First thing I noticed was the volume, so let's offer up a round of applause for Salada, for keeping 20 teabags per box. If inflation has to happen, I'd rather have it through higher prices for the same items than the more deceptive, underhanded practice of "shrinkflation", seen in other teas. Each bag is normal-sized but wrapped in paper, so please don't let the tea sit unused for years.

Upon opening, not much matcha is apparent, either as escaped powder dusting the inside of the wrapper, or within the teabag itself. The dominant ingredient is (as listed) sencha tea, with matcha second, "natural flavor", lemongrass, and sweet blackberry leaves. So this is a partly herbally, partly "natural" flavored green tea with a pinch (at most) of matcha.

As for the tea itself, I didn't expect this to be as good as it was. The flavor "sorta" tastes like pear to me, but mainly has a more generic fruity element, akin to the rosehip-and-hibiscus-dominated blends of Celestial's Zinger line, but as green-tea flavoring. Fortunately the flavoring doesn't mask the sencha, which seems to be of passable quality. However, were I to drink this without ever seeing the packaging, I couldn't tell you it had matcha, which I couldn't unambiguously detect in scent nor flavor either.

Speaking of scent, the dry and wet bags each smell lightly fruity, definitely sencha-like, and quite pleasant. I enjoyed breathing through the damp, squeezed bag, as so often is the case with well-made herbals and herbally flavored teas.

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