Kettl

This is probably my least favourite of the Kettl matchas that I own, but maybe it will grow on me more and it certainly isn’t a bad matcha by any stretch. The tasting notes are actually pretty good. I bit of a toasted rice/grains note and some of that pistachio and sunflower seed nuttiness that I often like in a matcha. However, I think the part that I’m not jiving with as much is that it doesn’t have the softer and smooth mouthfeel that I adore so much in Soukou or Shinme, but it’s also not bold and robust like Hukuju in the way that makes me think it would shine in a latte…

Instead I get a bit of a rough and sand papery mouthfeel but these softer tasting notes that feel a little at odds with each other. It’s like an “in between” of all my favourite qualities of the different Kettl matchas that I’ve just named. Hopefully I acclimate to it though, or crack the code on how to best whisk it up.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfu-ltiYE4/?img_index=1 (Seventh Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL3ZLLoIBCk

Decided to treat myself this past week during International Matcha Day by opening up one of the tins of Kettl matcha I ordered but haven’t tried, even though I haven’t sipped down the others yet. I just needed something new.

First impression on this one is good, but less strong than either of the others. It’s got notes of sunflower seeds, pistachio cream, and clover honey and was pleasantly sweet and nutty on the whole. The mouthfeel wasn’t nearly as soft to me as my other Kettl matchas, but I wonder if it might hold up nicely to a splash of milk or as a latte because of that…

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DX7nqSEktyI/?img_index=1 (Sixth Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdxYEpBgLoY

This was the second matcha that was served at the Kettl event that I went to this past weekend! It’s an Uji matcha, and the first one we tasted was a Yame matcha so the two were really different tasting. It was even more apparent having them back to back, as well.

I found this matcha to be quite aggressively oceanic/marine tasting with a really upfront profile of pureed spinach, cucumber skins, and fresh algae. A lot of the people at the event preferred this one, and it was clearly really high quality. Such a smooth, velvety mouthfeel as well! However, it is so painfully outside of my personal matcha flavour preferences. That spinach note, while fascinating, is NOT for me! But even with that said, I loved getting to try another matcha from Kettl that I probably never ever would have ordered for myself.

It was overall a really great event! I didn’t learn a ton, but that’s not in any way because Armando was a bad instructor. He was great! I’m just not at an “intro level” of matcha knowledge anymore. That said, I still liked seeing how he presented information in such a digestible way, hearing some of my own opinions on certain matcha-related topics be validated by an expect, and there were a few deep cuts that were new information even if they were few and far between. So it was a worthwhile outing!

A reliable classic with that perfectly comforting profile of puffed wheat and chocolate haystack cookies. This matcha never lets me down.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZqMrrgifCM/?img_index=1 (Seventh Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAMUs4F01g8

I love this matcha so much on its own, so I decided to give it a shot as an iced latte. Unfortunately I think that the tasting notes of cocoa that I appreciate so much in this matcha as usucha are too soft and delicate to work in a latte. It just gets a bit lost.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXppr0HCR-P/?img_index=1 (Sixth Photo)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odd0RF2hmxI

Smooth and soft with light notes of cocoa powder in the top notes and a more brothy, savory finish. I made this with a bit less water than normal, so it was a lot thicker and more velvety in mouthfeel as well. Always a standout when it comes to morning matcha!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzegJnCZug/?img_index=1 (Second Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZzb9eS-2ps

Ah, yes, my other favourite matcha of the moment!

Compared to Soukou, which I also adore from Kettl, this doesn’t really have the cocoa note in the same way. It’s still really, really nutty tasting and toasty though with a smooth, delicate flavour of puffed brown rice or quinoa undercut by macadamia nuts, peanut butter, and a slightly more green/umami brightness. It’s very good even if it’s a smidge less sweet. Highlights some of my favourite qualities of Yame matcha.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWPemNAiSfT/?img_index=1 (Third Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_bjIlDxW48

This is my favourite matcha right now and it’s not even close. It’s just so naturally toasty and comforting with a soft mouthfeel and notes of cocoa and puffed wheat that are strong enough to be tasty in a latte, but not bold enough to be unpleasant consumed as usucha either. I try not to drink the same matcha more than once a week, so that I’m sipping through everything I own, but this one is very tempting…

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DU1HouiiXAB/?img_index=1 (Third Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9a0wmcVIM8

I will need to revisit this matcha sooner rather than later because I don’t remember the tasting notes from it super well. The mouthfeel was a little bolder and had a touch of fuzzy astringency, but I didn’t mind it. I just remember really noting that it didn’t have quite the same “wow factor” and instantly distinct tasting notes as the other two matcha from Kettl that I’ve tried recently. Maybe more savory and vegetal??

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTlvNETift8/?img_index=1 (Seventh Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE9jSCaSXo8

Iced Latte!

I just couldn’t resist recreating that cookie latte that I had not too long ago with this matcha, though this time around I used pistachio milk since I have a half carton I need to use up. It was truly divine with these deep, complex nutty notes that go so well with the biscuity chocolate chip flavour. I don’t know that the pistachio milk actually added to the profile significantly, but it didn’t detract either.

Iced Latte!

Made this iced latte for myself using pistachio milk! Not pistachio syrup, but an unsweetened milk made from the actual pistachio nut. You’d think it would look kinda green, but really it’s like a pale/milky brown. Taste wise it was fine. This is such a nutty matcha anyway, so drinking it with a nut-based milk just helps keep those flavours in focus. However, most of the taste of the milk itself was masked. Still enjoyed the peanut-y umami profile though!

Iced Latte!

Absolutely had to recreate the matcha I had last week with the chocolate chip cookie syrup addition because it’s maybe the best matcha latte I’ve had in months. I did up the amount of matcha in this drink to temper the sweetness ever so slightly and not lose the nuttiness of the matcha, but the combination of the two is just so, so, so, so, so damn good. I’m obsessed.

