Bavarian Cream Matcha

I am reviewing a Bavarian Cream flavored White Matcha found here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html you will of course get to make your own selections for matcha base, flavor strength, etc.
This matcha was composed of the following: White Matcha, Royal Quality, Robust Flavor. I also opted for the small metal tin.
This is the first Matcha I have personally ordered from Red Leaf Tea although I have been desiring to make an order for some time now. I was very lucky to have some wonderful tea trade partners that have sent me samples of Red Leaf Tea Matchas so I have been lucky to try the Orange, Madagascar Vanialla, Caramel, and Peach, but so far, this is my favorite! Perhaps it is because it is my first matcha that I bought for myself, or maybe it is because I got the Robust flavoring, or maybe due to it being my first White Matcha! Maybe it is simply because Bavarian Creme is an amazing flavor all unto itself! I mean when I saw this as a flavor option it was in fact a toss up between this and cotton candy, then I was even more confused when I saw they had Butterscotch! But what won out in the end was this, and I won’t deny it was mostly because when I select a doughnut I most always go for a Bavarian cream filled one! I mean come on they tempted me with the picture of a bavarian creme filled doughnut right on their site! Who could resist?
When I received my package in the mail it came in a white envelope clearly labeled Red Leaf Tea! I was surprised at how quickly my tea arrived! The matcha itself came in a shiny golden envelope with lovely labeling and the type of matcha I ordered printed on a smaller label stuck on it. I paid an extra 3.00 for a small tin which held a small package (30g) of matcha. The billing receipt and a colorful flyer which included some information about Red Leaf Teas and instructions on how to make matcha were also in the package.
When I opened the bag containing my tea the smell was intoxicating! Vanilla, Cream, Butter. Those were the aromas that struck me.
After placing the tea into the container and cutting the small label from the golden bag and taping it to my silver tin container I was ready to make my very own first Red Leaf Tea Matcha! Bavarian Cream!

I did notice that this matcha did not froth up as well as the previous ones I had tried from Red Leaf. Being that I have never had a white matcha before I can’t be sure if it is due to it being a white tea base or perhaps I was just too eager to taste it and didn’t put as much effort into it. Also I noticed the base was not quite as light in color as I was expecting but it was not the bright green of a typical matcha either. It was sort of a light brown color. For a Robust flavor I do think I was expecting a slightly stronger flavor from the tea but that is not to say it is not delicious! The flavors matched the aromas perfectly! Creamy, Buttery, Vanilla, Rich, Decadent!
I am very pleased with the flavor I choose to begin my own matcha journey with. It is a pleasing flavor if you like rich, and creamy with a full lingering after taste!
After trying my matcha in its raw state, hot, I opted, as I usually do, to make it into an iced latte using only the tea itself, some ice cubes, and some all natural vanilla coffee creamer. Its just that I prefer my matcha in this manner probably because my first introduction to matcha was this way. Granted matcha purist may be cringing but I enjoy it.
So here I am sipping my first very fine Matcha from Red Leaf Tea and I am thinking oh yeah this is the one! Yet I can’t help secretly to be thinking of all those other flavors yet to be tired.
So my next question to self is, do I stay with white matcha or do I go back to green. I honestly think it will depend on which flavor I choose next! Some I can see being wonderful either way while other flavors seem to beg more for one or the other. I will say that I am happy I went with Robust flavoring as I am one of those people who want an “in my face” flavor especially when it comes to matcha since I mostly make iced lattes with mine. Next time I may opt for “there’s matcha in there?” but then again I do also love the natural flavor of the matcha itself and Red Leaf Tea does provide a quality matcha base!
Thank you Red Leaf for all the flavor options you provide to us! I am looking forward to my next selection!
Here is the link once again where you can purchase this amazing matcha!
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

Bavarian Cream Matcha
Size : Small
Flavor: Distinctive
Storage : Add Small Metal Tin Container (Holds up to 45g)

Here is where to get his fantastic matcha:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

So, this is what I have learned this week….I SUCK at whisking. I have weak wrists and they start to get sore before I can get good foam going……lol, I know I am a wimp.

