Genuine Tea
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Sparkling Matcha!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one since my experience with Genuine’s other fruity matchas has been somewhat mixed. But I think this was the standout matcha of the week. I’ve had more than a handful of yuzu matcha drinks, but this was maybe the best of the bunch. Really fresh, zesty and flavourful without added sweetener or the use of flavouring. Just authentic yuzu. If you were going to try one of Genuine’s new fruity matchas this is definitely the one I’d recommend. Skip the strawberry…
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DccAV2fiUQx/?img_index=1 (Fifth Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjkPn6pxuo0
Iced Latte!
Like the other “flavoured” matchas in Genuine Tea’s new line up, this is made without added sugar/sweetener and using powdered coconut instead of coconut flavouring. I had the Strawberry Matcha yesterday and the powdered strawberry just couldn’t deliver on a distinct enough strawberry flavour all on its own. This one, however, works.
It’s still matcha forward as it should be, but there’s definitely a distinct buttery creaminess to the taste profile and mouthfeel and the coconut notes are distinct albeit soft. But it’s exactly that touch of fresh coconut milk-like flavour that I think compliments the matcha so perfectly without being masked. I noted yesterday that the average consumer used to a sweetened or flavoured strawberry matcha would probably be let down by Genuine’s Strawberry Matcha. I don’t feel like that is as inherently likely for this one, though!
Personally, I ended up drinking half of this iced latte on ots own without added sweetener and I enjoyed it a lot. For the second half, I added a touch of white chocolate syrup. The sweetness brought out more of the coconut flavour and was of course quite complimentary.
Iced Latte!
I appreciate very much what Genuine Tea is going for with this matcha and, really, their whole “flavoured” matcha line. All three are unsweetened and use powdered fruits in place of flavourings. I imagine in some cases this will translate better than others, but in the case of this matcha I think it really misses the mark…
I mean, the matcha itself is totally fine. It’s fresh, umami, and a bit on the grassier side with some subtle floral undertones. It works well in a latte where that brisker green note is balanced out. However the powdered strawberry that’s been used just doesn’t have a rich enough taste to carry over into the final profile. It’s sort of a “squint and you can see it” kind of vibe but with, well, flavour. Maybe there’s something fruity going on, but you cannot convince me that in a blind tasting anyone would identify this as a strawberry matcha.
…and it’s okay to not want to use flavouring! That’s not for everyone. However, powdered and freeze-dried fruits just don’t have the aroma compounds of their fresh counterparts. It’s kind of the same idea as putting whole strawberry slices in a loose leaf tea. They won’t make the tea taste like strawberry. They’re pretty, for sure! And can be good visual queues to help people make the link between an added flavouring and what it’s supposed to taste like. I get that, and there are definitely other people that will too.
However, I can’t help but feel a little sad for the people who might see this packaging and the imagery being used on Genuine’s website or social media who won’t understand how big a flavour difference there will be between this matcha and the strawberry matcha lattes they’re used to getting at a cafe or flavoured matcha drink mix. I think they’ll be disappointed but it’s also just not a fair comparison given the ingredient differences.
This past weekend I went to an event hosted by a gallery/cafe here in Montreal. More on the event in another tasting note, but this was a cup of tea we picked up at the cafe because we were a little early and had to wait for everything to start.
Genuine Tea isn’t really a bad tea option for a random cafe – at least it was loose leaf tea and a recognizable brand name! Genuine’s CEG is light on the cream notes, at least in my opinion, but the bergamot it aromatic and bright and compliments the full-bodied and brisk black tea blending base. As a person who’s not huge of EG teas, I would be very happy getting this from a cafe. In fact, I was happy because that’s exactly what I did!
Sipped as usucha.
