I don’t recall what it was that lead me to order this particular flavor of Matcha from Red Leaf Tea … available here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/brandy-matcha.html Was it on sale? Probably.
I’m not typically overly excited about alcohol-inspired flavored teas. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed many of those that I’ve tried. (By the way, Red Leaf Tea has many delightful wine infused selections of tea too: http://www.redleaftea.com/wine-tea/) But, I’m just not a fan, in general, of alcohol, so, I don’t really feel the need to enjoy it via tea. As I said, I have enjoyed the various alcohol-infused and/or alcoholic beverage inspired teas that I’ve tried, some more than others … but, generally speaking I’d prefer other flavors over alcohol inspired flavors.
But, I REALLY do like this and am glad that I got it … whatever it was that inspired me to get it. When I first opened the pouch, it smelled of sweet brandy, kind of like a sweet, truffle-y filling in a alcohol infused chocolate. My order specifications for this particular matcha were my “go to”/usual specifications: distinctive level of flavoring with the classic grade of Matcha. This seems perfect for me as I taste a really pleasing balance between Matcha and flavor … although I don’t know that what I’m tasting is actually Brandy flavoring. Is brandy typically this sweet and fruity? (Again, not something I would know, since I don’t usually partake of “spirits”)
The Matcha is sweet and creamy and not quite as vegetative as some other Matcha. The vegetative tones are there, but they’re quieter, more elusive, and off in the background.
I do taste notes of what I’m going to call “brandy” if for no other reason than this is supposed to be a brandy flavored matcha … there is a certain alcohol-like flavor to this. But, it is also rather subdued in the presence of some rather strong flavors. As I quickly perused some of the tasting notes, I saw a comparison to “Juicy Fruit” gum and I get that comparison, it is sweet and almost candy like. As I mentioned earlier, the fragrance reminded me quite a bit of the sweet, truffle-like filling of a chocolate covered, brandy-infused confection. And I taste a lot of that same type of flavor here. Not an overwhelming, straight-up alcohol note, nothing strong or overbearing or drunkard tasting, instead, it is sweet and very, very smooth.
Yes, for this bowl of Matcha, I would say that smooth is the best descriptive. No sharp or astringent alcohol notes. Nothing at all off-putting. An aftertaste that is vaguely reminiscent of the aftertaste you might experience after a sip of brandy. (Again, that’s going off a distant memory because it’s been quite a while since I’ve consumed brandy)
Very enjoyable. I like this one a lot, and look forward to trying this mixed with other flavors! In case you forgot, you can get some here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/brandy-matcha.html
