It is time for the mid-range matcha brand comparison! For this Matcha Brand Comparison Round, the price point is $9.99 to $16.99 per ounce, average 13.69 price tag.
Amazon Matcha Comparison
Round 1 – Matcha Brands Comparison under $9.99 an ounce
Round 3 – Matcha Brand Comparison $17 to $48 per ounce
For full disclosure, like the other Matcha comparisons I’ve done, this is brought to you by Red Leaf Tea. Sadly, it looks like this price point is mostly Red Leaf Tea Matchas as well.
Testing Procedure
Every matcha is labelled by number or letter. I do not know what brands I was drinking at the time. After I wrote out my results, I edited in the brands, price and further thoughts.
For all matches I used 160F and started with a 1/3 cup water. I opted to weigh out the matcha – 1 gram of matcha each, rather than volume measurement. For equipment I sifted the matcha and whisked it with an electric frother.
Note: these matchas are being compared to each other vs. overall from previous matcha comparison posts. Some matchas may be repeated but have a different score.
Rating Scale Breakdown (out of 10)
Matcha Powder Colour – Colour of the unprepared matcha powder. This is important as matcha can range in colour as well as colour is usually an important factor of the quality of the matcha. Generally we are looking for a vibrant green matcha.
1 = there is no color. 10 = the green is bleeding my eyes.
Matcha Powder Scent – Scent of the matcha powder. Hey, I like smelling things!
1 = smells awful. 10 = I might be caught looking suspicious with green powder under my nose from smelling the matcha too much.
Prepared Appearance – Color mostly considered here as well as foam. However I’m relaxed on foam rating as I am using a frother than Owl muscle. Photos were taken right after whisking.
1 = I want to pour it out it’s so ugly. 10 = The tea should be considered art.
Bitter Sweet Scale – How bitter or sweet it is. I was told to rate bitter/sweet this way but it was awkward for me as something can be both bitter and sweet, as well a high sweetness may not equal good.
1 = Bitter! Someone sandpaper my face off. 5 = Neither bitter or sweet middle ground. 10 = Really sweet that I call shenanigans that this has been laced with sugar.
Flavor – This is a personal rating here, I’d take this with a grain of salt. A little tough to determine as well since if it is quite bitter I will rate the matcha lower.
1 = I regret drinking that. 10 = Nope, 10 was a slip of a keystroke. It’s truly a 1 not a 10 (as I run off to buy it all).
Price – Ranked 1 through 8
1 being the cheapest, 8 being the most expensive out of all the matchas per oz. Prices pulled July 2015 so price may vary.
Matcha Brand Comparison 2, Round 2
All the matcha powders together! You don’t wanna know how hard it is to photograph things that are almost the same colour.
Matcha 6 – Red Leaf Tea Royal Matcha
I’m not sure what’s royal about this matcha. This matcha is Chinese in origin, with no other further information than that. There is no harvest date or where in China this tea is from. Like previous Red Leaf Tea Matchas, I really can’t figure out the differences between them just by looking a the listing. It’s the same picture, more or less the same description, but with different prices. It more or less is you need to sample them all first to see which one you like – or read reviews like this one!
Matcha Powder Colour 4/10 – Low-midrange in colour out of the matchas. It was green but kind of grey.
Matcha Powder Scent 6/10 Slick sweet and fruit tangy scent. I can ID that this one is a Chinese matcha by a mile away.
Prepared Appearance 4/10 – This matcha comes up foamy, but in big bubbles that fade after a few moments since the layer is so thin. The colour is on the murky side.
Bitter Sweet Scale 4/10 – It is on the bitter side, but not overly bitter. Light sweet aftertaste.
Flavor 2/10 – This matcha tastes quite light – it’s like watery lettuce, cooked spinach. Not particularly exciting of a taste since there isn’t much to it. There is a sweet finish though. I would back track to our previous Matcha Brand Comparisons and go with their Deluxe matcha instead of this one.