Iced Latte!

Made this as an iced oat milk latte with a shot of a cookie flavoured latte syrup in it. This matcha is already really naturally sweet and nutty, but the addition of the syrup? Oh baby. It was like drinking the matcha version of a liquified chocolate chip cookie. But, more than that, because of the natural notes of the matcha that were still coming through it was like an ooey gooey homebaked brown butter chocolate chip cookie. Fucking INSANELY good.

Usually my first matcha of the morning is at home, which is why this matcha doesn’t make it into my morning round-ups despite being something I drink frequently. It’s kept at the office. In this case, I was late waking up/heading into work so this first matcha was an office one. Delicious, though! I love this one as an iced latte very, very much. It’s a bit like drinking the matcha equivalent of liquid peanut butter…

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DURhhUvCah7/?img_index=1 (Seventh Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZbnHHFmozk

Usually I drink this matcha with milk, but today I had it straight as usucha. Definitely a touch more bitterness and astringency in a way that I could see being a little abrasive for some. It’s those qualities and the bolder flavour that contribute to why it shines so much in a latte, though! Still very rich and nutty, with notes of peanut butter and sesame paste.

Iced Latte!

Made this as a midafternoon matcha latte post-lunch yesterday. This is definitely becoming a fast favourite because of how bold and nutty the flavour is. I wonder if I would find it astringent or abrasive were I to drink it straight? It certainly has a much more pronounced flavour than so much of the matcha I’ve had lately, which is a big part of why I think it holds up so damn well in these matcha lattes. It’s like drinking extra umami peanut butter, sometimes. Not a complaint. The opposite, in fact.

Iced Latte!

I picked up five different matchas from Kettl in my recent order, but this was by far the largest quantity. I got the 100g bag size (quite reasonably priced for the size), which for now I’ve left at my office to drink as my afternoon matcha latte during the week.

This matcha is specifically advertised as being ideal for lattes, so it was that quality and the fact it’s advertised as being extremely nutty tasting that appealed to me. I think it definitely delivers on that nutty front! The moment I opened up the bag of matcha I was hint with a strong peanut-like aroma.

I probably will try this hot and plain sooner rather than later, but I stuck with an iced oat milk latte (no sweetener) for the first tasting and I was IN LOVE with this. Definitely thick and velvety with a gorgeous deep green colour. The taste was really toasty and nutty, like creamy peanut butter meets black sesame paste. Even without added sweetener I found this had a strong amount of natural sweetness. I think this will be an excellent choice for those afternoon matcha lattes!

Y’all already know I adore this matcha, so this was just a safe pull on a morning I really needed reliable and cozy. It delivered. Brown rice, walnut, and clover honey notes popped out amongst the soft, gentle mouthfeel.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dad6Oh5iW_0/?img_index=1 (Fifth Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGnX3xpEJQQ

The absolutely coziest brown rice notes!!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXppr0HCR-P/?img_index=1 (Second Photo)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHKNQBP6V-E

So this past weekend Kettl was actually here in town in Montreal hosting a matcha tasting/intro class. Even though (not to be boastful) I definitely think my education level is well above a “Matcha 101” style of class, I’m a pretty big Kettl fangirl so I decided I would give it a go with a few work and non-work friends who are also big matcha people!

The venue was stunning. It was hosted at a gallery downtown, and was set up in a way that was just quite intimate, artistic, and just really warm feeling. The instructor, Armando, was very engaging and did a great job connecting to what was clearly a group of about a dozen people at WILDLY different knowledge levels.

This was the first matcha we tasted and, of course, it’s one I’m very familiar with. One of my current all time favourite matchas, in fact. On one hand, I would have loved to have been exposed to entirely new matchas. On the other, it was really interesting hearing a large group of people share tasting notes about a matcha I know really well and getting to see how those compare with my own tasting notes.

Back again with another week’s matcha round up!

I’m really, really dying to open up some of my other Kettl matchas, but I want to make sure I’m going through open tins first. So, I prioritized making some usucha this past week with the ones I have open. That makes it sound like a chore, but it very much was not. This is toasty, cocoa puff deliciousness with a gentle nutty undertone. Smooth and silk and very delicious. I’m happy to work my way through the tin. I just wonder if there are even better matchas waiting for me when this is finished…

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWPemNAiSfT/?img_index=1 (First Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyAz2hW3Aow

Shinme (also from Kettl) might be my favourite matcha right now and because of that I’ve maybe been neglecting this one a little bit. However, I whisked it up as usucha this past week and I did still really enjoy it. Softer mouthfeel with a similar toastiness as Shinme, just not as intense. I got notes of cocoa powder alongside and even umami and a slight nuttiness to the finish.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVHiMNvEm1P/?img_index=1 (Third Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcrdz4pQcoo

Morning Matcha Round-Up!

This one was whisked up as a hot latte with an addition of a salted caramel oat milk creamer. I don’t usually add flavoured creamer to my matcha, but my roommate had this one for his coffee and he offered to let me try it out. Since this matcha is so sweet and nutty anyway with notes of puffed wheat and cocoa I thought it would compliment very well, and it definitely did! Sweeter, creamy and deeply cozy. I will say, I do think I prefer this matcha just straight up. The flavours are soooo distinct that way. However, there was nothing unpleasant about this drink at all!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DT3SQWOCSSz/?img_index=1 (Seventh Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMMP-T3EF8s

I liked this so much the first time I tried it that I couldn’t help but whisk of a chawan of it literaly the next day. Such a soft and buttery mouthfeel with the same nutty and chocolate-laced notes of puffed wheat cake. Really great!