Unfortunately I think this matcha was rather rough. Pretty astringent and bitter tasting even with really careful brewing/whisking parameters, with a really vegetal and coarse grassy character to it. It might be more salvageable in a latte with those stronger notes of dandelion greens and the astringency could be balanced out by the fat and sweetness of dairy. But I probably would not drink this again on its own if I was offered the chance to…
I enjoyed the other sparkling ice teas from Genuine so I expected to like this one, but it fell a little flat for me. The peach note was nice, albeit in a weird middle ground between being more sweet/juicy and a little more of a tart peach. What really got me was the finish, though. Perhaps it was from the turmeric but I just found it quite metallic tasting. Very much like pennies, in a way!? Just a little too off for me – I’d probably reach for either of the other two flavours I’ve tried over this one. Particularly, the Elderberry really stands out in my memory as being quite good.
I’ve been seeing a lot more sparkling lemon and ginger flavoured drinks lately. Not tea specifically, but just in general. I’m not sure how I feel about lemon and ginger as a cold beverage in general, let alone as a carbonated one…
In this case I found the earthiness of the ginger and the overall taste of green tea to be too strong for my liking, and the lemon was a little less sweet and bright than expected. I could definitely still taste that it was a quality drink, and I thought that there were a lot of strong points like the clarity of each flavour and the sweetness level. This ultimately comes down to the fact it’s just flavours that aren’t my personal preference over there being anything wrong with the drink itself. Would absolutely recommend it to other who don’t have the same flavour aversions I do.
This was very good! Elderberry can be tricky to work with since it often comes out rather “stinky” tasting or medicinal, but this was such an awesome mix of tart, tangy hibiscus and dark juicy berries. Really refreshing with a crispness to the finish and just the right sweetness to offset the acidity while not being sugary.
So, sooo deeply thick and syrup but that punchy tart flavour of hibiscus and jammy elderberries does really hit the spot. You definitely have to be in the mood for bold and fruity though, and really lean into the simplicity and intensity of the blend. I’m always impressed by how much the elderberry in this tea doesn’t taste like feet though.
I feel like elderberry has this sliding scale that ranges from thick, jammy, sweet and a bit tart to tasting like straight up feet. So I’m always a bit scared to try a new elderberry blend. For the most part I enjoyed this one. It’s pretty hibiscus dominant (would be good iced) which can be a bit much if that’s not what you’re in the mood for, but the elderberry was pleasant and direct and I liked how round the cup felt on my palate despite having a lot of upfront acidity.
Just finishing up a mug of this oolong. It’s very, very buttery in a way that makes it very hard for me to believe that it hasn’t been flavoured – however the ingredients list only shows oolong tea. I don’t mind a flavoured milk oolong at all, and actually I’ve found this mug quite soft, smooth, and relaxing.
All the misinformation around milk oolong and what’s actually scented, flavoured, or just “pure tea” drives me mad though. Most of it isn’t even the tea companies being deliberately misleading! Just a lot of lies happening at origin…
Thank you for your comment about the misinformation on milk oolongs, Roswell Strange. I recently tried one, and reading about them was very confusing to me. And I also came away suspecting that some folks were not being entirely honest, but I wasn’t really sure who. It doesn’t matter, though, the tea community as a whole should be more responsible! Alas, given the current state of the world that may be asking too much.
Sipping on some Milk Oolong and appreciating the newly flowered tulips in the park nearest my house; it’s really getting to be full on outdoor tea season again and I am SUPER excited about it!! This oolong is also a warm and cozy hug in a cup; super buttery and silky with fresh, clean floral undertones that remind me of curling up in a big, fluffy blanket fresh out of the dryer!! Great for a grey, drizzly afternoon – but hey, at least more rain means happier flowers for future sessions!!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsUZkhwuWiu/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-LQxFvJtAY
Is there anything better than watching the sun rise while drinking a good cup of tea? I mean, probably – but sipping on this fresh and buttery cup of tea yesterday morning felt pretty damn perfect in the moment! Delicately floral and richly creamy with notes of fresh churned butter and coconut that practically melted in my mouth with each sip. Yet another great grab from Toronto Tea Festival this past weekend!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CoLOTLIOZ-o/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMkETUcDdmg
