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Strawberry Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
16

Now THIS has a smell – strawberry matcha is bold and in your face once opened. It reminds me of strawberry lollipops and other strawberry candies. Definitely doesn’t smell like a fresh strawberry, but that’s okay since it isn’t one. I am thinking right off the bat that I will like this one better cold as the idea of hot strawberry is a little iffy, but I try everything hot first cuz that’s how I like my tea.

Sifted and whisked up 1/2 teaspoon of this bad boy, the steeped smell puts me in mind of a strawberry bath bomb. Unfortunately that means it smells good in theory but is not at all something you would want to ingest. I feel like I am about to eat playdough or something else equally ill prepared for human consumption.

The taste does not match the aroma (thank God!) but the aroma is there in my nostrils and not going away. I don’t get a taste of chemicals, but neither do I get the sweet strawberry I hoped for. Actually, I don’t get a lot of anything. There is that light bitterness I seem to find in all matchas but not a whole lot else. As I continue to drink, I get more of a buildup of flavour, unfortunately what is building up puts me in mind of chemicals. Ugh.

I’m going to add a drop of honey and see if that makes any drastic changes. With honey, the smell is the same but the taste has improved marginally. Now it tastes like slightly honey flavoured chemical waeter. With the foam I actually feel a bit like I’m drinking the suds in a bubble bath. Okay, this will be one to try cold, or as an addition to a smoothie. After having tried 4 flavoured matchas and 1 unflavoured, I am coming to the conclusion that matcha isn’t for me. Luckily, the beau likes it and will use it all up but I wish I hadn’t invested in it. It upsets my tummy sometimes too, which is annoying. I don’t know why green teas hate me, but it’s disappointing.

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Comments

CHAroma
CHAroma 2012-10-03 16:50:35 -0400

Sorry this tea didn’t agree with you. :( But if you need to find it a new home, I’d be happy to offer mine! ;)

DaisyChubb
DaisyChubb 2012-10-03 17:02:38 -0400

Oh noes! :(

Uniquity
Uniquity 2012-10-03 17:20:41 -0400

I’m thinking my fiancee will be all over it, but if we both don’t like it, I’ll get in touch, Charoma!

CHAroma
CHAroma 2012-10-03 17:40:49 -0400

No worries. :)

DaisyChubb
DaisyChubb 2012-10-03 18:27:11 -0400

Do you have the chocolate matcha? They go together pretty well!

Mercuryhime
Mercuryhime 2012-10-03 19:45:45 -0400

I’ve tried two fruit ones from red leaf and they both tasted like chemicals to me. The desserty ones are great thought. Try a black matcha base with a non fruit flavor. Maybe you’ll like it better. :)

Indigobloom
Indigobloom 2012-10-03 22:25:51 -0400

First time I tried this, I didn’t like it either. In fact I haven’t reviewed it yet for that reason. But today… I tried it using the shaken bottle method and cut down the powder by half, it seems to work! for me anyhow. A little on the tart side, which I like

Babble
Babble 2012-10-04 00:04:05 -0400

I’m the opposite, I actually like the fruit ones and not the desert-y ones. Then again I’ve just had boysenberry and black cherry (not strawberry… yet)

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Profile

Bio

I am a lover of many things, but my prized possessions include my records, tea and books (not necessarily in that order!) I embrace local food and good cooking as much as I can, and place great value on time with family and enjoying the bounty of nature. While I live in a city at the moment, my heart lies in the country and I am to be married there this May under my grandmother’s apple trees.

I am drawn toward good Chinese blacks, enjoy some herbals and the odd roasted oolong. Greens and whites can make me nauseous, but I will have flavoured ones on occasion. While I don’t yet enjoy puerh, I desperately want to. Chamomile and coconut are the devil though, I wish they didn’t exist. Mint has been a particular favourite of mine since childhood, and I enjoy both flavoured and pure teas pretty equally. If it’s well crafted and delicious, I’m there!

As for ratings, I try to only log teas once or twice because I drink a lot of the same ones repeatedly. My rating is based on my perception of the tea at first tasting and is adjusted if anything notable occurs in subsequent cups. For some reason, I don’t really like to rate things below 60 even if I don’t like them, but I’m TRYING to use more of the scale, rather than just the top half.

86 – 100: WOW. I need this tea on hand at home, work and with every relative or friend I tend to visit.
76 – 85: This is a solid tea. I enjoy it, and would recommend it to others.
61 – 75: Just okay. I can drink it, but I don’t necessarily want to. Will try again if I have to, but life is too short to waste on average tea.
41 – 60: Bleh. Might finish it, but it’s not to my taste OR just doesn’t impress me at all.
0 – 40: No thank you, please. Take it away and don’t make me finish the cup.

Location

Canada

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