Naoki Matcha Fragrant Yame Blend – Authentic Japanese First Harvest Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea Powder from Yame, Fukuoka (100g / 3.5oz)

I drink only ceremonial grade matcha and I usually drink it straight with nothing added. I love to drink both Taste of Kyoto Reserve and also Element matcha and Wilderness Poets ceremonial grade. This Naoki is a delightful matcha. I ordered the Fragrent Yame Blend. It is rich and creamy, sweet. There is a slight grassy bitterness, but I think I make it strong so that might not show up if made weaker. Beautiful bright green color. I hope it shows in the photos, I did not use a filter so the green that you see is just what it looks like in the sunlight. Instant high energy boost. Very fresh. I think the $25 I payed is a good price for this matcha.

Naoki’s Fragrant Yame Blend is hands-down one of the best matcha powders I’ve tried. As soon as you open the pouch, you're greeted by a fresh, grassy aroma with subtle sweet undertones—it’s clear this is a high-quality ceremonial-grade matcha. The flavor is smooth, slightly umami with no bitterness, and it froths up beautifully for lattes or traditional whisked matcha. I love using it for my morning ritual—pairs perfectly with oat milk or just hot water. It’s not the cheapest option out there, but the quality justifies the price. If you care about taste, texture, and authenticity, this is worth every cent. ✅ Pros: Rich, smooth flavor with zero bitterness Vibrant green color and fine texture Easy to whisk and froth Comes from a reputable, single-origin source ❌ Cons: Slightly pricier than culinary blends (but worth it for quality)

If I could recommend one blend from Naoki Matcha, it would be the fragrant Yame blend! If you like a naturally sweet and nutty matcha, this one is for you. This is the second brand I’ve tried that uses matcha from the Yame region in Japan and I like this one better. The scent has a natural sweetness that almost resembles white chocolate and slight hints of earthy umami as well. Microfoams beautifully and is lovely on its own as well as with any sweetener of choice. Loved it the first time around and this is my second tin and I will continue to purchase it in the future. Best value too, you get 40 grams of matcha for $26.99 and generally you only get 20-30 grams at a higher price point.

This matcha is very smooth, in both flavor and texture. There is basically no bitterness or astringency to found, it sifts very easily, and wisks into the water wonderfully, creating a nice silky liquid. The one thing I noted when drinking it thin (Usucha was the lack of depth in flavor. There was some sweetness, naturally from the tea leaves, but no hint of umami, no nutty flavor, the vegetal flavor was also very light. It was very weak tasting, almost watery. I did try this as a thicker tea, not quite Koicha, but close. It was still not bitter, so that was good, the natural sweetness increased, as did the vegetal flavor, like that of fresh pea pods. This matcha does not have the savory umami flavors that some others have, which can be a good thing. Depending on my mood, I actually prefer the sweetness of this. But, being so weak is what prevents me from fully loving it. Having to use double the matcha to achieve the any richness of flavor means I'm spending twice the amount for this matcha in the end.

This is currently my favorite matcha. It’s more vegetal than grassy and has a lovely fragrance and low bitterness. It has a more delicate taste that should be enjoyed without milk, as the full range of flavor gets lost in lattes.

My husband travels to Japan occasionally for work, and I requested he bring back a quality matcha in order to have a standard to gage other brands by. As a beginner, I had tried a couple of low quality/inexpensive brands to see how they were. And I never wanted to taste them again. This was the perfect opportunity to understand why people get excited about matcha. A colleague from Japan helped him find a reputable shop and he brought back a high quality matcha for me. I drank it straight, prepared (to my best ability) with the translated directions from the shop, and I sat down and really enjoyed that bowl of matcha. Although I have not committed to opening the second packet that he purchased (for savoring purposes), and therefore have not done a side-by-side comparison between this product and my “standard,” I can say that the Naoki Yame Blend Ceremonial Grade Matcha is an excellent blend for its price. As someone who is working toward opening a coffee/tea house, this matcha really is delicious, mellow (not bitter/sea-weedy), slightly sweet on its own, and I enjoy it straight or with frothed milk…I don’t even add syrup, it is just pleasant. If you are looking for an everyday matcha that is enjoyable in multiple forms, this one is a great option.

so much better than i expected and better than other brands sold on amazon. it’s hard to find good matcha on amazon.

I’ve bought a few times from Naoki of this blend before without this issue but my last batch had tiny stem bits within the powder so the quality is definitely going downhill unfortunately. I like the taste though but good quality matcha shouldn’t have stems in it.