Wow, I get to be the first to review this one!
I have been making a lot of fruit smoothies lately and I love the zing that my Black Cherry matcha is adding to them. That tin is getting low, so when I saw this one on sale I thought it would be a great one to try. I have never had a bilberry and didn’t even know what it was, so I looked them up prior to ordering. They look remarkably like blueberries.
For the first time, I upgraded my matcha base just to see if I could tell a big difference. I also got a lower flavoring level than usual, opting for distinctive, while in the past I have always ordered robust.
You can get it here: http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/bilberry-matcha.html
Opening the pouch, I was greeted with a sweet candy scent. I like to try these flavored matcha several different ways right away so I know how they best shine. As my water heated for the traditional style of preparation, I put a bit in my water bottle and added about two ounces of cold water. I gave it a good shake and then added more cold water. Fantastic! This may be even tastier than the Black Cherry as a cold, fruit infused flavoring for water to take to the gym.
I whisked up a bowl in the traditional fashion with my chasen. It was easy to froth, made more froth, and had a longer lasting froth than the classic grade of matcha. Nice! It tastes good plain, and I tried it also with about 1/16 tsp. of sugar. This was also good.
Next, I made my fruit smoothie for lunch. Since I have been making it from a banana and blueberries lately I wondered if I would even be able to tell the matcha was in there, but it was very distinctive.
The scent of the flavoring is very, VERY much like the new Harney and Sons Blueberry Green. There is only one thing that puzzles me about this tea. I am getting a floral taste, which may have to do with the flavoring, or may be what a real bilberry tastes like since I have never had one. It is not unpleasant. It is a light hint of the taste I get when I eat a Choward’s violet candy, though the blueberry, grape-candy dominates. At first I thought it was a perfume-y taste, but now I am really perceiving it as a floral taste. Now, a while after finishing the smoothie, I am tasting the violet candy more and more. It is making me want some! Fortunately, I still have some Parmaviolets left!
Overall, I am very pleased with this flavor and will probably order it again. I am especially pleased with the upgrade of the base matcha, and especially pleased also to find that the distinctive level of flavor is strong enough for me. I used to order robust because I was afraid of matcha. Now I even like it plain, so this level is fine for me!
This makes my smoothie extra tasty, and that is the real purpose for which I bought it.
