Matcha Ceremonial Grade

This is only my second or third product review on Amazon. I wanted to write this review because this ceremonial matcha from Leopard is just some of the best Matcha I have ever had. If you don’t have the time to read my full review (it’s a little long) just know that this matcha won’t disappoint, and if you want a high-quality matcha at a reasonable price then look no further. That being said… here is the long version.I work alot, like I mean a lot. I have tried just about every kind of energy supplement on the market and I drink coffee like it’s water. Physically I didn’t feel great, and I decided to make a change. About 6 months ago I started trying to get into shape and live a healthier life. As a part of this new effort I cut out the energy drinks and started looking for a healthier alternative. During my Google research green tea kept popping up as a healthy way to maintain energy levels, so I decided to give it a try.At first I just bought the generic kind of green tea from the grocery store, it definitely helped with me not feeling as tired, but I didn’t really like the taste. The stuff that I got was bitter so I started mixing in honey and it was tolerable, I actually started to like it. A few weeks later I decided to start cutting down on the sugar in my diet so that meant that the honey had to go, but I didn’t want to give up my green tea. I did some more searching for “sweet” and “non-bitter” green-tea and that’s where I found out about matcha.If what I was reading online was true it meant that I could get a “ceremonial grade” matcha tea and it wouldn’t be bitter at all, meaning I wouldn’t need to add anything to enjoy it. I went back to the grocery store to look for some, but I couldn’t find any, so I headed over to Amazon. I from my research I knew that getting a low-quality matcha was basically a waste of money, that being said, I didn’t want to break the bank either. I ended up giving the Leopard ceremonial grade matcha a try because I really connected with the story behind it. I thought it was really cool that this tea comes from a family owned tea estate in Japan that has over 250 years of experience in tea, and it was in my price range!My matcha came 2 days after I ordered it (I got it on Prime). The first thing I will say is that the tin that the tea comes in is really cool. After I finished my first batch of matcha I started using the tin to keep small items like paper clips and pens organized on my desk at work, so don’t throw it out when you’re done! The next thing I’ll say is that this tea smells great! It has sweet and rich earthy smell that I have to say I have fallen in love with it.Two factors speak to the quality of this tea more than anything else, the color and the texture. This matcha has a vibrant green color and the texture is so fine that the powder will fill in the grooves of your fingerprints if you touch it! When you whisk it in water it froths nicely without clumping up. Making matcha has become my little ritual that I do about 2 times per day now and I have to say that in many ways it has changed my life. I don’t even drink coffee anymore!If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me till the end! I know this was probably a little more in depth than I needed to go with this review, but it’s too late now. All I can tell you is that if you are looking for an awesome matcha at a great price, then this is the tea you have been looking for. So, if you decide to order some... Enjoy ;)

I haven't tried a ton of matchas but from what I have tried, this is one of my favorites, and that includes various matchas that my friend brought me back directly from Japan. You can tell from the color and texture that it's high quality, its brilliant color reminds me of what I found when visiting Kyoto last year. The flavor is mild and creamy, the texture is very soft. If you like your matcha to be mild with low astringency, this is for you. If you want a strong, punch-you-in-the-face-MATCHA flavor, this is not it. Personally, I like strong matcha flavors in other products (ice cream, lattes, pastries), but for drinking I like mild creamy ones like this.Another plus is the reusable tin; now that I've finished this tin I'm reusing it for other matcha I have that came in bags.

I’m giving 5 stars for the particular grade that this is because I haven’t been able to find a non-ceremonial grade organic matcha that is better or even comparable to this one. I’ve had plenty of matchas, from store bought to those sold by private businesses and this one takes the cake every time (for an affordable daily matcha.) The color is decent as well! Unfortunately, it doesn’t get foamy and it’s a bit bitter, but it’s really not that bad. It’s flavorful. It’s definitely not “deal-breaking” bitter. Most matchas of this grade are waaay too bitter with no depth of flavor, with a very faded olive green color. But this one is great and I’m on my second order. I’m very picky as well. It’s the only one I use every day because I can’t afford to have ceremonial grade (every day) yet 😜 but please try this!

I like the flavor of this tea. I saw some reviews where people really did not like the taste of this but I did not have that issue. I think it's a good color, dissolves well in hot water, has a nice mild flavor with no bitterness. I did read the insert which suggested starting with only a 1/3 tsp, which is how I am using it and adding about 5 oz of water. I'm wondering if perhaps some folks are adding too much of the matcha powder and that is why they are experiencing the unpleasant and bitter taste. I would buy it again, my only issue is that I don't think the tin, while very cute, is the best way to store the Matcha. Keep it in the fridge.

☑️Vibrant colors☑️Taste great☑️Beginner friendly

One of the most seemingly trustable online rating comparisons picked this tea as one of their top culinary matcha tea choices. But this was several years ago, when it was possibly better. We only have a limited amount of really good matcha available, and this one may have been a victim of its own success. If you sell large amounts of matcha, it can be hard to maintain quality. This powder had some good type of bitter flavor, and some good vegetal flavors, and is not as boringly meh as one of the best- selling, most promoted matchas. Overall, I was not impressed. (Some matchas have some very good bitter flavors that are part of their complexity of flavor, like good chocolate or good coffee bitter.) I had expected and hoped for better, given it's relatively high price for culinary grade and its high reviews outside of Amazon.Keep the foil pouch that is in inside the tin tightly bound with a rubber band to keep the air out, and flavor in.Having been trained in Urasenke style tea ceremony, I have tasted some very good ceremonial quality tea, and I was not expecting that, but they can do better. Some folks will drink anything if they are told it is good for them, and this is probably good for us!if mixed with milks or into smoothies or in recipes, this may be passable, but there are better culinary grade matchas out there at better price points, that can make a good plain, everyday matcha beverage.