HAYASHIYA Matcha Powder - Tenka - Kyoto Uji Ceremonial Grade, First Harvest Stone Milled Authentic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder (40g / 1.4oz)

I’m never sure if I’m much of a Matcha person, so I’m not sure how intelligently I can speak on the quality of this. That being said though I made myself a Matcha latte with it that I rather enjoyed, so since I didn’t taste any bitterness or weird aftertaste I’m calling this a good quality powder! It has a nice deep green color and the tin to store it in is also very nice.

This HAYASHIYA -Tenka - Kyoto Uji Ceremonial Grade A Matcha Powder is a top-of-the-line matcha product. The distinctiveness seems to be in the specific cultivars of tea plants they use, and the fact that they use traditional Japanese techniques such as stone-grinding to make the matcha powder. So my expectations were high for this matcha, though I can't say I am an expert. First, I will say there is no question that this is a very high quality matcha. The color is a beautiful bright color the scent is delightful, and the taste is excellent. My wife and I found out that water temperature plays a big role in how tasty the matcha is: At 90 degrees C it seemed to have a good but what I would call a sharp or bright taste. But when it cooled down to 75-80, all that sharpness went away and it was mellow and enjoyable. Second, not being an "insider" in the matcha world, to me it is something of a mystery why the price is about three times higher than what I experience as comparable matcha products. I see on the site that the company is 270 years old, so likely this price is something of a "brand" premium. My wife noted that for this price you would expect a better package, maybe a box or something that would make this into a special gift. But there is no box, the can is about the same appearance as other matcha cans. It does come with a plastic sealing top that goes on under the black metal cap. That is good for freshness, but plastic does not communicate special quality or care in preparing the product.

This matcha is definitely the most well rounded and balanced tasting I have tried to date. There is no off-bitterness, it has a delicate astringency, and an extremely balanced depth of flavor. The umami is some of the most rich and smooth I have tried in a matcha before; however, it is not too much that it overshadows the other flavors. It has a complex flavor with a nuttiness and notes of seaweed. The flavors are mellow and all work well with each other, culminating together to give a perfect smooth and complex sip. It coats your tongue and the flavor it leaves is also great, no off-flavors, bitterness, or breaks in the balance of flavors. To find a matcha naturally this well rounded is pretty great. Personally, I have made my own mix of matchas that frankenstein together the best parts of what I like: a matcha with great umami, strong grassy or complex flavors, a standout aroma. However, this is all of that in one, without any preparation required. If you just want the strongest flavors that will stand out the most when prepped for lattes; this is still very good quality, but you can probably do just as well with mix and matching your own favorite matchas and engineering your drink to your taste. However, if you enjoy matchas plain and like to really appreciate the delicate flavors of matcha, I think this is a great quality treat or gift for someone who does. This matcha stands out to me as being one of the best balanced matchas I've tried with no compromises in any part of taste, aroma, or mouthfeel.

This matcha is heavenly! I’ve travelled to Japan a few times. This Tenka matcha is from Kyoto and it brings me back to my time there. To start with, the smell is divine! I couldn’t wait to make a latte. The matcha is very fresh. The grind is pretty fine so it was easy to pass through the sift to ensure there were no lumps. Once combined with water, it does have a grassy smell but rest assured that your matcha won’t taste like grass. I decided to make a salted caramel matcha latte and it tasted delicious. I used caramel sauce, almond milk, a dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and cinnamon. The matcha maintains its bright green color. That’s a testament to the all natural ingredients, 100% matcha. Don’t forget to store in the refrigerator for the best taste.

The matcha has a nice, bright color and a smooth taste, but it didn’t wow me as much as I hoped for ceremonial-grade tea. The flavor is enjoyable, though a bit milder than expected, and it doesn’t linger on the palate the way some premium matcha does. It’s still a good option for daily use, but for the price, I was expecting a little more depth and complexity. Great for lattes, but slightly underwhelming as a ceremonial tea.

This matcha powder is beautiful-- smooth, easy to prepare, and delicious tasting. I have been known to spend a little extra for ceremonial grade matcha, but the cost of this matcha is 300% more than I have ever spent on this ceremonial grade tea. It makes a wonderful tea, and I especially loved it with unsweetened soy milk. However, similar products (even those imported from Japan) are much less expensive and taste the same as this matcha. I would not order again.

I really enjoyed making this! I'm a newbie when it comes to preparing matcha, but I think my first time preparing this went pretty well. The container is a bit on the small side but all the matcha powder is safely contained in an inner package. I lost a bit to the countertop when I initially opened it, but besides that everything was in perfect condition as far as shipping is concerned. The powder itself is fine. As I said I'm a first time matcha-preparer, so I don't have anything to compare this too. As far as the finish product is concerned, I was pretty happy with the outcome. I might need to tweak the amount of water / powder that I use to get a ratio that I feel good about. The overall taste is fresh, light and earthy (grassy, you know).

I will start by saying i have a good amount of experience with Japanese green teas. I feel in love with them years ago when it was hard to find truly good green teas, and i ended up getting teas from Japan directly either from friends in the Navy or eventually finding a website who could get those same teas or better. i will not say im some sort of an expert because i typically dont do matcha all the time, i typically drink oloongs or Japanese sencha, and some deep steamed Japanese teas But i have tried quite a few matchas from japan ranging between 10 to 50 dollars for the same small 1.4 oz jars. This matcha has great flavor, froths up nice, very bright but deep green color, and is of very high quality. but i can get a similar flavor profile matcha for 30 bucks direct from japan. yes it will have shipping charges and will take longer to get to me. but its not 50 bucks more and i can be patient. So for me the value is not there, but this is a fantastic matcha and of the matchas me and my daughter have tired for review it is our favorite. im just not sure its worth the price.