Caramel Matcha

I am going to jump on the band wagon and review my first flavored matcha. Lured by the Red Leaf sale on their Caramel Matcha, and all the positive reviews of it, I ordered the small size, Starter (Basic Grade), with Distinctive Flavoring (found here:http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html). Since I had not yet gotten a matcha whisk (chasen), I was concerned if I made it the traditional way it would not be up to par. On the other hand, I was too curious to wait on the chasen which I had ordered separately. Therefore, I decided to forge ahead. First, I sifted ½ teaspoon of the matcha to get any lumps out and then mixed in about 3 ounces of hot water. I shook it up in a shaker and added about 3 ounces of unsweetened almond milk, a splash of cream, some stevia and a few ice cubes. It was really delicious chilled, just like eating dessert. I can see why it has had such good reviews. I can only imagine what it will be like when I get my whisk and can create some foam! If this is any indication of the quality of other matcha selections from Red Leaf Tea, I will be ordering many more.

Don’t get me wrong I like the stuff, but apparently not as much as the others. I prefer matcha warm and not as a latte so apparently I’m not the target market so much. Whisked for a minute with 68C water.

I decided to do this matcha because my daughter wanted to taste it for tea time. she doesn’t like it even after adding some milk.
So get I a latte caramel matcha for myself now…
I get this sample thanks to Azzrian and I thank her again for sharing it with me.
It’s really nice, I love the flavour and the scent is just amazingly yummy.
Drinking it it is really pleasant but to be honest I am not very impressed.
I had a very good latte with a fantastic caramel taste but the tea base wasn’t really detected by my taste buds.
It may be because I am not a matcha drinker (this is only my second one and the first with milk).
Anyway I liked my beverage even if for me it wasn’t really a tea.

Dude. This is freaking amazing. I couldn’t decide what to do with this for the longest time. It just sat in my cupboard because I didn’t want to risk wasting it attempting to use it. Today I threw it in a smoothie suggested to me by Sil :) AWESOME. Seriously. It’s amazing. Perfection. I could go on.

Thanks a million Will Work For Tea!

Update: Just ordered the 3+1 deal from Red Leaf Tea!

Update: I may have made another smoothie for both of us…and drank it all myself.

I LOVE caramel. So of course, the first flavored matcha I buy would HAVE to be caramel, right? I bought this with the robust flavor, and I sprang for the royal grade as well; maybe next time I will order regular grade to compare?
First, shipping was lightning fast getting here, less than a week. I loved that I was able to enjoy my matcha quickly. Also, when I opened the package the smell of caramel immediately filled my dorm room, which was AWESOME! Like an instant febreze!
The matcha is smooth and creamy. Another reviewer said that the flavor does not smack you in the face, and I agree; it is more subtle. There were absolutely no grains on the bottom of the cup, amazing! Still getting the hang of whisking however, so it wasn’t too frothy, but this may be the error of my experience.
I am looking forward to trying it cold, with the water bottle technique, however my favorite method so far is with just a splash of soy milk and agave nectar if I want a super sweet treat. :) I will most likely buy this again, so yeah, I’d say if you are thinking about it, try it. :)
You can find it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

The richness of a caramel sauce (in a tea) without the guilt!
“Caramel Sauce is made by cooking sugar long enough to make it brown and then adding fresh cream.” This definition fits this blend to a tea…creamy, velvety and very delicious. I just made a cup and already I can see the bottom of my cup. I got the delicate flavoring and it is very tasty. I stored it in a tin in my refrigerator. I have noticed for a couple of days now that my frig smells very good. As I reached for this tin tonight, I realized it is this matcha Obviously, I need a better tin to wrangle all the decadent smells of this matcha to the four walls of a tea tin! I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of the products from the Red Leaf Tea company. Their matcha blends are affordable and very delicious, here is the link to this caramel matcha: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html
Head on over there and pick up your own 30g of Caramel matcha. Keep in mind that you may want to invest in one of those tea tins that Red Leaf offers to house this treasure of a matcha blend.

