This is the second black matcha I've tried. The first was a Darjeeling/Assam blend with a robust, almost chocolaty flavor with a wonderful texture. Red Leaf Tea didn't provide much in the way of background info regarding their black tea sourcing. There was plenty on the tea profile about the health benefits, but not much else. It wasn't as cocoa-dark as the other I tried, yet the aroma was mostly inviting. It reminded me of a mid-grade, CTC-cut Nilgiri on smell - bitter forefront that transitioned into a floral fragrance.

Standard prep for a matcha applied here: A chawan (or in my case, miso soup bowl), a chashaku (bamboo spoon), and chasen (bamboo whisk). I took 4 spoonfuls of the brown powder, added a dab of cold water and pre-sifted it before adding the hot water. During this step, I ran into a dilemma. Was I to use boiling water or standard 165F water (a matcha staple for me)? I tried both.

Boiling water contributed to a very bitter brew that was no better than Lipton fannings on the lips. There was some black tea character, but it was a generic one. Test: Failed.

I tried it again with the lighter matcha-safe temp water. The result after whisking was a thickly-frothed, even-brown liquor with a spectacular aroma. And - my God - the bubbles on this thing! Close to rivaling a regular, koicha-grade green matcha. The flavor started off with a very bitter introduction that was expected, given the dry fragrance. It settled into a earth/smoky top note reminiscent of a Russian Caravan blend with a Keemun base. The true beauty of this was in the texture. If the drinker had no taste buds, they'd still find pleasure in the velvety/silky delivery.

Smoothest. Matcha. Ever.

— To purchase Red Leaf Tea Black Matcha – Organic, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

Geoff Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Geoff's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Geoff.

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