Price #1 Cheapest at $9.99 per oz. Red Leaf Tea Royal Matcha is sold in 30 gram sizes, no sample size. This one can be cheaper if purchased in volume, dropping to $3.99 per ounce.
Matcha 7 – DoMatcha 2nd Harvest
I’ve had DoMatcha at the World Tea Expo, but I’m pretty sure it was the Ceremonial grade, not this 2nd grade.
Right on the description it states this matcha is more astringent and “perfect for delicious Matcha lattes or Matcha smoothies”. Reading inbetween the lines, this one isn’t intended to drink straight. Alas, this is the price bracket we are in. There isn’t much on the write up on Amazon, but it is a Japanese origin matcha.
By the way, DoMatcha brand wins Amazon Matchas for not being full of health buzz words and claims. It’s all about the tea!
Matcha Powder Colour 6/10 Decent colour here – it’s green but with a tint of chalky.
Matcha Powder Scent 8/10 Light scent with a hint of sweet, floral and fruit. Kind of reminds me of a homemade fruit roll up.
Prepared Appearance 8/10 Good looking matcha! It foamed well with light, tight green bubbles. The foam wasn’t that thick so it didn’t last, but otherwise very nice looking.
Bitter Sweet Scale 5/10 Lightly bitter but with a nice sweetness after.
Flavor 8/10 Savory, lightly unami with a nutty rice with light mystery leafy green and grassy finish. The flavor is on the light side out of the matchas (not as light as #6) but quite nice. This is one of four matchas in this round that stood out to me.
Price #2 Cheapest at $10.55 per ounce. DoMatcha 2nd Harvest is sold in 80 gram/ 2.28 ounce tin. Yay, you even get a tin which is really nice for matchas instead of getting your entire fist green from digging into a large bag and keeping your matcha fresh.
Matcha 8 – DoMatcha Organic 2nd Harvest
This DoMatcha is the organic version of the previous matcha. It is USDA organic certified. Surprisingly, the Amazon listing has more information than the last, stating Uji Region, Japan origins with an August 2014 harvest date. Like their non-organic matcha it states it is best used for blended drinks.
Matcha Powder Colour 5/10 Middle of the pack for colour. It is pretty close to #7 so it was a tough call but I think it has a little less vibrancy.
Matcha Powder Scent 7/10 Really light on scent but I pick up a bit of sweet and creamy.
Prepared Appearance 6/10 Didn’t foam up without a lot of work and it was thin foam with tight bubbles. Nice colour though.
Bitter Sweet Scale 5/10 Really close to Matcha 7 Non-organic DoMatchas as it was bitter but with a sweet finish.
Flavor 4/10 Really heavy vegetal strong. Strong hay, cooked spinach and kale flavor. I tried adding a bit more water and it just came out watery spinach, so I guess it’s supposed to be this strong. I would serve this cold and a garspacho, mixing it with some vegetables for some thickness.
Price #3 Cheapest at $12.51 per ounce (actually, as I write this it’s $10.31 an ounce as it’s on sale). Again, DoMatcha Organic 2nd Harvest is in 80 gram/ 2.28 ounce tin. The shocking truth – organic doesn’t always equal better taste. Sorry organic only tea drinkers, I drank these side by side and would pick the non-organic one by far.
Matcha 9 – KAZUMA’s Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha iMaccha
It’s back, the miracle cure secret weapon iMaccha guys from Matcha brand comparison Round 1! This matcha is from Amazon.
The description is pretty much the same, but this one is organic. Oh look, this matcha will increase my lean body mass and slow down aging, I will becomes a ripped tea god!! The Tea Owls expect to look like this after they drink this matcha:
Dem pecks!
Matcha Powder Colour 9/10 Gorgeous colour, it actually glowed in the package, in a good way, not the scary radio active way. Hmmm, maybe this will turn us into Tea Owls on roids?
