’t enjoy ice cream in the winter. Red Leaf’s Madagascan Vanilla Matcha (available at http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html) is my cold weather vanilla fix. Unfortunately hot ice cream is sickening syrupy and overwhelming. This matcha, however, it as comforting and delightful as summer ice cream. I find it interesting that Red Leaf says it’s therapeutic for anxiety, as I’ve long held the same belief, but never seen it listed as anti-anxiety in herbals. Can fault this matcha at all? Nope. This matcha is a wonderful reminder of the sweet and simple things in life that make it worth the effort.

For the past two days every time I walk past my tin of Red Leaf Tea’s Madagascar Vanilla Matcha, I have to stop and smell it. It really is an indescribable wonderful smell!
I have had this Matcha in Red Leaf’s “2 in 1” option combined with Caramel Matcha and it was heaven. This time around I bought each of those flavors separately so I could use them individually or combined. This past weekend, my awesome daughter bought me a Magic Bullet blender because I have been so into making tea based drinks and smoothies etc. Already I have used this amazing flavored Madagascar Vanilla Matcha to make some super scrumptious smoothies. This morning I added it to a peach greek yogurt smoothie and it was delicious. Vanilla goes so well with so many fruits such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Or this Matcha is spectacular all by itself, hot or cold. This flavor Matcha remains my top favorite and I believe I will be reordering this probably every order I place with Red Leaf because you just can’t go wrong with this one. (Perhaps I should give Red Leaf’s French Vanilla Matcha a chance though!)
Besides tasting so yummy, one cup of Matcha tea is equivalent to ten cups of green tea, so the health rewards are astronomical!
This Matcha tea can be purchased here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html

Backlogging a bit here:

First off thanks to aisling of tea whose review piqued my interest enough to pursue this tea! :)

The idea of a flavored matcha did boggle me at first. Accustomed to the lively, fresh vegetation taste of traditional matchas I was worried what flavoring might do to something already so close to perfection!

My concerns were unnecessary, it would appear because this stuff is delicious!! It’s still quality matcha at it’s base, so there’s no attempts at adding flavoring to mask an inferior tea here. It’s delicious!! And as I was unfamiliar with Madagascar Vanilla as well I’m going to have to borrow from aisling of tea here and agree that it does have a full, decadent richness about it similar to french vanilla. It’s easy to see such a succulent treat coming from the wild and windy, rainy island.

Even better still is Red Leaf’s system. Rarely in tea pursuits does the tea drinker have so much control over the cup they’re about to enjoy. Variation in blends and batches are bound to deeply affect the range of flavors from steep to steep. But fret no more! Red leaf puts the power back in your hands! You get to choose not only the flavor of the matcha itself, but from a selection of the base matcha’s quality, the flavor potency, and storage options. It’s your perfect matcha in your ideal world.

Try this delicious tea here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html

Or choose from pretty much any other flavor + matcha combination under the sun at their website.

All in all, a wonderful treat to start the day or to pick you up halfway through!!

I will admit that I have only had 2 cups of this (found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html) since it arrived! I thought I should give it another try before I write a review of it, but my feelings haven’t changed a whole lot. I am wondering if I should have picked “distinctive” for my flavour profile, because while I get a slight aroma and flavor of vanilla it isn’t as strong as I expected, especially when I compared it to the mango matcha that I tried first.

I certainly would not classify this as a “blah” tea, but when I want something flavoured it isn’t what I’ll reach for. I made some before work today, and as it cooled (I find it gets better as it cools) I just kept thinking that it tasted like extra smooth regular matcha. Like a toned-down on the grassiness matcha, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think this would be perfect for someone who has been newly introduced to matcha, or for someone who maybe had a bad first experience. If I had tried this as my first matcha, I think I would have thought “Ooh….matcha is awesome!”. What I really thought was: “This is interesting….but I think I need to try more before I decide.”

