Cheesecake Red Matcha

This is a first for me! First red matcha! I’m not really the hugest fan of rooibos, to be honest, but when you’ve got a craving for tea at 10 PM, your options are limited. I like it well enough but nothing beats the tea from the tea plant. Matcha was especially a problem for me. The main reason I still have most of my delicious caramel matcha is because the caffeine is so intense that it gives me headaches at just a half teaspoon of powder in a mugful of tea. :( Then Red Leaf came to the rescue and started offering red matcha as a base option! Wooooo! The moment he made that announcement I was putting tea into my cart. hah! And of course who could resist cheesecake? No one, that’s who.

First, let’s talk about the tea as I experienced it. The first thing I noticed about this matcha was the smell. The moment I tore open that bag a tangy creamy sweet aroma assaulted my nose. Mmmm…. Then that rooibos smell came in the end. Want. Now. I poured the powder into my tin and noticed that I actually have a tin foil bag of cheesecake flavored Mars dust. It really looks exactly like those pictures I’ve been seeing from Curiosity.

http://www.universetoday.com/96708/curiosity-and-the-mojave-desert-of-mars-panorama-from-gale-crater/

Very cool. I’m drinking the universe! One could argue that I do this daily, but you know what I mean!

Since I had just finished working out, I really was not in the mood for a hot tea. I put a generous scoop of powder into my mug (I can cause it’s caffeine free! Wheee!) and added a bit of cold water, then stirred it up like mad with my spoon. No froth, but it all dissolved nicely. Then top it off with more cold water and drink! It looks a bit like hot chocolate with more red. Like red velvet but not artificial.

Here’s the best part. The taste. Smooth vanilla cheesecake. Delicious flavor. I wish it were stronger. I got distinctive, but I should probably go up a grade next time. The rooibos is pretty tame here. Just a hint of rooibos-ness. Not sure how to describe the flavor.

I wish I had some soy/almond milk cause I really want to try this as a latte. All we have is real milk (lactose intolerant) and chocolate Pure Almond Silk. A chocolate cheesecake latte might be pretty awesome though…. BRB!

I think I added a bit too much cause the chocolate is overpowering the flavor, but it is awesome! Cheesecake chocolate drink!

Thank you, Red Leaf, for making this delicious flavor!
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

And with a red matcha option! I can add as much powder as I want without worrying about bitterness or caffeine because it’s red matcha! The possibilities are endless!

For next time, English Toffee matcha! Then combined! Then caramel and cheesecake! This will be awesome!

This is my second matcha from Red Leaf Tea. I ordered the red matcha base again because I didn’t love the first French Vanilla red matcha I tried. I wanted to see if maybe I picked the wrong flavor, strength or tea base. Rooibos is a good choice for me because I have a lot of caffeinated teas in my collection. I like drinking tea in the night and rooibos is a lovely choice. I’m also really enjoying this new form of rooibos. I’ve tried bagged and loose rooibos teas and the idea of drinking it in powder form is still an exciting thought. For some reason, it seems like it’s more of a treat.

Upon opening the bag, I smell that familiar red matcha base and something that reminds me of cheesecake. It is tangy, sweet and like something I have smelled before. What on earth does it remind me of? I know! It’s astronaut ice cream that I tried as a child. That packet had vanilla, strawberry and chocolate all in one flaky, dry bar. The texture and taste made me sick, but made for a memorable experience.

I am really glad that the astronaut ice cream scent isn’t that present once hot water is added. Compared to the previous red matcha I’ve had, this one smells much smoother. The red matcha doesn’t seem as sharp. Perhaps it’s because I ordered the strongest flavor profile or maybe it’s the cheesecake flavor itself. The flavoring and the rooibos blend together in a beautiful way – Yum. I can’t wait to taste this!

Sipping… this tea is rather interesting. The wood flavor of the rooibos is more present now. It mixes with this rather tart, cheesy note. The finish is nicely creamy. I think the frothy texture helps to bring out the creamy notes. The tea is tangy and reminds me of yogurt. It leaves my tongue tingling a little. I’d like to see how this tea is sweetened or with other additions. For now, it’s a good cup to drink before bed.

Overall, yes, this is an improvement from the French Vanilla matcha I first tried. I like the stronger flavor and would recommend this strength for the red matcha if you like more flavor in your tea.

I’m excited to try other matcha teas from Red Leaf Tea. I know there is quite a lot of talk from other people about the standard matcha base. Yes, that’s next on the list! I’m going to continue to experiment with matcha for a little while.. add some sweetener or maybe some milk? I usually don’t add things to my tea (sometime a splash of milk to the deserving black tea), but I think that this matcha would be good with an addition or two.

If you’re interested in purchasing this tea, here is a quick link to the matcha!
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

Thank you so much to Mercuryhime for this sample!

This is the first red matcha I have tried. I’m loving that I can drink this late at night and not have to worry about being up all night! I prepared it as a latte with some milk and sugar and oh man it’s good! The cheesecake flavor is nice and creamy and smooth. I’m not able to pick out a rooibos flavor, which I expected. I need (yes, need) to order some of this soon because I can’t stop thinking about it and wishing I had more! Must finish off more teas before making another purchase! We shall see how my will power holds up against the desire for this tea!