Anyway, so I have learned that instead of making hot matcha in a bowl, I have started making cold matcha lattes. I have also learned that I don’t like matcha as much hot. I much prefer it cold. I find that it is sweeter and less vegetal somehow. Maybe it is just in my head, I am not sure. But I like it better. So that is what I am gonna do!

So, this is what I do:
½ teaspoon matcha powder, sifted
½ cup milk
Put in my Magic Bullet and blend away. The foam is incredible and there is absolutely no clumps! Then I add 3-4 ice cubes to keep it cold.

Today, I made this with my new Bavarian Cream that arrived yesterday. This is so good. Creamy, like custard with hints of vanilla and a tiny bit of lemon. And it gave me good energy where I am not jittery or shaky, but awake and energized.

Maybe not quite as good as the cheesecake matcha but pretty close. This would also be delicious in a smoothie no doubt!

I might even have to re-stock this matcha when I am finished my tin!

My continuing search for vanilla and creamy flavored teas lead me to purchase a large amount of this matcha. The idea of cream and vanilla as flavoring for already smooth and creamy matcha seemed like a great idea. Red Leaf Tea was, of course, the perfect place to find such a creation. From my experience with their matcha so far, this could not be anything but excellent!

I had super high hopes as I opened the small silver envelope. The first sensation to reach my brain was a sharp scent that was oddly citrus. I had to sniff it again to make sure my nose wasn’t fooling me… Oddly there was still a citrusy scent. It definitely had cream scent and sensation as well, but the citrusy bit caught me by surprise. It smelled delicious, but not vanilla! At this point I decided to do some research on exactly what Bavarian Cream was. Perhaps my expectations of something super vanilla were not quite right…

I think it is appropriate to include a quick background of Bavarian Cream, for those who are not that familiar with it. Bavarian Cream gets its name from its supposed birth place: Bavaria. It is thought to have been first served in the 19th century. It is essentially cream that is flavored with liquor and thickened with gelatin. It is different to other cream desserts due to its thickening process. Most other cream desserts are thickened with corn starch or other thickening agents. Since Bavarian Cream is thickened with gelatin, it can be served in molds of various shapes and decorated with glazed or more cream. Or, if I were preparing it, vanilla liquor (or perhaps a dash of vanilla tea syrup… hmmm…)!

So, it turns out I was confused ! Bavarian cream is not necessarily vanilla flavored! Though, most recipes call for vanilla in a variety of concentrations. With this in mind, the scent is exactly as it should be. Smooth and creamy with a hint of citrus that I assume comes from the liquor.
Once prepared the citrus scent is mellower and the cream is more prominent. It foamed up delightfully as I whisked it. I think that the foam and creamy texture is my favorite part of matcha. My first sip was delightful. I was met with strong green tea flavor followed by a hint of citrus and a bunch of creamy smoothness. It felt like I was drinking a latte! While it wasn’t the vanilla I was expecting, the creaminess made up for it completely! I am super happy I bought the large one!
I really enjoyed this cup of matcha!! I can’t wait to prepare more!

If you want to try this (you really should if you like creamy teas!) you can find it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

OH MY GAWD! This stuff is incredible.

Yes, I know that I pledged that I would not open any more new ones until I finished off at least one of the ones I already had opened, but last night, I came up with a genius plan. Or at least, some way to justify having all these open packages of Matcha.

Here’s the plan: It’s alright to open a new one so long as I’m actually having some of the stuff that’s already opened on the same day. And I plan to do that today, because I need at least 2 bowls of Matcha today to get all the housework done! Lots to do, not enough energy to do it, Matcha to the rescue!

Anyway… this stuff is fantastic! This may be one of the best ones I’ve had so far. And not just for the flavor that it has on its own, but also because it represents a lot of versatility – I can mix this Bavarian Cream with just about any of my fruit flavors to have a rich, creamy, fruity, yummy dessert-y Matcha and satisfy my sweet tooth cravings.

So rich and creamy, I love how well the idea of Bavarian Cream works with Matcha which is also rich and creamy… just a perfect pairing. Wonderful!

