Nio Teas generously sent me their Mega Green Tea Sampler. There were way too many teas to write about all at once, so I thought I would separate them by category. This post will give my thoughts on all of the Nio Teas matcha that I received. Since this is a comparative tasting, I prepared each of the teas in the same way. My water temperature was 160℉ and I made sure to use the same bowl. It was so interesting to see how different they all were. I’ll be sure to link future posts reviewing the other teas in the sampler as they are published.
Henta Matcha
Henta Matcha had a bright green color with a sweet and grassy taste. It was somewhat nutty with a smooth and milky finish. It whisked well and created a nice froth.
Matcha Koiai
Matcha Koiai had good color with the frothed tea looking a bit brighter than the Henta. The taste was sweet and extremely floral. The umami was heavy and lingered long after each sip.
Matcha Washimine
Matcha Washimine had good color and easily sifted into a little mountain in my chawan. The taste was very soft and round with a pleasant creaminess. It was vegetal but sweet, like fresh spinach.
Matcha Marufuku
Matcha Marafuku did not have nearly as nice of an appearance as the others. I was able to see quite a lot of larger leaf particles and it did not whisk well. The taste was thin and grassy.
Matcha Kakitsubata
The color and texture were much nicer than the Marufuku. The taste was astringent and sharp with a slightly unpleasant grassiness. Some people might enjoy it but I did not.
Matcha Seisui
Matcha Seisui had a nice color and frothed easily. The taste was sweet and grassy in a pleasant way. It had a milk aftertaste with a balanced yet present level of umami.
Wow, that was a lot of matcha! If I had to pick a favorite I would have to go with Matcha Koiai. The floral notes in it were unique, and I really enjoyed the heavier umami. I would say that this selection is better suited to someone who has some matcha experience already. It can be hard to know what to look for and pick up the subtle differences if you are brand new.
Have you ever tried any of these Nio Teas matcha? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Hi there; thank you for this reminder; I have been meaning to get back to enjoying Matcha teas; I did view of some while shopping at TJMaxx of all places; I am unsure if they still have some left by the time I visit their stores again. Anyhow, it is a goal to try and have some matcha in my cupboard. Stay healthy and take care.