The Madagascar Vanilla is definitely something that I can see being great in baking or smoothies, and I have read about a few people mixing it with other flavours such as mint (that may be something I need to try in the future!). I can also see it being a go-to tea to make when I’m not sure exactly what I want. I do wonder though how different the French Vanilla matcha is from the Madagascar Vanilla. I may have to place another order soon to compare…

The best thing about this matcha is that it seems to be pretty versatile…I feel like I could probably use it to extend the life of some other kinds if I really wanted to. The taste is mellow and smooth, and there is no artificial taste to the vanilla flavoring. I recently noticed that on the Red Leaf Tea website they have an option for a “2 in 1 custom matcha”, and I think this would be a really awesome option to use as one of the flavors. I’m not sure I will pick up more of this when it is gone, but that is more due to the fact that there are so many different kinds that I want to try. I could see me coming back to this sometime in the future.

I had this first thing this morning and it’s still my favourite vanilla from the now named Matcha Outlet. Curiously I couldn’t find the cinnamon matcha on there so I wonder if they got rid of it when they moved from Red Leaf Tea to Matcha Outlet. I don’t need to order more of this just yet but it’s always on my list of creamy vanilla yumminess.

My son asked for Black Cherry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea for Christmas, so I ordered 60 grams and upgraded the base because it really seems to make a difference to me. When the order arrived, there was also this pouch of 30 grams of Madagascar Vanilla Matcha! I panicked, wondering if I had ordered wrong, if my son’s pouch of tea was also just 30 grams and they had made a mistake but NO! It was a gift! A bonus! There was a little note on my invoice with a smiley face!

I had skipped lunch running errands so I wanted a latte to fill me up fast. I made a big glass and told my son to try a sip, and I was a little alarmed when the “sip” went on and on and greatly diminished my glass! He handed it back and said, “I’ll have one!” So I made another glass for him.

I used about eleven or twelve ounces of skim milk, one tablespoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of matcha. I stirred with a spoon then further mixed and frothed with an Aerolatte, a little mixing tool that costs less than $20 and can easily be had for less using a coupon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Also, I really like the new packaging. For a matcha that I will drink pretty quickly as lattes like this one, the new zipper pouch is perfectly good storage and I don’t have to be frantic about finding a tin or jar right away.

I threw both this and French Vanilla matcha in the fridge with milk this morning to sit all day. Now it’s time to compare.

Upon first sip, the vanilla is here with a hint of, is that cinnamon? It’s very subtle, but there is something that isn’t just pure vanilla. Or maybe that’s what Madagascar vanilla is? It doesn’t seem to be cinnamon exactly, but I can’t figure it out. I just checked the French Vanilla, and it’s definitely only in the Madagascar.

I would say this one is tasty, but I don’t really need it in my life. I’ve drank half the jar and only one sip of the French Vanilla, but I am preferring the FV.

Thanks for sharing both these awesome matchas Cavovorax! Also, is this one delicate?

I just received French Vanilla Matcha and Madagascar Vanilla Matcha and a generous sample of Cheesecake Matcha from Red Leaf yesterday. The vanilla flavors were both on sale and I thought it would be fun to compare them, since I knew I liked French Vanilla from a previous sample. I’ve lost count of how many flavors of Red Leaf Matcha I’ve tried-I loved all but one. Madagascar Vanilla is the 2nd I’ve tried of their vanilla Matchas and does not disappoint. I’m not sure if I have a favorite between the two. Often I order the robust flavor strength, but with Madagascar, I got distinctive with green basic base, and found it to be just right. I find cold lattes made with Matcha to be a satisfactory (and more healthy) alternative to milkshakes. My recipe for a Madagascar Vanilla latte is ¾ tsp matcha in 10 oz of cold organic milk with some Stevia. I use my Aerolatte to froth it up. I’m sure it would be good with almond milk and intend to try it that way next. On the website, there is usually at least one Matcha on sale, plus the opportunity to get free samples. The service from Red Leaf has been outstanding for me and you can hardly go wrong with any of their flavors. Here is the link for this one: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/madagascar-vanilla-matcha.html