Marukyu-Koyamaen
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This is the first matcha I’ve tried from MK and it’s beautiful. So smooth and soft and mild. Haven’t tried this as a koicha yet, but I think it will be phenomenal.
Not really vegetal IMO like other matchas I’ve had. Definitely get some umami, but not a ton either. Super light flavor and very easy to drink. This is much less intense compared to Ippodo’s Horai.
Harvest: 2023
Location: Kyoto
Powder smell: Smooth, thick, creamy
Flavors: Smooth, creamy, umami, buttery
Flavors: Butter, Creamy, Smooth, Thick, Umami
Another one from Sazen tea for Christmas. First Marukyu Koyamaen tea I’ve tried and I’m quite impressed. This is the most unique sencha I’ve tried, and tastes more like gyokuro than most senchas. It has less umami and more vegetal notes than gyokuro, but is similarly rich.
No bitterness or astringency brewed at 60 C. I brewed the tea side-by-side with water from my electric kettle and my new cast iron tetsubin. The tetsubin-brewed sencha had a very pleasant mild sweetness that the other brew lacked. It also had the slightly off aftertaste removed in the tetsubin version. The only drawback was a slight loss in complexity of the tesubin version. Regardless, this is the most “pure” sencha I’ve tried. Can’t reallly describe it otherwise. Lasted 4-5 infusions.
I love this tea and will enjoy drinking the rest of it quite a bit. However, I would not purchase it again for the price ($0.88/g).
Location: Uji, Kyoto
Dry leaf: Grass, umami
Wet leaf: Grass, umami, egg
Flavors: Grass, umami, egg, vegetal
Flavors: Egg, Grass, Umami, Vegetal
Unkaku is rich, creamy, sweet, and decadent. It performs beautifully as both usucha and koicha. I found it especially easy to whisk into a thick foam, and the finish and aftertaste are impeccably smooth. There is no astringency or bitterness in this matcha whatsoever. I highly recommend it!
Flavors: Almond, Apple, Cream, Milk Chocolate, Nori, Strawberry, Umami
Preparation
I ordered Isuzu matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen along with Wako, Unkaku, and Yugen. Isuzu was the most vegetal and spinachy of the four matchas and had the most astringency, with only slight bitterness. I have prepared it as usucha many times, and it is always refreshing and delightful. Its astringency is like a subtle citrusy twang in the mouth. This edge to Isuzu’s flavor produces a lovely cleansing feeling. I will be purchasing it again.
Flavors: Bell Pepper, Cut Grass, Lemon, Spinach, Wood
Preparation
I ordered this Yugen matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen with some of their other principal matcha. I have tried lots of other matcha, but this one is special. The aroma of the dry powder has chocolate notes that Marukyu Koyamaen’s other matcha did not have. The usucha I’ve whipped up with this matcha has been creamy, rich, and not at all bitter or astringent. I like to prepare this matcha on the thicker side of usucha to fully enjoy the indulgent flavors it has to offer.
Flavors: Butter, Chocolate, Cream, Cucumber, Raspberry
Preparation
This matcha is superb. I prepare it as usucha, but it is also suitable for koicha. The dry powder is a bright, luminous green and has a fine consistency. It smells sweet and creamy when dry.
I prepare this using 1 1/2 to 2 scoops using a chashaku (around 2 grams), with approximately 70 ml of water, at 80 C.
When whisked, the tea smells fresh and grassy. It produces a thick froth. It tastes very smooth and creamy with some umami. It also has a sweet, lingering aftertaste. I love having this in the morning as its taste stays in the mouth for some time.
Overall, I am very happy with this matcha. It will be a mainstay in my cupboard.
Preparation
Picked it up on a whim from my local tea shop because I was low. Compared to:
Teavana
Midori Spring Gold
Midori Spring Emerald
Aiya
this is my favorite matcha!! It is the most beautiful emerald green I have seen yet. It tastes rich without being bitter. (I find midori gold to be a bit too delicate for what I want in a matcha). It’s creamy and herbal without being kale-bitter. Mine was $22 for the amount that would have been $27 midori gold on amazon and i’m liking it better. I think I’ve found my staple.
No exact measurements sorry because I use a chashaku to scoop it into a fine tea strainer and then push it through to sift. I think I’m rather generous with the powder.