Last week I was having Steepster issues and this review didn’t take. I remember liking it a great deal…ok…FINE…I LOVE THIS STUFF! I will be retasting and re-reviewing it later today.

Special Thanks to Azzrian

mmm!
I really didn’t think I would fall in love with this flavour, but I’m drinking it out of my water bottle as an iced tea at work today and it’s creamy and delish! Really does taste like the inside of a donut!
haha I am lovin’ it.

LUSH Hiring Party #2 happens tonight in a few hours. Wish me luck as I have no tattoos OR a crazy hair colour! So I will need everyone else to be just as plain so I can get the job pls. haha

Robust, from CrowKettle. Yes, I have all my highly scented samples sitting in a box on the counter, and I’m starting to randomly grab them in the morning. I must say it looks a bit suspect to have all these random tin foil packets in baggies with post-it notes!

This one is good, and yes it tastes kind of like vanilla pudding. I think I prefer the caramel matcha, though. I haven’t had a cream filled pastry in years (gluten and lactose intolerant!), and I kinda forget what they taste like.

As a latte with unsweetened almond milk and some sugar.

(I am working on a map with notes of all the Vancouver tea places, in preparation for meetups. Whee! Things to do when procrastinating on math.)

Yay matchathon! Number 2 of the day! So when I saw this I was like huh? What is a bavarian creme? I was told its like a donut with vanilla custard inside. At first when it went on sale I was like Ill wait for the reviews on this one. Its got such good reviews I was like hum okay let just give it a shot. When opening the package its got a great sweet smell to it. Its smells like custard to me, it could be my brain playing tricks cause I’m thinking custard but hey it smells lovely. Get it here http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

So what I got was Size: Small (30 grams), Quality: Basic Grade, Flavor: Delicate, I love the taste of matcha so I get my flavors in delicate, but I might be changed over to the Robust train so good! So I made mine as a Iced latte with regular milk this time. Thought almond milk might over power this so first off im going to try it with regular. So what I did was half a teaspoon of the bavarian cream matcha, one third a cup of hot water and half a cup of milk, added some ice and viola latte time! I definitely get matcha and some vanilla creaminess. Not sure what I was expecting maybe a bit more vanilla, its good but I thought its be more bam donut! Probly doesnt help that I’ve never had a bavarian cream donut :) Its was good but not my favorite so far. I think I will need to find one of these donut in gluten free probly wont taste that great but maybe I can figure out what its spose to taste like.

I am choosing to not rate this, because I really have no idea how this compares to other matchas. This one was my first!

Courtney sent me a generous sample of this one, as well as a couple others, and I was super impressed. I drank it hot after my workout, and even though I don’t have a fancy whisk or bowl, a fork and a mason jar worked just fine for me. Delicious. I enjoyed this quite a lot.

My chawan has been sitting in my cupboard looking dreadfully neglected as I haven’t used it to make matcha since last winter, I think. Lately the only time I’ve had matcha is in coffee shop latés and added into fruit smoothies (which is yummy BTW). But since everyone is raving about Red Leaf Tea’s matcha blends I decided that now would be a good occasion to take out my matcha stuff and find out if there’s something to all this fuss. ;)

For the record, this is a basic grade matcha with a ‘delicate’ level of flavour – I figured I’d start off slow. I was glad for the little brochure that came with my order that had basic instruction on how to make matcha as it’s something I rarely do and it’s a pain to have to refer back to the internets.

Just the smell of the matcha powder was delicious – creamy and sweet, it was almost a shock to taste the grassy matcha when I licked a bit of powder from my finger. I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I added a bit of agave nectar to sweeten things up a bit. The matcha base tasted much like I’d expect matcha to taste – I don’t drink enough to have much of a discerning palate yet, but it seemed decent to me. The Bavarian cream flavour was a real treat – rich vanilla cream flavours that reminded me of Tim Horton’s Boston Cream (or is it Vancouver Cream, now?) donuts. It’s subtle, so I think the next matcha I try I’ll go with a stronger flavouring option, but it’s still quite clear to my tastebuds what this tea is supposed to taste like. I’d love to see if I can make my own matcha latés with this one as I bet it would be phenomenal mixed with steamed milk.

