Organic Matcha (Latte-grade, 1st harvest, 60g60ml)

This review will be for both the Ceremonial and Latte grade matcha from Encha. I have tried a decently wide range of matcha in the past from packets found at Costco, to the sickly sweet Americanized Dunkin Doughnut version, to cups provided at high end restaurants and ryokan in Japan. This matcha is easily among the best that I have had, and is by far the best bang for the buck. The first impression you get when you open the pouch is how vibrant green the powder is and how wonderful it smells. There are no visible lumps in the powder and it is extremely fine. A little bit of powder always escapes when I squeeze the air out of the packet before I reseal it and it is so light and fine that it floats for a while in the air. I do sift the Ceremonial grade through a fine mesh strainer although I suspect this is overkill. I do not sift the latte grade and thus far I have not had any issues so long as a whisk it for an appropriate amount of time. As for preparation I follow the instructions on the packet and the videos that Encha provides and I have been very pleased with the end result although I tend to make 1.5 to 2x the serving. The fresh, grassy, slightly earthy fragrance is very apparent in the Ceremonial grade. The flavor is very smooth and feels wonderful on the tongue with just a tiny hint of bitterness at the finish, just enough to enhance the experience rather than detract from it. The matcha foams very well and it is not difficult to create a very fine foam with a traditional bamboo matcha whisk (I do not own an electric frother). The Latte grade aroma is very similar to the Ceremonial although the flavor is bolder and the bitterness at the end more apparent. Add some soy mild or regular cow milk and the bitterness diminishes greatly or goes away altogether if you add enough while retaining the fresh grassy/earthy taste. Thus far for storage, after I scoop out the powder I squeeze out any extra air before resealing it and then put it back in the fridge. I have compared the matcha from the last few scoops of a pouch of Ceremonial grade to matcha from a fresh pouch and have not noticed any significant differences in appearance or taste. Up front the pouches seem expensive but they really are not for the quality you get. When I was the only one drinking, I drink matcha about 5 days a week as an alternative to coffee. The 60g packet lasts me about a month. So for the Ceremonial grade I can have a large mug full (~7-9oz) of top quality matcha with all the unique health benefits for for about $1.70 each time. Compared to $2 or more for a medium coffee from a coffee shop it is absolutely worth it. Initially I was the only one drinking but the rest of the family enjoyed the taste so much that they asked me to prepare them portions whenever I drink as well. I am very glad to have found this fantastic product and if you are looking for a high quality matcha you will not regret your purchase.

This match powder is the one! It's not crazy-expensive, sifts well, and most importantly, tastes great. I keep it in the refrigerator, and I think that keeps its freshness much longer. It took me forever to find a brand that tastes good, as I am newer to matcha. I just started drinking it this past year due to LPR (reflux) issues with coffee. This hasn't flared my reflux, which is such a gift because I love caffeine and didn't want to have to give it up entirely. I have made this both hot and iced, and it is great both ways!

This Matcha taste amazing and definitely has a great amount of servings. In the long run, it will save you money instead of going to Starbucks for Matcha lattes. I only think that the packaging could be improved to be in a metal tin because every time I would open this little baggie of Matcha powder the green dust would fly around and be on the counters, otherwise a great Matcha !