I like all my matcha with about 1oz milk and 1/8 tsp sugar.
Flavors: Creamy, Herbs, Vegetal
Preparation
Matcha Gold is a solid high quality Matcha, but doesn’t stand out from the crowd of organically cultivated Matcha green teas.
Read more: https://matchaenthusiast.blogspot.com/2016/03/matcha-review-organically-cultivated.html
Flavors: Sweet, Umami, Vegetal
Preparation
Marukyu Koyama-en is one of my favorite brands. I especially love their cold brew Matcha powder, which is freeze-dried in the preparation process. You just have to add cold water, whisk and enjoy a refreshing bowl of Matcha.
Read more: https://matchaenthusiast.blogspot.com/2017/07/matcha-review-awaraku-by-marukyu-koyama.html
Flavors: Grass, Moss, Smooth, Sweet, Vegetal
Preparation
This matcha won numerous awards, suitable for both koicha and usucha. Taste is very smooth and buttery. This is one of my favourite matcha.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_V-c4II-BS/?taken-by=esung123
Flavors: Butter, Smooth
I have been seriously struggling with anxiety these past few weeks. Not that this is anything new, but it seems to have gotten worse now that I am back from vacation. One nice thing is that my Dad got me a $40 gift certificate to Dragon Tea House which I have already spent, mostly on pu-erh samples and one batch of yellow tea.
Anyway I thought I’d drink some of this today and get a nice theanine boost. It is such a sweet and luscious green tea. I steeped it for 90 seconds and it seems very soothing at the moment. I’m so glad I have some of it around.
Preparation
This kabusecha is seriously delicious. I had another one by this same company but ran out of it a while ago, decided it was time to go for it because I remember how good it was. I think that was just called Kabusecha and this is Kabusecha Takamodo. I’m not sure what the difference is between the two.
I steeped this in my Japanese teapot (Kyusu) for 2 minutes. It yields a light green infusion that is slightly thick, sweet and tastes of spinach and nuts with a slight marine flavor. There is not a lot of astringency that you can sometimes find in regular senchas. Kabusecha is shade grown but not to the same degree as gyokuro. One thing I really love about this is the sense of relaxed alertness that it brings, earlier Indigobloom mentioned the “theanine” buzz and this definitely has it. I feel there is something sublime and almost transcendental about this lovely brew. Definitely hard to go wrong with this grower, in my opinion. It also resteeps fairly well.
It looks like Camellia Sinensis also carries this tea if you want to buy it on-line:
http://camellia-sinensis.com/en/kabusecha-takamado
Preparation
This matcha was purchased at Asakichi in Japantown that carries these Maruku-Koyamaen teas. They carry over 10 different matchas from this same company, but at the moment they seemed to have mostly the cheaper grades.
This is described as an “entry” grade ceremonial matcha and it’s one of the least expensive they carry. Still, I was told this is a good one for everyday drinking and better than a food grade matcha. They told me it is one of their most popular. Since I don’t know what I am buying I figured I would just go for their suggestion.
When I got home I decided to whisk some of this up. It is definitely a vivid green, and has a smooth, mellow taste that isn’t bitter at all. Although it is definitely on the “seaweed” side of green tea, the taste seems very clean and fresh to me. Someday I will have to try the really expensive matchas to see if they blow my mind…. for now I am happy with this as it seems good quality and is easy enough to drink plain as an everyday sort of tea.
Preparation
“Tsubo-kiri” tea, as far as I understand, refers to new tea that is placed carefully into storage immediately after harvest in the spring, then opened and sold to customers in the fall. Perhaps in English you would call this “aged sencha”? This is a limited edition tea sold only in October and November. I purchased this particular tea in the Isetan department store in Kyoto.
The dry tea leaves are dark, almost bluish green and rolled very tightly into a needle shape. This must be a lighter steamed sencha, as the leaves are fairly large. Aroma is mild.
Brewed at 165°F, the result is a very nicely-balanced, smooth, and mild sencha. The taste is initially sweet, followed by an earthy savoriness and a pleasant bit of astringency. Even with this low temperature, the tightly-rolled leaves fully open up and are quite pretty.