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

Bavarian Cream was a flavor that many of us Steepsters fought to have on sale, but initially lost out to Cheesecake. Thankfully, Bavarian Cream was put on sale the next week, so I knew I had to snatch it up. I admit that my knowledge of Bavarian Cream is limited. I originally thought it was just a variation of vanilla. But apparently, it’s more like a custard and quite popular in pastries. I personally try to avoid pastries since they are delicious but can also be calorie-laden and full of sugar. So it’s nice when you can have a matcha instead that has the flavor without all the calories. Also, Bavarian cream seems like a hassle to make, so all the more reason to enjoy it in matcha form.

As a reminder, you can get the matcha here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

I ordered the 30g Bavarian Cream Matcha, Starter (Basic Grade), Flavor: There’s Matcha In There? Yes. After a few orders of “Robust” I wanted to try my hand at an even stronger flavor. I like matcha, but sometimes the matcha can overpower the actual flavor. For those who were wondering what the matcha looks like, I can assure you that the name is a little misleading and there is definitely matcha in there. ;) .. But when I opened the package, I could definitely smell the stronger scent of the matcha. A nice creamy scent with some fruity notes as well. Very interesting.

I started to make this matcha, but then realized I needed to go somewhere, so I had a brilliant idea to stick my bowl in the fridge (like I do with all my teas when I can’t finish them in time). Up until this point I had all my matchas hot, but I thought it might be neat to see how they are iced. When I came back home and tried the matcha after a few hours of cooling – it was absolutely delicious. Normally I have to toss some milk in there to make it a little more drinkable, but this didn’t need anything at all. The taste was very creamy and I could just detect the tiny bit of citrus. It’s worth noting that if you do decide to chill your matcha this way, a lot of the powder sinks to the bottom, so you may have to froth it up again to get it to absorb. Just for fun, I did add a little bit of milk at the end just to see how it tastes, but I think I might have put a little too much in since I had a harder time tasting the flavor. I’ll have to definitely try it again in a hot matcha.

All in all, a nice matcha desert treat to avoid the calories.

New Red Leaf Matcha order! Bavarian cream, and I splurged on the royal matcha this time. I mostly wanted to see if I can taste the difference but also (if I can tell the difference), do I prefer the better matcha + less flavoring, or basic matcha + more flavoring? After this, I’m leaning towards the former, which surprised me!

Anyway, I really like this. The royal matcha is a lovely vibrant green, as powder or in water, a bit brighter than the basic grade. Even with less flavoring (delicate, rather than the distinctive I tried last time), this is sweet and flavorful. I am frankly impressed with myself – not exactly a connoisseur of green teas – for being able to taste a difference. Of course, for science(!) I should get the same flavor in different grades and have someone else prepare it as a blind test… maybe next time :P. For now, I am convinced that the royal matcha is truly distinctive.

I first tried this iced (the easiest way to prepare things at work) with about 1/2 tsp to 16 oz water. First impressions: cream, lime???. There is definitely something citrusy here, in addition to the sweet cream flavor. Also, not the least bit of bitterness. The flavor is very light and refreshing, where I was expecting it to be heavy. I mean, Bavarian cream, right? But this is creamy and rich and light at the same time, kind of like cream soda. If someone had given me this to try without telling me the flavor, I think I would have guessed key lime pie because of the citrusy sweet notes along with the cream (… now I’m hoping they get a key lime pie flavor so I can compare!). I also want to try the royal matcha plain to see if that’s where the citrus is coming from, it’s really baffling me.

I also prepared this warm, but at work I don’t have my chawan and chasen and I’m having a bit more trouble with clumps this time. I’ve gotten away without a sifter so far, but I suppose it makes sense that the finer grade of matcha would clump more easily. Anyway, the warm matcha was quite good, even with the powdery sensation that comes of insufficient whisking. A little milk (unsurprisingly) really brought out the creaminess and made this a decadent dessert drink.

