3 Leaf Tea, Peach Matcha

3 Leaf Tea Description:
Matcha is a stone ground green tea where the whole tea leaves are ground into a very fine powder. Unlike most teas where the leaves are discarded after brewing, with matcha, the entire leaf is consumed. We import our matcha direct from Japan to ensure our customers get a fresh product. Matcha is naturally high in antioxidants and contains approximately 25-35mg of caffeine per 1 gram serving. It also contains an amino acid called L-Theanine which combined with caffeine, helps you feel alert but calm.

Vegan, Gluten Free
Ingredients: Matcha, natural flavors

Sample provided by 3 Leaf Tea

My Review:
This marks my first exposure to flavored matcha. Well, unless you count Starbucks green tea Frappuccino as flavored as I believe they add vanilla in their sugar loaded syrup. I also often mix my own morning cold lattes with vanilla or caramel syrup. Still, this feels different.

3 Leaf Tea sources their matcha from Japan. I am assuming this is basic grade matcha (I could be wrong). It is nicely spring green and very fine.

The dry scent is definitely peach. However, it reminds me of the aroma of Stash peach teas. It smells good but dry it seems more candy than real peach.

I based my test mug on the website directions to prepare as a cold latte: Whisk 1 tsp of matcha with 1 tsp of sugar in 2 oz of hot (170°F) water. Add 6 oz of cold milk and stir. Pour over ice.

I began with 1 tsp of matcha and one packet of Splenda. Yeah, I know but this is the way I like it. Then I added the 2 oz of water. Since I already threw tradition out the window with my sweetener, I feel no shame and grabbed my newest gadget - the handy dandy MatchaDNA Milk Frother - and began to mix.

You can see in the picture this really mixed up nicely and held a copious amount of foam.

I tasted at this point. The peach actually tastes pretty good. Far better than the dry scent suggested. Of course a packet of Splenda in 2 oz of water is extremely over the top sweet - just like going to Starbucks :)

Next, I completed the preparation by slowly blending in 6 oz of 2% milk. There is maybe 95 calories in the milk. Pretty much nothing in the tea. So half the calories and caffeine of a can of Coke.

But how does it taste? Actually, it is quite enjoyable. Better than any bagged tea attempt at peach flavor I've had. It does not taste entirely like biting into a peach to me despite the use of natural ingredients. It may be that the matcha changes the flavor, definitely the milk and sweetener affect it.

It does not taste like candy and is not syrupy sweet like eating canned peaches. It is more somewhere between the aforementioned Stash (which I always liked) and a real peach.

I have enough of the sample left to try this without milk and sweetener, but honestly this is the way I would choose to drink this in the morning.

This is very smooth and creamy. There is not a hint of bitterness. It leaves a very lingering peach aftertaste. I have little reference to judge this against, but I could and will easily drink this again.

You can find 3 Leaf Tea, Peach Matcha here.

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Update!
I just read Oolong Owls's excellent review of this one. I get it now. The taste IS peaches and cream. How did I miss that? After seeing her review, I feel more confident saying this is a worthy matcha.