Matcha Powder Scent 9/10 Very fresh, fruity sweet fragrant. Can I have a candle that smells like this? I want my home to smell like this.
Prepared Appearance 9/10 Picture perfect matcha. Tight fluffy bubbles that are quite thick and foamy until the end, even after I poured it into another cup.
Bitter Sweet Scale 6/10 I hate this scale. This one is savory and sweet with a bit of bitterness.
Flavor 7/10 Lots of unami and fresh spinach. I like how fresh this one tastes and lots of spinach and hay. The sip is sweet, but there is a light bitter aftertaste.
Price #4 at $12.83 per ounce. KAZUMA’s Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha iMaccha is sold in a 100 gram / 3.5oz, no sample sizes. Nice big size since you are taking this like a daily miracle drug.
To be honest, for price point and taste I would go for the non-organic KIWAMI iMaccha Supreme Ceremonial Grade that was in the last Matcha Comparison.
Matcha 10 – Red Leaf Tea Imperial Matcha
What makes the word imperial better than royal or deluxe? This is probably why I’m not a tea seller, I’d name teas like “Yet another Matcha” or “Hulky Mega Matcha”. This matcha is also a Chinese matcha.
Matcha Powder Colour 4/10 Not a great appearance but pretty close to the others in this bracket. Kind of grey in appearance.
Matcha Powder Scent 7/10 Really sweet scent. Not off putting, but close since it’s pretty sweet.
Prepared Appearance 5/10 It was difficult to foam, and what I got was thin bubbles that faded after.
Bitter Sweet Scale 2/10 bitter! Whoa!
Flavor 3/10 Really strong flavor, strong like I’m drinking a grass and kale field that got mowed and made into matcha. It’s like Hulk punched me with his green. There was also a bitter aftertaste at the end. In my opinion, Royal and Deluxe Matcha is better than Imperial.
Price #5 on the Price scale at $13.99 an ounce. Red Leaf Tea Imperial Matcha is sold in 30 gram sizes, with the same option to purchase volume, dropping the price down to $6.99 an ounce.
Matcha 11 – Red Leaf Tea Shokuku Matcha
Finally, we are in the Japanese turf of Red Leaf Tea matchas. This one is from Uji, Japan.
Matcha Powder Colour 3/10 On the bottom end of colour, It lacks that vibrant green colour for sure.
Matcha Powder Scent 4/10 The scent was nicely sweet, fruity tangy but had almost an artificial plastic scent to it, hence some lost marks.
Prepared Appearance 2/10 The matcha foamed badly with an off olive colour.
Bitter Sweet Scale 5/10 middle ground since it’s also sweet to an 8, but bitter to a 2.
Flavor 2/10 Nope Nope. The flavor tastes like it smells – kinda off but fruity and tangy. Then it gets a bitter hell of drinking juiced brussel spouts. I don’t think many would like this one. Evidence that a Japanese Matcha doesn’t mean it’s better.
Price #6 (tie) at $14.99 per ounce. Red Leaf Tea Shokuku Matcha is sold by 30 gram packages. With volume discount, $7.49 an ounce.
Matcha 12 – Red Leaf Tea Tenryu
This is a Japanese matcha from the Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Matcha Powder Colour 1/10 Ugly chalky sad colour. It looked like this one didn’t belong with the others.
Matcha Powder Scent 2/10 If I thought Matcha 11 was bad, this one is worse – even stronger scent and more plastic to me. I got a headache just smelling it.
Prepared Appearance 1/10 No.
Bitter Sweet Scale 5/10 This one starts really sweet 9 then bitters out to a 2.
Flavor 1/10 NO. This one tasted like plastic, artificial sweet then with a grassy strong bitter finish. It also is quite dry, 6/10 astringency drying out my mouth. The matcha was also quite gritty despite sifting.
Price #6 (tie) at $14.99 per ounce. Red Leaf Tea Tenryu sold by 30 gram packages. Like the other Red Leaf Tea matchas and you can purchase in volume for a nice discount. I wouldn’t for this one though.