First: 3g tea, 5oz water @ 165°F, 1 minute 30 seconds
Second: 195°F, 15 seconds
Preparation
Tsubokiri is a lovely sober seasonal matcha that is available in autumn time only. It has the beautiful green aroma, smooth and creamy texture that is known in Marukyu-Koyamaen matchas. What I love is this unique creaminess, it really is unlike other brands definitely. I also find that this brand takes a little more effort to whisk for foam, so usually 20 seconds for me.
For overall taste, I like the matcha flavor, the balanced green perfume, just nice and mellow. No bitterness in the after taste. Delicious floral and sweet. It does not strike at you but it is more easy going and aromatic.
Recommended as a daily matcha, it is very easy to couple with or without sweets. I do not mind to have this matcha several times in the day because of the very fresh aftertaste of delicate floral fragrance and sweetness that lingers in the mouth.
A nice hot cup of this matcha in the cold autumn is wonderful!
- High quality Matcha prepared traditionally thick or thin.
- Full-bodied mellow flavor.
- Elegantly fine powder, bright green.
- Recommend it to those who do not like bitterness or strong green taste.
- Recommended as a daily matcha.
- Balanced flavor with creamy texture.
Quantity of Matcha Powder: 1.5 heaping of tea ladle/chasaku
Quantity of Hot Water: 70ml
Temperature of Hot Water: 80°C
Time of whisking: 20 seconds
Please see my full review with photos:
http://matchagirlparis.blogspot.fr/2013/11/matcha-review-marukyu-koyamaen-tsubokiri.html
Preparation
Powder is harder and drier, like fine sand, because this matcha has been freezed-dried. Can pick it up with a normal teaspoon and it does not cling much to the spoon, normally the fine traditional matcha should be scooped with a bamboo spoon so it won’t stick so much.
Nice soft aroma, pleasant and little fragrant, great quality, but not strongly aromatic. I feel the taste is very light and bitter. And very little creaminess finish.
Nice to enjoy in the hot weather and summer time. Easy to prepare. No need to sift. No need to boil water. The color is beautiful deep green.I very very much enjoy the Suzukumo, it is however a tad bitter than my normal taste. In conclusion, I do prefer the traditional matcha powder more, for taste and texture. The upside to Suzukumo is that, it may be too hot to want to boil water and then go through the matcha steps to make cold or iced matcha, so this formula is very handy and saves time. I also enjoy preparing this matcha with my vacuum flask, I do not have to sift the matcha so I scoop the powder straight in the flask and then add cold water directly. Then I shake it vigorously, and that is it, I can get out of the house and enjoy my cold high quality matcha on the go and at picnics in the park! It will not lump!
Please check out my full review with photos:
http://matchagirlparis.blogspot.fr/2013/09/marukyu-koyamaen-suzukumo.html
Preparation
Type of Shin Matcha, freshly harvested from the annual harvest in May.
Special point is the fragrant of the tea, it is an aroma so sweet and creamy, it is addicting to smell the aroma straight from the can. No joking. Irresistible.
The taste of sweet creaminess. No negative taste of bitterness, grass, or soap. It has a unique grassy kick of its own that reaches the nose. Shin matcha is strong, so it has a green earthly flavor. The foam is the best and most important part, the creamy foam so fluffy like a bubble bath. Have to make sure to finish all the foam off the cup when finished. Seriously. Be creative on how to do that.
Recommend it to those who do not like strong bitter after taste. Wait for it… The finish is sweet. It leaves a sweet taste in the mouth even after drinking it.
Sweet and delicious foam! Beautiful aroma!
Please check out my full review with photos:
http://matchagirlparis.blogspot.fr/2013/08/matcha-review-marukyu-koyamaen-hatsu.html
Preparation
The taste of summer outdoor nature. Deep and refreshing. The name 清滝 KIYOTAKI means “waterfall”. That is how refreshing. Not leaning to the sweet but rich, it does not mean thick. No taste of bitterness, grass, or soap. It is light because it is in the water but at the same time it has this creamy finish in the mouth. When the ice starts to dissolve and the matcha starts to chill, the taste will become just right.
I prepare the matcha traditionally with hot water around 70C and whisk into a foam for 15 sec, then add ice. Ideally, it is nice to let the ice chill in the glass you will drink from, and rest it in the fridge before preparing the matcha. Then transfer the hot prepared matcha onto the ice and chilled glass.