Yay caramel matcha! I’ve heard so many good things about this flavor, I figured it was the perfect one to use for some comparison testing, so I got three combinations. This review is for the Classic green matcha with delicate flavoring, and it’s already really good, so I can’t wait to see what the others are like.
I prepared this hot, classic style, which is not usually my favorite so it bodes well when I like a matcha made this way – and I do! This is rich, and strong, and the flavor is very true. It probably helps that caramel is a flavor that works well when warm, and that I’m used to a bit of bitterness from the green tea base when prepared hot (I don’t have that issue when it’s cold generally, and yes, I am careful about my water temp). This is like what really dark caramels seasoned with matcha powder might taste like

Ohhhh and this is even more delicious with a bit of milk. Just a little! But it smooths out that bitterness, and brings out the green tea flavor a bit, which I appreciate! There’s a reason I don’t get the super strong flavoring. I am curious to see how the distinctive flavoring will compare with this, so that one’s probably up next!

You can buy this for yourself at http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

Oh caramel, my sweet love! And oh Red Leaf, you devils! You are indeed masters of your craft!

This was the first tea that drew me to Red Leaf’s flavored matchas. One of my fellow Steepsterite’s glowing reviews led me to the company’s website. But when I got there and saw the endless flavor options Red Leaf has to offer, I decided to try the ones that were a little different first. I kept Caramel matcha in mind for a while and finally decided it was time to give it a shot. Everyone loves it, so why would I feel any differently? And I know I love caramel so I ordered a large bag of the “robust” flavour. Actually, come to think of it, all my flavoured matchas have been “robust.” I like that word too….:)

I have always been a lover of caramel. As a child, I wasn’t allowed to eat much in the way of sweets. But my dad would sometimes buy the little chewy KRAFT caramels that come wrapped in transparent plastic. I LOVED those! He rationed them out to my sister and me, but we would steal them when he wasn’t looking. Loved that sweet chewy burnt sugar flavor. My dad also used to make this really awesome hot caramel milk from scratch (as in with sugar and milk). Red Leaf’s caramel matcha, which can be found here [http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html], really reminds me of a cross of matcha with my dad’s caramel milk or of matcha with those KRAFT caramel. It really tastes like caramel! Those glowing reviews and high ratings are not unjustified!

When I opened the bag, I was transported back to my childhood. And it really reminded me of my dad, which is why he features in this review. Anyway, I shed a tear and then dove into the bag. I wish I could bathe in this stuff. It just smells so good. I made it with ½ tsp tea and 1 cup cold almond milk (as usual, since matcha lattes have become my favorite drink ever) and frothed it up with my new matcha whisk. It smells even better brewed! And it tastes so smooth. It’s very strong on the caramel and I love that. The matcha flavor definitely comes through though. It’s mostly on the finish that I noticed that ever so slight freshness. This tea is a definite must try for anyone who likes caramel. It is going to be one of those teas that I go to bed dreaming about having the next morning.

P.S. This tea reminded me so much of cake, I just had to try it in cake form. I took a fork and mixed about 1/2 tsp of caramel matcha with about 2bsp vegan butter and about 1tsp sugar (I’m not sure about exact proportions because I eyeballed everything and may update this when I try it again). I spread the mixture on a brioche and had myself some instant cake! So yummy! I also have a killer Japanese matcha cake recipe that is just screaming for me to try with this tea!

