Today’s tea is a Single-origin organic Matcha from the Isagawa region of Shizuoka, Japan – Naoki Matcha’s Aozora Matcha. I’ve had a couple of Naoki Matcha’s Master Collection, the most recent one being Mame Matcha, and they are fantastic.
The powder smells fantastic! It is sweet and grassy with a vibrant green hue.
It is recommended that this matcha be sifted first and to use 65c / 150F water. I failed both. I used a paste method, adding a little water and whisking till smooth, then slowly topping up with 71c/ 160F water.
Aozora Matcha whisked up fantastic and thick, almost like milk foam.
Aozora Matcha is a mellow nutty type. The flavor is buttery, creamy cashew with a fresh but bitter endive finish. The aftertaste goes from the bitterness to a fresh sweetgrass note. As I drink, the flavor gets progressively sweeter from the fresh notes. Texturewise, Aozora Matcha is melted butter and super smooth.
This matcha isn’t too bitter, and it certainly eases you in with the sweetness. But if you are used to traditionally prepared matcha this is no sweat. Overall, it is an excellent matcha session to slow down and enjoy the complexity and sweetness, before the caffeine hype begins. Most certainly, Aozora Matcha is for traditional preparation, the complexity and mellow flavor would be lost in milk.
Aozora Matcha is a part of Naoki Matcha’s Masters Collection, so it is in limited supply once it is available.
(tea provided for review)
