Pistachio Matcha

So this does not beat my love for macadamia nut matcha and I probably even like the almond matcha more HOWEVER this is a very good matcha!
Its funny because pistachios are my favorite nut although macadamia does run a close second the things are just too darn expensive! Not that pistachios are cheap or anything but for the price – heck I will just buy matcha instead!
This pistachio matcha really does smell like pistachio.
There is a slight very slight chemical like smell but it does not come out in the blend when you make your matcha regardless of if you use just water or make a latte with it.
I really do like this matcha and the base comes through very nicely and with pistachio for some reason seems to make even more sense because pistachios have green on them. Yeah I know its a mental thing and I am after all somewhat mental however this may also be quite nice in a white base as well!
As per my usual I got the robust flavoring level.
Love me some Red Leaf Tea Tins as well – if you are new to ordering from them get one and see! Screw top lids make all the difference especially when it comes to matcha!
I feel that the price on them is more than fair as well.
So all in all nut my favorite nut from Red Leaf but even in saying that you can’t go wrong because it is a very fine nut matcha! Hey we all have our favorites! :)
Get yours here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pistachio-matcha.html

I love pistachios. Maybe a little too much. They are easily my favorite nut and I have to be really careful when I buy a bag of them because they can get be gone before I know it. Luckily they are pricey, so that helps keep things down. Also, I’m a fan of the raw shelled pistachios, so those are even harder to find.

So, when I saw this flavor of matcha, I was excited to try it. How would it compare to pistachios themselves? I got this with Robust level of flavoring and prepared this in a water bottle with chilled water. I used 1/2 teaspoon of matcha to 16 oz. of water.

This matcha has a very interesting taste, but I don’t know if it’s really true to the pistachio flavor. I think, as another reviewer mentioned, it’s more like pistachio flavoring in ice cream and what not. I’m not really getting the true-to-nut taste that I was hoping for. It’s not a bad tasting matcha, but it won’t satisfy my cravings for pistachio.

I gave my boyfriend a blind taste test and asked him what it tasted like. At first he didn’t what to say, but then he said “it’s kind of got a spice to it.” There’s definitely some spice in there as well. I’m just hesitant to recommend this to a pistachio lover like myself because the flavor just isn’t there like I was hoping. I think people who like pistachio flavored things (which I rarely have) will be more satisfied.

You can buy the matcha here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pistachio-matcha.html

I am actually not a big eater of plain pistachios, but I love their nut-paste based desserts, like gelato or various truffles. Yum. So I really wanted to try this matcha, especially after trying the almond matcha in all its nutty glory. I ordered this one in the robust flavoring level, with the basic grade matcha, from here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pistachio-matcha.html

As I opened the pouch, the matcha definitely smelled like pistachio essence, by which I don’t mean it smelled like a bag of pistachios, but more like pistachio gelato or pistachio marizpan (marzipan made with pistachios instead of almonds!). I prepared this matcha as usual, with 1/2tsp of matcha for 8oz of water, and a little sugar added part way through the bowl.

When I first smelled the prepared bowl of matcha, I was surprised and confused that it smelled kind of spicy, like nutmeg and cloves. Wha? It wasn’t unpleasant, just totally unexpected. The smell carries over to just the beginning part of the taste, where it initially seems a bit spicy but then morphs into a nutty, rich pistachio flavor. The matcha underneath definitely takes on an earthy flavor, and I can’t help but wonder if the spiciness isn’t at least in part from the matcha that the pistachio flavoring is just bringing to the foreground.

This is a really tasty matcha, though not precisely what I was looking for with the pistachio flavoring. The pistachio is definitely there and delicious, but the spiciness is kind of throwing me off a bit. My score may change as I try it more times and attempt to figure out all of its flavors.

Pistachio Matcha.. what, no one else here has tried this one? Psshhhhhh! I’m a pistachio fan, I doubt I’m the only one!

Specs on the matcha I’m drinking:

Pistachio Matcha
Quality: Classic (Basic Grade)
Flavor: Distinctive
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/pistachio-matcha.html

The matcha straight out of the bag smells very strongly like sweet pistachio, reminding me of pistachio halva. Hey.. that’s an idea, sweetening this with some honey and a spoon of tahini? Ehh, that sounds a little too nutty. Very intoxicating smell!

The matcha frothed up well during whisking and is a lovely green colour, matching a perfect colour to pistachios too!

As a traditional cup of hot matcha, great strong earthy green tea base holding hands next to the pistachio flavor. The matcha isn’t astringent. Slight bitterness, but it fits the bill almost with a smokeyness of the pistachio. There is a sweet nutty taste at the end of my sip. The best part of this cup is that sweet nutty taste, very well done! I’m thinking I could drink this one as a traditional cup all the time.

As a iced latte (prepared with matcha, ice, soy milk and a bit of sweetner), this pretty much tastes like pistachio ice cream! Creamy, sweet, and nutty with strong green tea base. This one came out sweeter than normal because of the sweetness of the flavoring. With that said, if adding sweetener, be gentle.

I usually order “Robust” flavoring, this being my first “distinctive” flavoring. I found the matcha is near balanced with the flavoring, rather than the flavoring being in your face. This is a great flavoring selection if you want to enjoy the matcha earthyness more.

So my tea peeps, totally give this one a shot. I guess it sounds kinda weird since I think others might associate pistachios as just a salty snack, but this one is sweet, nutty and tasty!