Japanese Matcha + Blueberry + Lavender
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Ratings & Reviews
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68 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5Tchuggin' Okie (402 reviews) on Nov. 18th, 2021
Each box contains 10 individually plastic-wrapped pyramid sachets, with visible, chopped pieces of green tea leaves and lavender buds at about a 20/1 ratio, and an invisible natural flavoring in the form of powdered blueberry juice. A pinch of matcha powder accumulates in the bottom crease of the wrapper, and can be dusted into the cup before pouring (my preference), shaken atop the brewed liquid, or not used.
This is one of the most aromatic bagged teas I've ever tried, both dry-bag and in cup. A richly savory, somewhat algal and vegetal matcha/green-tea scent rises from each phase and stands on its own well amidst the flavorings, indicating good quality to the base tea. Lavender as a smell does more for me than as a taste (can't get past that odd, drinking-the-flower-garden vibe). The blueberry takes a backseat to the tea and lavender, but is noticeable, especially in the aftertaste. The wet squeezed, damp, used sachet smells of lavender a little more than green tea, and interestingly, minty with a distinct cooling quality—a sensation I don't get from dry bag or liquid.
It's a nicely balanced blend, and on its own, in the upper quartile of flavored green teas I've chugged. Regardless, at $5.50 for a box of 10 online (or a little higher at most retail outlets), this is a very expensive tea per bag. Sorry, ITO EN/Matcha Love: you can't just make a pretty good blend, give it a Neiman Marcus price at Sprouts like it's a world-class premium tea, halve the contents of the box, and expect anything more than an "overpriced" value score here.
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