Reviews

Matcha Premium (40g/1.41oz in canister)

US$24.00

Author	FILIPE SANT'ANNA (Brazil)
Review	When people come look at reviews they want to read something moderately long, they want to experience through someone else what the product they are interested in feels like. However, for those who is writing a review, things get a little more complicated. Food reviews are no exception, they play so much more to our senses. It is all so personal, so hard to describe. Hence why reviews are usually short and on point, but generally fail to give you that final confidence boost, the feeling that you know all well the product you are about to acquire. With Hibiki-an’s Matcha Premium it is no exception. How does one explain that sense of pure bliss when you take the first sip of this divine elixir? In all seriousness, the best way to understand it is through comparison. I have had little experience with matcha, true that. However, I am extremely meticulous with my choices for foods and drinks. Therefore, since regularly reviewing the product would not quite describe it, I will narrate the whole experience of my first sips of this amazing product, if you care to read it trough. I enjoy matcha. A lot. I will drink a lower quality matcha to satisfy my needs. I will go through the bitterness without putting an ugly face, because I enjoy the taste of matcha. And I have done so for a couple of months now: drink a “shot” of matcha every morning. Bitter, astringent, flavorful matcha. Nevertheless, when it comes down to it, I, and everyone on his or her right mind, will prefer the better quality stuff. With that in mind I decided to try high quality matcha, despite it being pricy for the unknowing. So I bought Hibiki-an’s Matcha Premium. To Brazilian costumers, beware, free shipping means customs is going to delay your package for about two months. And is it worth it! It finally did arrive in my house this week. The package was lovely. Alongside with my adorable 40g caddy of Matcha was the package for my Gyokuro Konacha Super Premium. Both properly sealed against the elements. The matcha powder is an electrifying shade of bright green. I found myself energized just by looking at it. My brain was already overdriving from excitement, after two months, nearly three, I was about to take my first sip of one of the best drinks I had ever had, and it could feel it. So I sifted a small quantity of the slightly lumpy powder into my Aeroccino (bear with me here, I do not own fancy matcha tea ware) and poured water over it. I pressed the button for a cold stirring to make sure no lumps would be left in the final result, and followed that with a warming stir to have my matcha in the perfect temperature. Anticipation ate me up as I poured the elixir into my Starbucks’ espresso cup. It read, “Every sip has a sweet ending”. I drove myself to the balcony, a beautiful sight of nature ahead of me; the park was rather lovely in that chilly afternoon. I sat on a chair, as I appreciated the sweet scent coming up from the tea. “Can I even dare to call matcha just tea?” – This thought often crosses my mind, now that I have tasted Matcha Premium, I am all the less sure. Finally, I took a sip. Just a small, shy sip, trying to avoid the bitterness I had come to know, the one that usually would make my throat close if I took a too large drink. I waited for it to come even. But it never did. [tl;dr starts here:] It was plain out sweet, deep flavored. Delicious. It fulfilled the fantasy I had made in my mind. Never did I think matcha could taste so sweet after months of the same astringent thing I had been drinking. I had been under the impression that when people said sweet they meant less astringent, slightly flowerish taste. That is not the case, it is straight up, non-astringent and sweetish, not sugary, nor flowery, but matcha-y, truly unique. […and ends here] I’m impressed, really. Now I can only wonder what a pinnacle grade matcha tastes like.
Rating	5 of 5 Stars!
Date	May 30, 2015

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