Delicious and refreshing, the more I drink it the more I fall in love with it… can’t get enough! The perfect ice cold summer matcha!
Please check out my full review with photos:
http://matchagirlparis.blogspot.fr/2013/08/matcha-review-marukyu-koyamaen-kiyotaki.html
Preparation
This is a seasonal Matcha from Uji, Outside of Kyoto (Japan). Seasonal teas are pretty popular in Japan to add excitement and anticipation throughout the years (and drive consumers to purchase tea during the hot summer months).
Uji based Marukyu-Koyamaen is a reputable tea manufacturer and produces unarguably some of the best tea in Japan. I received this tea as a gift from a good friend in Japan…any way, on to the tasting.
The tea is ground to a slightly finer consistency than traditional matcha. I actually thought this would produce clumping in the cold water as I’ve heard that finely ground teas produce more “Static Cling” than other teas and can cause the particles to stick together. I have not experienced that with this tea. I sifted about 3.5 grams of matcha into a bowl and slowly added cold filtered water. I made a slight paste and really noticed the aroma. Its quite savory…i would describe the aroma as heady…mowed grass, roasted nuts and slight savory twang.
Matcha made with cold water produces foam, but less than hot water. The tea was easy to whisk and after about 20 seconds, a slight foam was appeared on the surface. The color is amazing: a deep thick forest green. The tea is very velvety…it has a distinct “cream” note. The aroma is slightly muted (I think due to the cold water) but it has a fresh and grassy taste. This matcha had little astringency (perhaps also due to the cold water?) and is definitely refreshing! Drinking cold matcha, which has a creaminess and a certain weight on your tongue, seems so similar to milk.
If you can find this tea…go for it!
Preparation
Appearance: needle like leaves that are dark green and matte with specks of neon green (stems).
Dry Leaf aroma: fruity, nori, cut grass, hay
6 grams of tea, 4oz water at 170, brewed in a kyusu.
1st steep: 45 second, 2nd steep: 15 seconds, 3rd steep: 30 seconds
First steep: deep green liquor. Very sweet and a bit soupy ( 6 grams is on the high side). There was very little astringency. Dominate notes were sweet grass, hay, subtle wild flower, ) and a fruity sweetness.
Second steep: more of a golden hue in the liquor. Still plenty of flavor. A bit more of a drying minerality come through on this one, kind of like sucking on a pebble! yum…
The floral notes were definitely stronger on round 2 as well. I could also taste the firing of the tea more in the second steep…comes through as an aftertaste that is reminiscent of hot metal…sounds strange, but its in there!
Third steep: Still great color and aroma, but sweetness and mouthfeel are gone.
Overall a nice and easy drinking sencha that is still complex. Has the nice Uji taste and aroma (wildflower) and as I said, is not too over powering. Great tea to get you into drinking senchas.
Recommended.
Preparation
If you have tasted matcha before and didn’t like it because it was too bitter… Or liked it as long as it was accompanied with something very sweet… Well, this matcha will change your whole perspective. It’s so so sweet, very creamy and with a touch of “grassyness”. It’s a whole experience!
Preparation
I have a tendency to, whenever trying a new type of tea, I always go for the cheapest version available and if I like it, I then go for the pricier stuff. My first matcha was from a local Chinese tea store in LA’s Chinatown. Then I tried several of those small tins offered in the local Japanese markets. All of them were too bitter for my taste when prepared traditionally and once I even got what I think it was a caffeine overdose. Seeing that this powdered offering of tea made me dizzy sometimes, and even when it did not, it still wasn’t enjoyable to drink, I strictly relegated my matchas for morning lattes and smoothies. This also made me lose interest in trying pricier matchas for a while… that is until I went to San Francisco.
I bought this at the same store where I found the Kabusecha Takamado I recently wrote about. The store specializes on the Japanese tea ceremony, selling many tea bowls, tea whisks, scoops, and of course tea. While at the store, the Japanese man (I’m guessing he’s Japanese, after all I was in Japantown) told me about their new shipment of matcha. Recently haversted and just arrived in two types, gold and silver. May being Shincha season, I was interested in trying a fresh new matcha. Specially a high quality one where I did not have to pay additional shipping thus raising the cost. So I went ahead and got the gold one.