I didn’t see the “2 in 1” listed so I am posting this under caramel
I am a new tea drinker and I am certainly new to the world of Matcha tea. But oh, what a wonderful world it is! After reading all the rave reviews for Red Leaf Tea’s amazing flavor assortment of Matcha teas here on Steepster, I took the plunge and ordered their “2 in 1” Custom Matcha Tea.
Which can be found here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/2-in-1-custom-matcha.html
I chose Caramel and Madagascar Vanilla for my flavors and I am so glad I did! I am not sure I can adequately describe how much I love this tea and these flavors.
I had been a little apprehensive prior to ordering mainly because I had never heard of it before and it was so green. Even after it arrived, I didn’t dive right into it. After a couple days I decided to make some and see what all the hype was about. One taste and I am hooked. The flavor is amazing! I had it hot and then I made some cold. They were both awesome! I mixed up a tumbler full for my daughter for her morning tea at work and she absolutely loved it. She said she thought it would also taste great in cupcakes and I agree! Now my wheels are turning about all the awesome ways I can incorporate this flavorful Matcha into recipes. On Red Leaf Tea’s website they have some delicious recipes for smoothies, frappes etc that I can not wait to try. I love that there are so many possibilities of ways to use this tea besides drinking it (which is awesome in itself!).
I have been trying to diet but have a bit of a sweet tooth. Drinking this Caramel & Madagascar Vanilla was like having a dessert. I was totally satisfied. With a bit of sweetener added to these already uniquely superb flavors, this was like drinking a high calorie fattening dessert but was actually guilt free and healthy.
Finally, I definitely need to comment on the amount of energy I feel after drinking this tea. It is a really good energy not like a coffee or sugar rush. My whole transition from coffee and soft drinks to tea was to reap the vast health benefits associated with tea. I was pleasantly surprised when I read the various and significant health benefits of Matcha tea. Besides the antioxidants & cancer fighting properties, it also aids in weight loss and mood enhancement!
Great taste, health benefits and lots of ways to use it. It doesn’t get better than that!

Okay, yes, I DEFINITELY need to do a Red Leaf order as soon as I have some spare cash! (ugh, horses in Victoria, why you so expensive?!?!)

Got a very generous sample from the lovely CrowKettle during our tea swap last weekend, but saved it until this weekend when my BFF came home for Easter/her birthday (it’s Monday but since she has to head back to school that afternoon, we had tea and then went out for a group dinner at Red Robin with some of her other friends to celebrate early) so that we could share it and celebrate. So I made us each a latte!

First of all, I have to rave about a nifty little tool that I found deep in the pantry when we were ripping everything apart to get ready for new flooring. I should start off by saying that I’ve had a Bodum frother wand for a while now, but have never loved the foam it creates – the bubbles are big and the foam “flops” way too quickly, making the latte sipping experience kind of blah. But I found another neat tool, also by Bodum, that we have apparently had for a long time (but it was hiding so I didn’t know about it, apparently), and it’s AMAZING! It’s specifically for frothing milk, but it’s a glass caraffe with a black line on it, that you add milk up to that line, put on the lid (that has a plunger and filter mesh similar to a french press, just without the “cup” around the bottom edge, and the mesh seems a bit finer than that of my Bodum french press), pump the heck out of the plunger, pop the lid off, zap it in the microwave for a minute, then take it out, pump again, and it creates this amazingly fine, dense foam. I LOVE it!!! After it’s foamed to the point I want, there’s still enough liquid to make 2 lattes, so I add a dash of sweetener, hit it with the frothing wand to mix it in nicely without killing the foam, and then top off my lattes.

But back to the matcha. I dished out the matcha into my bowl (enough for two lattes), added about 1/3 of the water I’d eventually be using, and whisked away with my little bamboo whisk. I used to just throw the water and matcha into a cup and use the bodum wand, or throw them in a mason jar with the lid on and shake it up, but the bamboo whisk really does create a nicer texture and is worth the extra cost and effort for anyone interested in matcha. I was skeptical, but for someone with texture aversions, it’s really worth the investment/extra minute of time and effort.

every so often I’d add a bit more water, whisk some more, and then added the last bit of water, hit it with the bodum wand (so I didn’t whisk it over the edge of the bowl) and then dished it out between the two cups. My friend added her preferred amount of sweetener (she opted for my vanilla syrup) while I went unsweet, topped it off with the milk and foam, and sat down to enjoy! Now, 24 hours later, my room STILL smells like caramel matcha, and I love it, haha!

This is the smoothest (texturally) matcha I’ve had! I really like that there’s an initial “oh my god CARAMEL!”, then “wow, what a lovely green tea!” followed by a “My breath still tastes like caramel!” haha! Translated: While it’s definitely quite obviously caramel flavoured, it’s not so strong that it completely masks the lovely flavour of the matcha itself.

