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Yet another incredible matcha from Red Leaf. I still can’t believe how quickly I’ve fallen in love with matcha. All of the flavours are so true to life, perfectly balanced, and darn addictive. I’ve even come to love the preparation process, whereas I used to find it a bit of a pain in the butt. Something about scooping out the fragrant powder, sifting it into my cup and then whisking like a madman is soothing, in a way. A nice little break from whatever I’m doing to just focus my energy on preparing my tea.

I was a little wary about trying this flavour since I’ve never had a boysenberry, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Blackberries are one of my favourite fruits though, and boysenberries look pretty much identical, so somehow I just assumed that they must be delicious. I was right! This matcha is the perfect fruity treat. The best way I can describe it is as a fresh, light, perfectly sweet/tart berry. When I opened my package of delicately flavoured matcha, I was overcome with a burst of sweet, almost candy-like fruitiness. I was reminded almost of
those delicious, chewy blackcurrant pastilles that I loved growing up.

Once prepared, I was treated to a nice balance of earthy matcha and bright berry goodness. The candy quality is a bit muted, and the fruitiness really shines. One thing I love about this matcha is that I don’t have to add as much sugar to it as I do with the more dessert-like flavours. With this, I like to let the tartness of the berry shine through, but with the dessert matcha I crave a good amount of sugar since they’re supposed to taste like something sweet and decadent. This is delicious unsweetened or with just a touch, and I never miss the extra sugar.

I have posted my favourite smoothie mix for the cheesecake matcha, which is strawberries, bananas, matcha, vanilla yogurt & pineapple orange banana juice. I haven’t tried a smoothie with this flavour yet, but I’m thinking blueberries, bananas, vanilla yogurt, and apple juice or cider would be absolutely perfect.

I’m hoping to make another matcha order soon, to try out some more unique flavours and experiment a bit with the bases. So far I’ve only tried traditional green matcha and the 50/50 base, but I am super curious about black matcha. I’m thinking it would make an amazing latte with one of the richer flavours, like pumpkin pie or mocha. And recent reviews have got me tempted to try cookies and cream black matcha. I love that with Red Leaf, the possibilities are truly endless.

Boysenberry matcha far surpassed my expectations. You can find it here:
http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/boysenberry-matcha.html

Cheesecaaake!! Oh boy. Cheesecake is my favourite dessert. There are so many different varieties, and I am in love with almost all of them. My mom used to make a no-bake version that was whippy and light, with a thick, crumbly, spiced graham layer, and topped with a good old fashioned can of pie filling. And of course nothing can beat a good slice of baked cheesecake. I remember one of my first baking projects I tried as a teenager was a cheesecake. It turned out amazing and I was hooked. The top cracked something terrible, but man was it goood.

I was surprised and thrilled that Red Leaf’s take on cheesecake tasted so much like a good quality slice of baked goodness. I have been wanting to try this flavour for quite a long time and I’m so glad I did! This is how I ordered my matcha:

Flavouring: Robust
Quality: 50/50 matcha

I am super happy with my choices. The robust flavouring is the perfect amount for me in this one, it’s nice and strong without being overpowering. I love cheesecake so much that I knew I would want it to be really, well, robust. And the 50/50 matcha base is really nice! It’s smooth and refreshing; really mellows out the green tea flavour. I ordered it in hopes of getting my girlfriend to try it (she’s not the biggest green tea fan, so I thought the 50/50 might be easier to convince her on) but no luck yet. I’ll make sure to get her to taste my smoothie next time I make one, because I’m pretty sure that would be impossible not to love!

Speaking of which, my favourite way to enjoy this matcha is in a smoothie. I have had this twice now in two days, it is pretty darn addictive! I make em with frozen fruit, yogurt, juice, and about a teaspoon of matcha for a single serving. The cheesecake flavour really shines, permeating the entire drink with its creamy goodness. The yogurt adds that cheesecake tang and the matcha flavour is subtle but delicious. I took a matcha smoothie to work with me this morning and it filled me up and gave me a nice bit of energy from the tea goodness. I think this will become my go-to breakfast.

