Kimberley's Kyusu

Matcha Monday has rolled its way around again and while I have been consistently posting for Matcha Monday over on my Instagram and TikTok, it’s been a while since I have done a long form post for Matcha Monday here on my blog. So with that in mind, for this weeks Matcha Monday I thought I’d share with you my tasting notes and overall opinions on Yunomi’s Matcha: Uji no Aji – Kibune.

Over the time since I first purchased this matcha, I have the opportunity to enjoy it as both usucha (both hot and iced) and koicha during both indoor and outdoor tea sessions. It really is such an incredibly versatile matcha that you can get incredible things out of no matter the way in which you choose to prepare it.

Upon opening the packet you can instantly see a flash of green with a great level of vibrancy to it. It’s a vibrant green for sure, but it also has a buttercup yellow undertone. It’s not as vibrant and bright as some other Uji matchas I’ve had, but still brighter than a good amount of matcha I’ve tried over the last few years and there isn’t even a hint of dullness to it.

The dry powder is fantastically complex with standout notes including: cereal milk, rice crispy treats, super creamy white chocolate, really cold double cream, freshly cut spring grass that is wet from previous rain and now has the sun shining on it, sweet vegetal notes and hints of melted salted butter. There’s a slight bite to it when it hits the back of the nose that is reminiscent of the acidic bite of plain Greek yogurt, freshly made garden peas with lots of salted butter and a hint of asparagus. A nice balance overall between sweet and salty.

When you first smell it, it starts off with the higher sweet notes and has a nice savoury finish as it passes through the nose. Hints of mountain air and the smell of a freshwater stream hit you, like you’re sitting on a rock at the top of a mountain and the fresh air is hitting your face and picking up all the aromas of the mountain as it comes. 

Upon the addition of water, the powder transformed from to a dark bottle / forest green and the aroma completely changed as well with strong dark umami notes, crisp freshness, forest / mountain air, moss and spinach. The liquor before frothing was a beautiful dark bottle green. It’s incredibly easy to build a luscious creamy pastel green froth with this matcha.

When it comes down to taste, this matcha when prepared as usucha has a intense level of rich umami, with notes of slightly salted butter, garden peas and a superb level of fresh creaminess. There is a sweetness present, but it’s subtle and very natural. There is only a minuscule amount of astringency present which adds balance and is what would make this matcha a daily drinker for me.

Those buttery vegetal notes have a sharpness to them and linger for a long time after each mouthful. There is a minerality to it and a freshness which adds a nice brightness into the flavour profile and takes me back to that mountain setting I spoke about in the dry aroma. There is a subtle roasted pine nut note to it but it doesn’t stick around for too long and just flashes in quickly towards the end of each sip. 

Texture wise, this matcha is smooth, creamy, coating, rich and ever so slightly drying. There is a finish that is sweet and sharp with those aforementioned buttery vegetal notes that linger for a long time in the mouth after each sip. It does however also have a cooling effect to it after each mouthful is finished and breath is taken in through the mouth.

The empty chawan at the end of the session had a very very sweet aroma that reminded me of a number of things, first of matcha hard candy, secondly sweet warm freshly baked pastry and lastly warm bao buns with custard filling. After every session I have had with this matcha, both indoors and outdoors, I have felt energized but not on a caffeine high. Calm and relaxed, awakened due to the freshness.

This Matcha is fantastic prepared as both usucha and koicha & It’s best prepared at a lower temperature than you would expect. Preparing as koicha means you get the highest intensity of its rich umami and that minty cooling effect. I didn’t get that at all when I prepared it as usucha and it seemed sweeter with notes of earth and grass. However both provide a fantastic experience and I love that simple preparation can change so much about one tea.

Should you want to try out this matcha for yourself you can find it over on the Yunomi Website. Don’t forget to use my code INFKKYU to get 1000yen off of an order of 5000yen or more.

Until next time, Happy Steeping – Kimberley