I’m really eager to do a Red Leaf matcha order as soon as I have the spare cash to do it, because I can see some of the fruity flavours being really good in smoothies, and some of the other richer flavours (including the caramel) being great for curbing my horrible sweet tooth!

Thanks again CrowKettle!!!

It’s so greeeeen. First matcha ever, but alas I have to head off to work so an in depth review shall have to wait!
Thank you Red Leaf Tea for the contest!

Thank you Steepster for introducing me to flavoured matcha. This latte is ah-may-zing! My life and spending habits will never be the same again.

I finally got my hands on some of the “famous” Caramel Matcha everyone has been going on and on about. I decided to go crazy and chose the robust flavor level this time, just because you really can’t have too much caramel can you? I also got a small tin to store my matcha in. They are really convenient and I love the way they close up so nicely. I’m sure my matcha will stay nice and fresh this way.

Okay, back the matcha. I made it the usual way. Sift matcha, add a bit of hot water, whisk, add a bit more water and enjoy! Mmmm you really can’t go wrong with the flavoring here! The robust option was a good choice. The flavor of the matcha does take the back seat here, but my goodness the caramel is soooo creamy and sweet. It reminds me of the hot caramel they put on top of your sundae at an ice cream shop! I can really understand why this is a steepster favorite.

If you really want to take this matcha to the next level, you’ve got to try this as a latte because it is amazing! The milk just adds an amazing creaminess. I could literally enjoy a hot caramel matcha latte every morning without getting tired of it. Oh my goodness…I just realized I can now make a caramel cheesecake matcha latte because I now have both flavors…

And it looks like I’m off to the kitchen.

If you want to get your hands on some of this, and trust me you do need to, this is where you can get it:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

Caramel Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html
First matcha!!! Ermahgerd guys, I was so excited to get this, but also kind of afraid? I didn’t want to waste a single bit of it. I’ve known about matcha for a while, and always been intrigued, but also intimidated by it. The closest thing I’ve probably had until now (excluding, y’know, normal green tea) was probably a green tea frappuccino. I have a bag of something called “cooking grade” matcha from Aiya Matcha in my room, which I use for (duh) cooking. I’ve never tried to drink it because I guess I assumed it wasn’t good enough for drinking.
Anyway, somehow there was an explosion of matcha talk on Steepster (probably due to Azzrian) and I became super intrigued. Flavored matcha? Yes please. Getting a promo coupon was the final step that pushed me to order. Yay!
So, here I was, with a 30 g bag of basic grade, distinctive caramel matcha. I was afraid to open the bag. But I did.
“Ohhhhhhh,” I moaned. The most beautiful smell in the world. So I set about preparing my beverage. I used ¼ tsp in a glass bowl, and poured 2-3 ounces of water on top of it. Okay, side note, and I’d love for you to help me out here. I have a Kamjove for boiling water, and while it appeared that my water was boiling in the kettle, when I poured it into a measuring cup and stuck a candy thermometer in it, it wouldn’t even reach 180F! Why? So I suspect that my water wasn’t hot enough, but I forged ahead anyway.
I got some bubbles when I whisked (I just had this rubbery whisk with me) but not an enormous amount of froth like I was hoping. Tips? The intoxicating smell also faded a bit when prepared. But it was delicious! Not bitter or weird at all. The matcha sugar at the bottom of the bowl was especially delicious, haha.
Not sated, I proceeded to make a cold matcha, putting some tea and sugar in a bottle with about 8ish ounces of water and shakeshakeshaking it. It was awesome! I think I liked it more than hot.

So there is my tale. I still feel like I have much to learn, but already, I want more matcha. If anyone has ANY sort of tips, I’d love to hear them!