Matcha 13 – Red Leaf Tea Connoisseur’s Matcha
I’m bored of using the same picture over and over again. Connoisseur’s Matcha is another Chinese matcha.
Matcha Powder Colour 8/10 An attractively green matcha
Matcha Powder Scent 9/10 On top of a nice appearance, this one has a lovely scent too. It’s field green fresh with toasted rice. The scent is quite potent too, unlike the other cheaper Japanese matchas we’ve tried.
Prepared Appearance 9/10 Sexy appearance, yeah! It foamed quite well with a nice jade green colour.
Bitter Sweet Scale 6/10 this matcha is mostly savory with a sweet hit.
Flavor 8/10 The flavor is toasty sweet rice, nutty, light unami, spinach with an overall fresh and light flavor. This is one of four matchas here that stood out to me. I enjoyed the sweetness and associate this flavor with matcha treats I enjoy – I bet baking with this matcha would be a dream. I was surprised to see this one was a Chinese Matcha – it really shows as long as you got a great green tea base you’ll get a nice green tea powder.
Price #7 at $15.99 per ounce. Red Leaf Tea Connoisseur’s Matcha is sold by 30 gram packages. $7.99 with volume discount.
Matcha 14 – Red Leaf Tea Kennin Matcha
This Matcha is from Uji, Japan.
Matcha Powder Colour 9/10 Another gorgeous fluffy vibrant green matcha. This one required little sifting.
Matcha Powder Scent 9/10 Very fresh great scent that is light, sweet and creamy.
Prepared Appearance 10/10 It’s a CLOUD OF MATCHA! This whisked foamy the fastest, after 10 seconds it looked done, but I kept going to keep the same amount of whisk time. The colour is similar to 7, 9, 13 with a lovely jade dark green.
Bitter Sweet Scale 6/10 Again, another Japanese matcha that’s savory. This one has a bit of sweetness which is natural tasting.
Flavor 9/10 The great texture makes it, just like other good Japanese matchas. The fluffy creates a lightness and reduces the bitter taste. The notes here are toasty sweet brown rice, chestnuts, fresh spinach and unami savory.
Price #8 at $16.99 per ounce, sold in 30 gram packages. With volume discount, Red Leaf Tea Kennin Matcha is as low as $8.49 an ounce.
RANKING and COMMENTS
Oolong Owl Favorite for flavor – Matcha 14 – Red Leaf Tea Kennin Matcha
After I tried all the matches, I tasted my 4 favorites side by side:
Matcha 7 – DoMatcha 2nd Harvest,
Matcha 9 – KAZUMA’s Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha iMaccha,
Matcha 13 – Red Leaf Tea Connoisseur’s Matcha, and
Matcha 14 – Red Leaf Tea Kennin Matcha.
The Kazuma was the strongest flavored with a great thick texture. However, my favorite was the Red Leaf Tea Kennin Matcha for the great complex notes. However, I think you cannot go wrong with any of those 4 matchas. Admittedly, I still like KIWAMI iMaccha Supreme Ceremonial Grade from a previous Matcha brand comparison.
Honorable Mention – Matcha 13 – Red Leaf Tea Connoisseur’s Matcha. I could mistake this one as a Japanese matcha for the flavor, as all the previous Chinese matchas have more of a floral aspect. This is another matcha that shows there’s some great Chinese matchas out there.
Best Bang For Your Buck – Matcha 7 DoMatcha 2nd Harvest – The flavor is pretty good, the price is great AND you get a tin. Buying a similar tin off other matcha tea sellers would run you $2-$4.
Comments
I found with this batch that despite the price, quality can range quite a bit. Also with this batch it was discovered that organic matcha doesn’t always equal better in taste. With that said, always purchase samples first!
Coming soon – Round 3 $13.99 to $48.00 an ounce Matcha Brand Comparison!
(tea provided for review. Amazon link affiliate links)
