257 Tasting Notes
I just received three different matchas from Got Matcha as part of a deal they were offering through Kijiji. This is the first one I’ve opened and tried. I think I’m going to try it a couple more times before rating it, but I like it more than Matcha Kaze from Den’s Tea (my only other matcha experience so far).
The powder is a light green, which I’m told is a good thing (less oxidation). It froths up much easier than the Matcha Kaze, and it seems to have a brighter, crisper flavour. It’s also sweeter—more what I imagined a matcha would be like from descriptions I’d read. The powder is quite clumpy, though, so sifting is a must. I’m also liking two chashaku scoops better than one in approximately 3 to 4 ounces of water.
Preparation
The amount of match used during a formal ceremony is enormous, but, given what good matcha costs it is often difficult to bite the bullet and follow suit.
Clumping? Sounds like a humidity control problem — not good for tea. Maybe put some paper towel into the container and then remove it in a day and see if that pulls out some of that moisture before it ruins the powder.
Thanks for the suggestion, Jim. I was thinking it might be humidity too, and I was concerned when the info package said to store it in the fridge (that would probably cause condensation and make it worse). Fortunately it’s very dry where I live, so humidity in the air shouldn’t exacerbate it. I’ll try sticking a bit of paper towel in it, and we’ll see what happens.
I received two samples of this tea at Teaopia’s recent holiday preview event. I’m not a big rooibos fan in the first place, so my rating is a bit biased in that sense. I was hoping for more fruitiness that might disguise the rooibos, but the rooibos still comes through loud and clear. This tea is pretty to look at, but the flavours just don’t work for me.