I have had this sitting on my kitchen table for 3 long days. Finally this morning I get a chance to enjoy it with a warm cinnamon roll. But you can buy it here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

I got this a few days ago along with a tin (it’s only $3.99 extra) and left it just sitting there… well I opened the package today and OH MY GOODNESS. It smells so, so good. My boyfriend brought home some cinnamon rolls this morning and I knew it was meant to be. When I first made it I used a bit too much matcha so I got a way too overly sweet flavor. At first I was like… there is no caramel here… But I added a little more water and now we’re up to speed. Delicious carmel goodness! I’ve noticed if you choose the “delicate” flavor choice the flavor lingers in the aftertaste and slightly behind the matcha. But the caramel is a little bit more bold. It shows up as the aftertaste still, but it’s stronger. It goes well with the matcha, it has a slight bitterness to it but it fits. MM this is the perfect combination of matcha and caramel. And it goes so perfectly with my cinnamon roll :D
If you like caramel anything this would be the perfect choice for you. It’s a little bit healthier (unless you’re pairing it with a cinnamon roll..) than those little caramel candies and it has tea in it! And again you can buy it here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

Happy matcha whisking!

I’ve been meaning to try Matcha again for quite a long time and this is my first foray back into it… it was well worth it. I traveled to Japan in 2009 and unknowingly had Matcha several times at random sushi restaurants, etc. It was interesting there but I just figured it was a normal green tea, nothing special right? Oh man, was I wrong! This stuff really is something to pay attention to, and the different flavor and health benefits possible with matcha are well beyond any standard green tea. This is really a fascinating beverage and I am excited to get back into it.
Before this, I had never tried a flavoured matcha, in fact I had no idea such a thing could exist! Red Leaf pulls off the flavoured matcha with grace and skill, and offers a wild and impressive set of expected (vanilla bean, caramel, etc.) flavours and some wildly crazy and epic sounding ones (Coca Cola Matcha?!!!!) I am gonna have to try that one.
I bought the Red Leaf Starter (Basic Grade), Delicate flavouring of Caramel Matcha. This is available on their site here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html
Since I am a bit of a matcha newbie, I had to read their site about how to prepare it. It was very helpful. I got a whisk from Japantown and used a Chashaku (Bamboo Scoop) to measure out the matcha. I used 2 scoops and my first cup used the suggested amount, 3 oz of 80C water. I whisked it, poured it from the bowl to a mug and drank it from a mug, no extra water added. This was my previous experience with matcha in general, quite thick and vegetal. It was good.
In fact it was so good, I found myself going back to the kitchen to make a 2nd cup of it not 1 hr later!! This time I decided to change it up a bit, using only 1 scoop of matcha this time and a little less water, and then after whisking, adding a fair bit more water to reduce the thickness and make a larger drink. I think I actually enjoyed this better, it was a little sweeter this way and also allowed for a more tea-like experience (rather than a sort of “tea shot” like I had earlier). This was very tasty!
These are the only ways I have prepared it so far but I think it might be wiser (for my unrefined palate!) to buy the “Distinctive” flavouring next time so that I can get a stronger flavor. This one is subtle, but I tend to enjoy stronger more bold flavourings in my tea, so I think the next one I get from Red Leaf I will pay just a little extra to get more flavouring. Excited to follow this new tasty and healthy habit!

Alright, I’m officially jumping on the Red Leaf Tea matcha bandwagon. I ordered this and strawberries and cream flavors in robust to start my journey and both are winners for me. I have only tried this as a latte and as I have perfected my technique making it, it has become more and more delectable. Like a yummy caramel milkshake with a subtle vegetal undertone from the matcha. Which flavors should I try next?

I’m not sure that I qualify to make another discount review for this flavour, although this is my first time trying it with a green base, my other tin of the caramel flavour is the black base. I asked, but I haven’t gotten an answer back yet.

This is smooth and tasty with a distinctive (the concept not the flavouring level although it is in fact distinctive level flavouring) caramel taste to it. Sweet. I’ll have to do a side by side at some point to decide which base I like better of the two.

