mellow monk matcha-style powdered green tea

It seems like forever since I last posted. And it really was a long time ago. I have been very busy, and while tea is still a passion of mine, and I still drink tea with fervor and curiosity, I haven’t written about it. But I am back, and I hope to be a much more prolific blog writer in the next few months.

Matcha. One of my absolute favorite teas. I love it hot and strong, and  I love a good matcha shake. But matcha is very expensive and I don’t often buy it in any significant quantity. Mellow Monk‘s matcha-style green tea (made from sencha), though, is an excellent value. $16.95 for a 95 gram packet really is incredible, as most matcha costs at least double that price. The low price doesn’t make me worry about quality, I trust Mellow Monk to deliver exceptional product. I reviewed their Top Leaf Green Tea a few months back and it was very fresh and tasted fantastic.

The great thing about matcha (and matcha-style teas like this one) is the fact that is as much an aficionado’s tea as it is not. Teenagers love shakes and bubble/boba tea infused with matcha powder and their parents are drinking it for the high antioxidants and nutritional content. But matcha is a revered ceremonial Japanese green tea, and the highest quality matcha can be quite expensive.

Whoa this tea is green! I enjoyed the color and the slightly sweet, uber-green tea taste. This is green tea extreme. There are grassy notes, great body and fantastic bright flavors. The tea’s bouquet is fresh and slightly fruity. Unfortunately, I don’t have a chasen (bamboo matcha whisk), so I wasn’t able to froth the liquor very well. Regardless of this fact, it was lovely. It is reminiscent of matcha, with its punch and strength, but truly tastes like an intensified top-notch quality sencha.

I would highly recommend this tea, as I am a huge fan of Mellow Monk, and I think that at this price point, this is the best matcha-substitute that you can buy. Sure, it might not taste exactly the same, but I would personally rather drink this, a high-quality powdered sencha than a low-grade matcha.

I can’t wait to make a “matcha” shake with this.

I found an interesting video depicting the Japanese tea ceremony that I thought I would share. Enjoy.

 

 

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