Tonight I tried it as a hot matcha latte. The cheesecake flavour is a lot less prominent than in my smoothie, but it is still an amazing creamy treat this way. It is buttery, smooth, and a little toasty, in a way. I am finding I can never go wrong with a Red Leaf matcha latte.

Next, I hope to try an iced latte, because I think the cheesecake flavour pops best as a cold drink. Maybe I’ll try mixing in a bit of boysenberry or caramel matcha too! I love how versatile the different flavoured matchas are for blending. There are so many combos that I want to try, and steepster folks come up with some pretty inventive blends that look amazing.

This ones a winner. You can score yourself some cheesecake matcha from Red Leaf here:

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/cheesecake-matcha.html

Ohmagerd.

My new matchas came in the mail today, and I had to rip into this one right away. I don’t have time to write a full review right now, but I couldn’t contain my excitement about the delicious concoction I made with this, and had to share with you folks immediately.

Ready for it?

Strawberry. Banana. Cheesecake. Smoothie.

It was possibly the best smoothie I’ve ever made/had. Sweet and tangy and creamy with this deliciously smooth cheesecake flavour that was waaaay more true to life and delectable than I expected.

Voila: my smoothie mix

-Generous helping of vanilla yogurt
-3/4 tsp sifted cheesecake matcha
-Handful of frozen strawberries & bananas
-Good pour of pineapple orange banana juice

All whizzed up in my magic bullet! It tastes like fruity liquid cheesecake (if liquid cheesecake were delicious. I imagine it would actually be kinda gross.)

This was my morning tea last year on my first day of school so I thought it was only fitting to bring some to my first class of the year today. Fall is my very favourite season and this tea is just synonymous with fall for me. This will be the third fall that I’ve enjoyed it and it is so lovely..warm and perfectly spiced, comforting and familiar, creamy-pumpkiny, and just the right amount of sweetness.

It took me a little while to fall in love with Pumpkin Chai. The first year I tried it, I thought it was much too weak. I’m used to a strong, bold, dark chai and this one’s a little more delicate. I like to add a little extra leaf and let it steep a bit longer to really bring out all of the flavours. I love it with a small spoon of brown sugar and milk but I had it with white sugar today since I was lazy this morning. Not quite as rich, but still pretty great.

The more I drink this, the more I enjoy it. Maybe it’s the nostalgia factor it’s beginning to have on me; bringing up memories of past falls, but regardless, I’m pretty darn smitten with this tea.

Mmm I am LOVING my caramel matcha. It is so rich and creamysmooth and satisfying! I have two more matchas on the way from Red Leaf that I can’t wait to try. Matcha addiction is working its way into full swing.

Tonight I’m having it hot with lots of milk and a touch of sugar. Reeeally helping my sweet tooth right now. I can’t wait to try an iced latte..maybe tomorrow. For those of you who put a bit matcha in your smoothies, do you just pour the sifted powder directly in the blender or do you whisk up a matcha base with water first? I’m curious to try this once my boysenberry and cheesecake matchas arrive :D

You know, this is much tastier than I expected. I didn’t think it could possibly be enjoyable with everything that’s going on in here. Pumpkin&cherries&figs&watermelon plus various leaves and petals. Oh dear. Seemed to me as if they were trying to decide between several different themes to go with while blending and then someone said “screw it, let’s dump ALLTHEFLAVOURS in!!”

When I tasted it though, it was lightly fruity and pleasant. Hum. A nice surprise! I don’t really taste many individual flavours but they do, somehow, seem to work. Not something I’d buy for myself, but I’m so glad I got to try it!

I thought I would love this when I smelled the dry leaf. It was sweet and bright and fruity scented, and strawberry rhubarb is one of my all time favourite combos. I also loved the strawberry rhubarb crumble white blend from a few years back, so this one seemed like a no brainer.

I had it iced, and felt pretty meh about the whole thing. The strawberry comes through nicely, and the hibiscus is well done as other people have said. But I don’t get a lot of rhubarb flavour and there’s this weird, sickly, almost sour dairy note that really hit me in the face on my first sip, which I can only imagine is the yogurt chips. I’ve never had a blend with them before so I can’t be positive they’re what’s causing it, but something is tasting seriously unpleasant.