Between the royal matcha and the delicate flavor, I don’t think I’d use this in smoothies or cooking – the flavor is too fine and mild. It’s meant to be drunk plain, or nearly.

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

You won’t believe how I made this. I made it like matcha! LOL! I think I have almost exclusively made lattes, but this time I did a little of both! I was really worried that I had made a mistake ordering this and French Vanilla because I thought they would be almost identical. Instead, they are barely similar! What I bought: Size – small, base – classic, flavor level – robust. Buy it here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

First surprise – out of the bag this smells very lemon-y! When I whisked a small amount in hot water it also tasted lemony. If someone had told me I was drinking “such and such a company’s lemon green tea”, I would have believed them. It was very nice that way but we all know why I bought this, right?

Usual prep – eight ounces hot milk, one teaspoon sugar, 1/4 tsp. matcha powder, plus immersion blender.

Oy vey! Ay caramba! Second surprise: I now have a European pastry with soft creamy filling. It is still a bit lemony, but the vanilla aspect comes out a bit more and the taste and texture are very creamy! This tastes like a fresh Bavarian cream, not like the preservative laden grocery store mess that they pass off as Bavarian cream. I only know this because many years ago a German family opened a bakery in our town. When I went in for the first time I purchased a pastry to share with a friend, and the friend did the choosing. She picked a pastry filled with Bavarian cream, to which I thought, “Yuck.” Then I tasted it and it was so good!

I told the owner how different it was from any I had tried before, and he said that it was because his son comes in at four a.m. every day and makes it fresh. It is kept chilled. When they sell out of what was made that morning, it is gone until the next day. And sell out they do, every day even now.

This is that good.

I have not had a single flavored matcha from Red Leaf that I haven’t enjoyed, so I have high expectations with Bavarian Cream, my latest acquisition. I ordered the Classic matcha with robust flavor. One of my favorite ways to start the day is with a chilled matcha latte. I know I need to branch out more, but I just like it this way so much! So today, I’m readying myself for a brisk 2 1/2 hour hike on a windy 40 degree day. I think this will give me a good jumpstart. My favorite flavor thus far has been Caramel, but there are others that run a close second, and all are good. My choice of milk for lattes varies. I’ve used unsweetened soy and almond/coconut depending on what I have in the fridge. I sweeten with some stevia because it makes me feel like I’m having dessert. So I put a few ounces hot water in a large tumbler, then sift 1 teaspoon of matcha into the water. I froth with my trusty Aerolatte for just a few seconds, then add about 12 ounces of milk , and froth another few seconds. A couple of ice cubes and I’m good to go. Yum. This Bavarian Cream flavor is a cup of creamy vanilla deliciousness! If you like the sound of it you can get it at:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

I’ve been waiting to try Red Leaf matcha for so long now – I keep hearing such wonderful things about it! This was a birthday present to myself. I’ve finally had time to sit down and try it.

Flavor: Bavarian Cream
Flavoring: Delicate
Size: Small
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

I wanted to try it first with minimal flavor, so that I could try to get a taste for the matcha itself. I think next time I’ll spring for robust, at least until I become a bit more accustomed to the matcha taste.

I put about a teaspoon into my 8oz Bodum Pavina glass cup, and then added about 2-3oz of hot water. I was terrified of making the water too hot and therefore burning it, so I erred on the cool side. I think I accidentally made it too cool.

I whisked that with my stick frother and then kept whisking as I poured milk and a bit of agave into the rest of the mug. It formed a beautiful, pale jade color with a healthy amount of lighter-colored froth on top. The bubbles fizz and pop.

It tastes beautifully creamy, and I’m sure that a lot of that is coming from the mixture of the flavoring and the milk. Then there’s a grassy, green tea behind it. I’m struggling to describe the scent – I can’t really think of anything aside from “matcha.” It’s so distinctive.

I’m still a bit perplexed by this, but I really, really like it so far. If anyone has any tips on how to make this better, please share! I definitely want to try more Red Leaf.

You can find the matcha here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

Oooh, thank you CrowKettle! I have a few matcha samples to try out and I decided to start here! I took about half a tablespoon of matcha and mixed with 2oz hot water, then added ice, 5oz of milk and I shook it like crazy.

