Encha Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder

(WARNING- This is an in depth review of Encha matcha tea. I am writing this for those who like me are researching and wanting to buy the best matcha as an investment. I am purposely going into detail to provide information to help with buying decisions. If you prefer a short summary, see section marked THE BOTTOM LINE) THIS REVIEW WAS DONE ON PRODUCT PURCHASED AT FULL PRICE BY ME AS REGULAR CUSTOMER -------------- I have to be honest with you, I really am not a green tea fan. I just don't like it. Flavored, unflavored, it did not seem to matter. I tried everything to make green tea just right and most of the time, I am just not a fan. There is a blend of green and white jasmine tea I do like, but that is not pure green, so probably does not count. So what am I doing trying matcha? Let me tell you. MATCHA EXPERIENCE Some time ago I came upon a tea company who has teas I love. So, they had matcha on sale and it was STILL expensive. I decided to look into matcha. I researched and studied what to look for and made only trying Japanese matcha my goal. I tried a few here and there, but they were bitter, icky tasting, and made me wonder why anyone would bother spending money on that stuff- let alone a LOT of money. I found a little tin of PREMIUM organic GO MATCHA at a store on clearance, so I bought it. It was only $5 and the date was very fresh, and it was from Japan. No one in our area has a clue about stuff like this, so they did not buy it. Is that what matcha is supposed to taste like? Blech. WHAT IS ENCHA MATCHA LIKE? I am not one to let things lie until I have explored them to my satisfaction, so I continued to try matcha and more and more I was becoming turned off. I put the temperature between 170 and 160 and was careful to measure, and then I would froth it just right and drink it- blech. I only tried premium or ceremonial quality - if that was high end, I would hate to see low end. I decided to give matcha one last try and purchased the Encha. When I opened the package, I was greeted by what I had thought was a myth. This stuff is a beautiful spring green powder that borders on neon in color. Now THAT is what I heard matcha was supposed to look like! The powder is fine and the fragrance is actually wonderful. It is reminiscent of Japanese Green Magma and some other green drink supplement powders I used to buy from Swanson Vitamins over the years. HOW DOES THIS MATCHA PREPARE? First let me tell you how I prepared this matcha. - I heated water to 160 degrees -I put 1/4 tsp in a cup (I like matcha a bit weaker at this point than the usual 1/2 tsp) -I poured about 4 oz of water over the top of the matcha (no, I did not sift) -I used the Cafe Casa Milk Frother 2 Speed Handheld Drink Mixer - Stainless Steel - With 2 AA Batteries Included (Silver) -I sipped the tea rather quickly Sometimes I pour a bit more water over top, sometimes not. It depends on my preference for weaker tea that day. This matcha is delightful. Because I tend to use a bit less powder than recommended, the foam on top is less, but still very nice. The tea itself is delightful. No lumps, no problems at all mixing with the water, and the flavor- WOW. I have to say that this matcha blows all of the others I have tried out of the water. It is amazing. WHAT DOES THIS MATCHA TASTE LIKE? This matcha has a flavor that is most reminiscent of Japanese Green Magma made from young barley leaves- the original Japanese powder in the glass jar. It has a beautiful balance between sweetness and green, but it is a good green, not bitter. In fact, there was absolutely NO bitterness at all in this tea. The balance of astringency and green is perfect. Absolutely PERFECT. When I was done, my mouth was not feeling like someone sucked the water out of it, and it did not linger in a bad way like so many matchas tend to do to me. It was more of a pleasant memory that brings a smile to my face. HOW DOES THIS TEA AFFECT ME? I have a problem with caffeine, which includes in tea as well as coffee. I tend to avoid it. It makes me hurt and sometimes buzzes me so badly that I just have to avoid it and only have it once in a while. This tea, however, has an interesting effect on me. It brings about an ability to focus all day and adds an extra boost of peace and grounding that is elusive much of the time. I know that it is the L-theanine, but this is the first tea that I have experience this level of balance with. I might not end up having it daily over time, but I sure am enjoying it now! The results are really nice. THE BOTTOM LINE I have to say that NOW I understand the reason why people go nuts over matcha tea. This tea is top of the line, there is no doubt about that. It turned me from a green tea resister to a green tea lover and that is HARD to do. The color is brilliant bright green, the aroma and flavor are perfect balance of sweet greens and astringency, and the powder blends into water perfectly. I have to say that the focus and grounding I get from this is amazing and I will probably keep buying this regularly. It is really amazing stuff. RATING I would give this ten stars if I could. I will update if anything changes or I have any more to add about this amazing tea.