This is my first time writing about a matcha so I’ll change the format a little bit.
>Matcha Appearance/Aroma
Very fresh sweet aroma as soon as you open the little can. The powder is super bright neon green, unlike any other matcha I’ve ever had (regular store bought versions look dull in comparison to this one).
>Preparation
two scoops, 3 oz water, 180F and thoroughly whisked. Ususcha (thin) style.
>Taste and Color
Foam was very bright green. I was very impressed with the taste, NO bitterness at all! Only sweetness with a thick creamy body. It has a very subtle grassy hint, but mostly it’s creamy sweetness.
>Overall
Another eye opener. My matcha interest has certainly been brought back by this one. I might order some more of the high quality ones offered by Den’s, Yuuki-cha, and O-cha in the future to try them out. I just wish I could go back to the store and get more… ah San Fran, why are you so far?
Preparation
Ah it has been almost a month since I last logged in a note, mostly due to a busy schedule and a recent trip. Been drinking tea heavily though just not writing about it. Anyways, so this past memorial weekend I decided to travel to San Francisco to visit the many tea shops and explore the Chinatown in hopes of finding another good yixing pot for my collection (sadly that part of the trip was a failure).
I remember seeing Amy Oh’s note on a certain Kabusecha that intrigued me. I searched the website in hopes of ordering some online but couldn’t find any info on how to order some, if you even can. So I asked her how she was able to get some and told me she got it from a San Francisco Japantown store. I explored Japantown and found this small shop that specialized in Japanese tea ceremony products and there they were, several cans and bags of Marukyu-Koyamaen tea. The shop had two different Kabusechas and I think I got the pricier one of the two (I don’t even remember the price as I lost the receipt). The tea comes in a very nice tin (I uploaded the picture of the one I got).
I made a separate page for this tea since the other one does not say which Kabusecha it is. I translated the Hiragana and Kanji in my can using several websites, alongside Marukyu-Koyamaen’s site trying to figure out exactly which kabusecha I got.
Anyways let’s get on with the note.
>Dry Leaf Appearance/Aroma
Medium sized needles with a deep green color, nicely shaped with a little twist to them, some broken but mostly unharmed. Aroma is faint but has a sweet grassy smell.
>Brewing Method
Used a small kyusu, water at 175F and 1 min steep time for the first infusion. Second infusion used the same temp, but shorter steep time (30 secs).
>Liquid Appearance
First cup had a bright green yellow cup, second cup remained the same but slightly cloudier.
>Taste/Aroma
First cup. Wow! it has a mellow aroma that is sweet and smells… creamy? The taste, slightly grassy and vegetal, with a very creamy finish and hints of vanilla. Subtly sweet, no astringency or bitterness. I was completely surprised by the taste, unlike any other green tea I’ve had. The flavor profile really reminds me of those green tea flavored kit kats sold in Japanese markets. So creamy with a green vanilla sweetness.
Second cup had a much fainter aroma, taste profile remained the same, still very good but definitely a loss of texture and flavor. Didn’t bother brewing a third cup but I’m certain it can take another brew.
>Wet Leaf Appearance
Very very green, a vivid green, with some unbroken fully opened leaves ( a rare sight with most Japanese greens). Other than that, mostly the typical Japanese green tea look.
>Overall
Wow what an experience. I have to admit this is my first time trying a Kabusecha (my only other experience has been with a Shiraore Kabusecha, one that included several stems which was still very good but nothing like this one). I never really payed much attention to Kabusecha since not many vendors here in the states sell them, and I always had this idea that it wouldn’t taste that much different from Sencha or Gyokuro, but this one is in a league of its own. One of the best green tea I’ve had and definitely a must try.
Preparation
Sipdown!
Done with this for now, of course I am tempted to run right out and buy more right away but perhaps I should focus on drinking the green teas I already have? Oh the bane of practicality…
@Triumph – you can order from them, but it involves faxing your order/payment info., etc.! However… Amy oh, didn’t you mention you found this from a US retailer? Who carries it?
I get it from a shop in Japantown in San Francisco called Asakichi. If you call, they may ship you some. :)
http://www.asakichi.com/contact.htm