The result? This is pretty good. And different. And strong. I can definitely taste the matcha, and the creaminess. Did I get the proportions right? I don’t know. I do know this was easy to make and quite tasty so I think that that’s the important thing here.

Trying this matcha, my 7th run at flavoured matchas, right after having the French Vanilla matcha so I can definitely taste the difference. They really aren’t very similar at all.

Aside from the custard-y vanilla flavour that’s not quite the same as the french vanilla, there’s also the definite flavour of lemon! Quite strong for me too. This is the classic matcha grade with distinctive level flavouring made into a hot latte with a couple ounces of water, frothed with a fork (I’m at work) and finally with one of those little half pints of milk like you get when you’re little for $0.25 from the school cafeteria in elementary school. They’re probably a dollar now, but they were 25 cents in my day! Man I feel so old, I’m only 30! But I digress.

There is a slight hint of bitterness in this that I didn’t experience with the French Vanilla matcha, that one was a bit smoother, but this one is creamier and the bitterness is quickly overtaken by the flavour of matcha and vanilla/lemon. I think I like the distinctive flavour level on this one, I’m not sure I’d want the lemon flavour to get any stronger. But this is good. Not my favourite, but good. Another success! Now I just need to keep that streak going for the next…15 matchas that I have that I haven’t tried. I won’t be opening them all at the same time though, I only have so many tins and I’d be hard pressed to drink them all while they are still fresh if I had that many open at the same time. A pity, but I’m happy to drink the ones I’ve tried so far that I purchased.

This matcha can be found at: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

This tea was an absolute event for me. Red Leaf has such an amazing variety of products that choosing just one (or two, as I did this time) took a painstaking amount of effort. But if the biggest dilemma I have in a day is which delicious dessert tea to buy, I’ll be a happy camper. I eagerly anticipated this tea’s arrival and saved it for the weekend so I could savour it in peace. And savour it I did.

Prior to trying this tea, I had only ever had straight matcha, made the traditional Japanese way. I had never tried a matcha latte. I had never had a flavoured matcha. And I had never had Bavarian Cream. This morning, I made myself a cup of Bavarian Cream matcha latte and had:
1) my first matcha latte,
2) my first flavoured matcha, and
3) my first taste of Bavarian Cream.
Three firsts! And then my eyes rolled back. And my body sank into the couch. It was quite the experience. And I am hooked! It’s like Pokemon. You have to try them all! I certainly will try. I have to say the Bavarian Cream flavour is top notch though. You can find it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html

Having only had straight matcha before, I was expecting this tea to have some bitterness. I bought the “Robust” flavour and found no bitterness that I would normally associate with matcha. There were some undertones of matcha in the cup, but definitely no bitterness. It’s almost as thought the Bavarian Cream flavour does the job of the candies that you are traditionally supposed to have with matcha and cuts the bitterness. Anyway, back to the flavour. I initially noticed the lack of bitterness. The first flavour that came through was that of vanilla and cream. It was custard! This was my first taste of Bavarian Cream, so I can’t claim that this tea reproduces it perfectly, but I can claim that it is delicious. I guess Bavarian Cream is a type of custard and the flavour is custard-y, so it probably does a good job. Also, my boyfriend took a whiff and he said that it smells like Bavarian Cream. He’s not big on tea, so he wasn’t interested in trying any, but did comment that this would make a great icing. I agree. I think it would also be excellent in a cake. Bavarian Cream matcha cake…mmmm…That sounds so delicious. I will have to experiment.

This was my first matcha latte too! It was great with almond milk. I will definitely be doing this again.

I snagged this matcha during a sale! This is the fourth matcha I’ve tried from Red Leaf Teas http://www.redleaftea.com/
As a quick rundown, Red Leaf teas matchas are very flexible and you can select the strength of the flavoring, matcha quality or type of matcha. I’m a fan of “Robust” flavoring as you get a big hit of flavor with a good matcha base. What I ordered:

Bavarian Cream Matcha
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bavarian-cream-matcha.html
Quality: Starter (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Robust, because I wanna drink some strong vanilla custard!
Small tin
I really recommend to get a tin with your order, unless you already have good sealing tins. The matcha comes in a non resealable gold foil bag.