The more I drank of it the less I noticed the weird taste, but it was still there lingering in the background. Too bad, I was looking forward to this. It was also much improved with some agave! I’m glad so many people are enjoying it, but I must just be the odd one out :P

I’m a little disappointed with this one, not gonna lie! Maybe because I hyped it up in my head too much. For some reason or another, it’s just not what I was hoping for or expecting.

The dry smell was pure maple for me, which was nice but a little off putting. I was expecting a buttery, bakey scent but all I could pick up was sweet maple.

Brewed up, I taste black tea and maple. Still a really enjoyable cup, but not the true pancake flavour that everyone else seems to rave about.

I think next time I’ll try a shorter steep and see if that helps bring out more of the flavouring. I’m actually sipping this as I type, and the pancake comes out a bit more as it cools. This is one I think I’d have to be in the mood for, though.

I was so happy to find my envelope from Red Leaf Tea in my mailbox yesterday afternoon. I was hoping it would come before the long weekend, and alas, it did! I was impressed at how quickly my tea shipped to Canada.

Oh boy. I’ve been wanting to try a flavoured matcha for so long, and now I’m left wondering why I waited so long! This is truly delicious, easier to prepare than I expected, and gives me a lovely natural energy boost to boot.

When I was placing my order, I was delighted to find all of the customization options. It’s really a nice touch and allows you to have your matcha exactly the way you like it. I opted for the starter grade matcha with distinctive flavouring. I was hoping to have a nice punch of caramel flavour, but I didn’t want it to cover up the sweet, grassy loveliness of the matcha itself, and that’s exactly what I got!

I love that Red Leaf’s flavourings are all natural. And the caramel is so very true to its name! A rich, buttery, dark caramel scent and taste. It really does satisfy sweet cravings in a healthy way, as advertised. It reminds me of the scents in the kitchen when I make my grandma’s special brown sugar fudge recipe. Sweet caramelized sugar with cream and a touch of butter. I am picky when it comes to caramel flavoured things but this one hits the mark!

I am quite new to matcha, and I can’t wait to experiment with making all sorts of different drinks and incorporating it into baking. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to make a decent bowl of it myself, but it is actually pretty simple to prepare. I started with a large, wide-mouthed mug, a tea strainer, and a mid-size springy whisk. Even with these less than ideal tools, I was able to make a really nice bowl of matcha! I’m thinking of investing in a bamboo whisk to make the process go a little smoother. I might just add one to my next matcha order. Can’t wait to try the cheesecake matcha! And the cotton candy, and the french vanilla, bavarian cream, boysenberry, pear, coconut..so many possibilities! But back to my preparation. I simply sifted a generous teaspoon of matcha over my mug with my tea strainer. Then I added a small amount of very hot (but not boiling) water and whisked vigorously. After it was fully dissolved and some bubbles had formed, I topped it up with more hot water. Simple as that! It’s a bit fussier than preparing a regular cup of tea, but it is SO worth it.

I tasted it plain before adding any additions. I generally like a bit of milk and sugar in my tea, and this one is no exception. But I thought I’d try it in its natural state first to get a sense of the true flavour. It was a bit too much for me straight up, probably because I’m not used to the strong flavour of matcha. It had a slight natural sweetness, which was lovely, with a smooth green tea taste. I got a nice hit of caramel at the end of the sip. I’m sure if you love drinking teas straight, you’d enjoy it this way. Adding milk and sugar really brought the caramel taste to life, completing the sweet creamy texture.

I’ve only had this matcha for a day, but I already find myself craving it. I had a cup last night in the evening, and then another cup when I woke up this morning. I was feeling a bit sluggish this afternoon so I made a bowl of matcha, and it really gave me some pep and made me smile! I can see matcha becoming a part of my daily tea lineup very quickly.

If you want to get your hands on some of this goodness, head over to Red Leaf Tea and get yourself some Caramel Matcha. It is pretty magical stuff!

http://www.redleaftea.com/matcha-tea/caramel-matcha.html

I tried a 3 minute steep this time for my iced tea, and it was much better. Less of the cinnamon comes through, making it more of a true root beer flavour. I added just a dash of agave and that really brightened it up. I like this, but I probably won’t buy more when my 50g pouch is done. The novelty has worn off a wee bit.