I received this package about two weeks ago, although I've actually used this product for almost two years. I was excited to see that this product could now be ordered with the convenience of Amazon Prime! I initially stumbled upon this product after scouring online reviews of matcha, and I’m so glad that I did. I've purchased a couple other brands over the years to try and I’ve received a few other brands of matcha as gifts from friends or family after they became aware of my interest in matcha, and be honest, some of the other brands weren't even drinkable and ended up being thrown away. One had a very bitter flavor, one just had very minimal (yet somehow stale) flavor, and the other had some kind of a sugar substitute added to it along with other ingredients! Some of the lesser quality brands even resulted in a slightly metallic flavor, even after adding almond milk. Encha is just pure organic matcha with no added sweeteners or additives and has a smooth texture and great flavor. I drink a matcha latte each morning to get my day started, and then typically have another in the afternoon sometime after lunch. I usually use an electric kettle to warm up water and then add a scoop or so of Encha into a large mug, add a little water, then use a bamboo whisk to make the matcha smooth and frothy. Then I’ll add almond milk to make it extra creamy and then sometimes additional hot water as needed to make it just the right temperature. I like iced matcha lattes too, so will often whisk Encha with a small amount of water or almond milk and add that to a portable glass with lid containing ice and almond milk to take with me to go. Encha helps keep me alert, but doesn’t make me jittery like drinking coffee or too much black tea would do, and it also doesn't irritate my stomach at all like acidic coffee often did. When I first started drinking matcha everyday in place of black tea and coffee, I found it particularly helpful that Encha has instructions on the packaging. The packaging also makes it easy to store, doesn’t take up much room at all in the fridge, and keeps it tasting just as fresh on the first use as when I make my last cup. Each package lasts me almost a month, so this product is also a great value. After I told my sister how I started drinking matcha, she had picked up some matcha at a local grocery store, and of course, the quality of her product wasn't great to begin with, and then (without any instructions to guide her) she stirred it up in hot water with a spoon because she didn't realize there was a better way to prepare it, so needless to say, that experience turned out to be a terrible clumpy mess. She was even reluctant to try matcha at my house sometime thereafter, but she finally had a matcha latte prepared as intended with Encha brand matcha, and she now requests a matcha latte nearly every time she visits! I highly recommend Encha, and could not be more pleased with this product.

I got into matcha last year and fell in love. When I first started drinking it I went on a hunt for the best quality matcha that my wallet could afford (given my two cups every single day). I tried some good matchas, some really good matchas, some incredibly overpriced ones, some reasonably priced ones that looked like dirt, the whole spectrum. None of those matchas came close to Encha, and as soon as I tried it I knew I had found my daily matcha. Encha's matcha is just very good quality. It is SO GREEN, worlds away from other matcha's at a similar price on this site. It has a pleasant grassy flavor and blends really well. It's my favorite matcha, the latte grade outshining most of the "ceremonial" grade matchas that can be found on amazon. I drink my first cup as a tea with a splash of oat milk, my second cup I'll either have cold-brewed over ice (in which case I don't need any milk - so smooth!) or with some foamed oat milk as a latte, or just another cup with a splash of milk. The latte grade is very versatile, I honestly prefer it over Encha's ceremonial grade for everyday use. I buy the ceremonial grade every so often as a treat, and drink that with only water. In my opinion if you dilute the ceremonial grade with any milk you lose it's more delicate notes and it doesn't taste as good, so if you know you like matcha with milk I would stick with the latte grade. Anyway, I now have my whole family drinking matcha! And most of my friends too. Whenever people ask me about it I always tell them Encha is the best matcha, because it is. They go off and try some others, but without fail a few months later when I ask people what they use now, the answer is Encha. I don't know anyone who I've introduced to matcha who don't use Encha as their regular matcha. And for good reason, Encha is a stellar company. All organic and sourced from Japan, Encha values quality and really cares about matcha. Their customer service is amazing. I recently contacted the company to order the latte grade in bulk (yes, we buy it by the pound now!) and was blown away by the level of hospitality I received from a matcha company. It was really cool. You can order here from amazon, but you can also order directly from Encha's site to avoid amazon's upcharge. They also have a subscription service (every month or every other) that gets you an even better price. An email is sent out a few days before your next pack goes out and it's very easy to skip that delivery or change the date if you aren't yet ready for more matcha. Basically, I really believe in this matcha. I have no affiliation with Encha at all, just a happy customer. So I'll tell you what I tell all my friends interested in the world of matcha; you can try other matchas if you like, but Encha is by far the best.