If you don’t have much in matcha preparation gear, the most important thing is to sift the matcha. I use a fine mesh tea strainer. I do this for every matcha I prepare. Other gear you need is a ½ teaspoon and a small whisk. The bamboo whisks work amazing but a small wire one will do in a pinch.
Matcha is very flexible in preparation – I often make iced lattes with a blender bottle intended to mix protein powder drinks, which is fast, easy and achieves lots of froth!

The smell of bavarian cream matcha is strong creamy with a hint of lemon. The lemon was a surprise to me as I was expecting more of a vanilla custard cream puff taste. The colour of the matcha is a rich green.

For a traditional cup of hot matcha, I used just under 1 teaspoon, whisked in a little 180f hot water to bring to a nice froth and a little extra hot water to taste. For this matcha, I found the froth was just not happening for me today. I’m thinking with stronger flavored matchas the froth isn’t as easy to achieve since I can get a great froth with my delicate caramel matcha, but my robust cheesecake matcha preforms similar to this one robust bavarian cream one.
The taste of the traditional matcha is creamy, smooth with an excellent green tea base. A lemon taste lingers in my mouth after my sip. Sweetened with a little white sugar, the citrus turns brighter, like a lemon drop candy. To me, it was more lemony than custard.

For my favorite iced matcha recipe, I added just under a teaspoon of sifted matcha, about 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar, 4 ice cubes and about 300ml of soy milk to my blender bottle and gave it a good shake. I got 1.5 inches of tasty foam. The taste, AMAZING! Very creamy custard taste! The lemon taste is now subdued, but there in the background to add interest and dimension, like adding lemon zest to a pie. I can’t taste much matcha surprisingly, but I don’t care as drinking about 90 calories of custard is total win!

Overall, of all the flavored matchas I’ve tried so far, this one is now hands down my favorite latte! For traditional prepared matchas, it’s pretty good, but find it not as close to its intended flavor as the lemon comes out more than I like. I can see Bavarian Cream matcha going well with cheesecake or caramel matcha.

Tonight was a crash course of Matcha Making 101.

I was able to get a gift certificate to Red Leaf Tea, and placed my order Friday. Their shipping was amazingly fast, because I checked the tracking number today to find it out for delivery. This was both very good, because it’s new tea (and when is that ever not good?) but also bad because I hadn’t actually looked into preparing matcha and here I was, the proud owner of 4 1 oz. packages of it.

I didn’t let that stop me.

I Macgyver-ed up system to approximate the matcha chasen, whisk, and bowl. Basically, I used my strainer from David’s Tea as a sifter, sifted the matcha into a stainless steel milk frother, and poured a small amount of hot water over. It frothed up, and then I added some more hot water into the frother before pouring that into a small square bowl that I drank it out of.

But going back to the matcha itself:

The powder was sort of an olive green, maybe a shade or so brighter. I went with the distinctive flavoring level for this one, which is one below delicate of their flavoring options. The scent was very lime/lemony more than anything else. I was kind of disappointed actually, because I was expecting a strong vanilla/custard note. But there was a tinge of creaminess in the scent, and I like lemon flavors, so I had high expectations.

I tried about 1/2 tsp. of the matcha with milk as the base first, and then water. The milk method resulted in a creamy, lemon tinged matcha with a grassy undertone from the green tea. I liked the flavor contrast from the creamier, sweet flavor to the slight bitterness of the matcha. I don’t know that I would have called it Bavarian cream, but I do know that I had two bowls of it because the first one made me want more.

The second bowl was made with just water, and after the milk option and all of its richness this rendition didn’t have much chance of winning the flavor contest. However, it did froth up nicely and the color of the liquor was a beautiful emerald green. I just spoiled my taste buds with the first option, and there’s no going back now. :)

So, do I like flavored matcha? Definitely. This is only the first of the four I bought from Red Leaf Tea, so that’s a good thing – I’m going to be swimming in this stuff for a while yet!