I’m so excited! My matcha is finally here. After reading all the amazing reviews about Red Leaf here on Steepster, I just had to jump on the matcha bandwagon. I hemmed and hawed for quite a while because the selection of flavoured matcha is a bit overwhelming. I settled on Royal Matcha Tea and Caramel Matcha because I felt the need to try the pure version as well as the yummy deliciousness that everyone keeps talking about. You can find it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

When I opened the bag of Caramel Matcha, I thought I’d gone to tea heaven. Seriously, I could sit here and smell this all day. Sweet yummy caramel. I do wish I had gotten the little tins; I thought the bags would be resealable like other teas I’ve purchased online. Well, live and learn. Besides, my tea is here!! I was so nervous about messing this up since 1) I’ve had really bad tea mojo lately (see my last 3 reviews), and 2) I really, really wanted to make a great bowl of matcha with this. I have a chasen already, and got the little bamboo spoon with my Red Leaf order. I still don’t have a proper chawan; I’m waiting to find the right design for me. I have a small sifter, but anticipation led me to blindly forget it right beside the bowl, and I dumped a teaspoon of matcha in. Poured in 3 oz of water that I boiled, then let sit for a few minutes to cool. Like Alphakitty, I measured out the water exactly because I really didn’t want to mess it up. I’m still working on my whisking technique. I can build up a pretty good foam but it disappears in the time it takes to walk from the kitchen to my desk. Not sure if that means I’m not whisking enough. My first sip definitely told me I didn’t whisk enough. Too grassy and no caramel taste.

After further whisking, I was very happy. The scent is still nice and strong; even in my now empty bowl. The matcha was still a tad bitter but wonderfully delicious. I got hints of caramel at first. I got even more after I added a pinch of sugar and more whisking. I went for the “distinctive” level of flavouring. I will probably bump it up to “robust” next time. I have got to learn to drink faster though because it got cold really quickly. I also should have read up on how much caffeine is in here before drinking matcha at 7:30 pm.

So let’s go for broke and make a matcha latte too. Another teaspoon of matcha (again forgetting to sift…will drinking matcha help with my memory?), 3 oz of hot water…lots of whisking…1 bare teaspoon of sugar and a cup of heated soy milk…more whisking. And I’m in heaven. Sleep? Who needs sleep when I have the most amazing matcha sitting right in front of me?

Ok so this is my both my first matcha and my first review on Steepster. I’ve been lurking around the boards for a little while trying to find some new tea to try, but now that the red leaf matcha program is about to end, I had to get one review in so I could try another flavor! So here it goes:

I’ve been seeing so much talk about Red Leaf’s flavor matcha on here and was getting curious about what it tasted like. I’m a big green tea lover so the idea of grassiness didn’t scare me away; it just sounded too complicated for a tea novice. But that all changed when the caramel went on sale and I realized this was my chance! I got the distinctive caramel flavor in the basic starter grade, which you can get here at Red Leaf Tea:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

Oh boy does this smell good! My roommates were standing a few feet away when I opened it and came to check what that delicious smell was. It’s that strong. (And of course they were like: Oh no you bought more tea again. But this is Matcha, I said….).

I brewed a cup of this as a latte (what better way to try it?) using my milk frother as a whisk and was totally amazed at how good it was (and how I had not overly messed it up). I was very careful about following the instructions, pouring 2 oz of 180 degree water into the matcha and started “whisking” it up. Then I added some milk and sugar (It definitely didn’t need the sugar, but I was having a bit of a sweet tooth craving that morning) and frothed some more. The flavor was so rich and creamy and totally caramel. Yum. I’m glad I went with the distinctive base. The caramel flavoring was so perfect. It’s a fresh caramel taste and it doesn’t overwhelm the grassiness of the matcha, but acts as more of a compliment to it. And the milk worked to enhance the creamy aspect of the caramel. Oh wow, how did I hold off for so long? I wanted to have another right away but had to stop myself because I can’t handle too much caffeine. But I did make it the next day. And the next. I can’t seem to stop.

I am so glad I finally caved in and bought some of this. It’s totally not what I was expecting, but way, way better. Now I just have to decide what flavor to try next…