Spiller & Tait - Finest Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder - Ceremonial Grade 30g - AAA Quality - 3 Star Great Taste Award

So, after reading about the health benefits of Matcha tea for some time, but always been a bit taken aback by the cost of it, I finally took the plunge and bought a 30g pack from Spiller & Tait. Prior to buying it, I was keen to find out what it was likely to taste like, but never really found any specific details. As such, and in the interests of reassuring anyone else who might have the same concern or curiosity, I thought I'd leave a review.Firstly, when making yourself a cup - follow the instructions on the pack, especially the one that suggests starting with just one gram of Matcha tea to 70-100ml water. If you're hard-core, you could leap straight into two grams, but if you're a bit unsure, as I was, one gram is the way to go. Also, do measure out your water, 70 - 100mls is far less than you think it might be.Secondly, invest, if you can, in a little mini, battery operated whisk - it will really help break the powder up in to the water. If you do invest in a whisk though, make sure to prepare your tea in a container that has a lot of empty space at the top. I reckon I lost about a 1/4 of my first cup of Matcha as a result of the twister type vortex the mini whisk created.Okay, assuming you have done the above, you then get to the critical moment of drinking it. There is no easy way to put this, it will absolutely look and smell like pond water. Some product reviews and advertisements go on about a "sweet earthiness" - sorry, all I got was pond water.However, don't let this deter you. As long as you don't breathe in through your nose when you drink the tea, there is absolutely no taste at all of pond water in what you drink. It's the weirdest thing, after smelling it I was preparing myself for it to taste hideous, but it didn't - it didn't really taste of anything other than water. There is also no bitterness and it doesn't catch in the back of your throat as some teas can do.As for the buzz/alertness some people have said they feel after drinking it, although it will obviously be different for everyone, I experienced something similar myself. It's really hard to explain, but about 5 minutes after finishing the tea, (which took all of a few minutes to drink), I became aware of feeling completely clear headed and buzzing with energy. It's so hard to explain, but was nothing like the buzz a strong coffee can give you, it was more like I'd stuck my head in a clear, cold mountain stream. This feeling didn't last forever, but certainly lingered for about 10 minutes and was a great pick me up at a normally sluggish time of the day, (4pm in the afternoon).Once the clear headedness had dissipated, I then became aware of feeling very relaxed, not in a sleepy way, just very relaxed.The final sensation I had from the tea was a bit unexpected, but came nearly an hour after I'd drunk it. I suddenly felt really hot, to the extent that I broke out in a sweat. At the time I was walking about, but not with any great exertion so the heat would not have come from that. This phase didn't last very long, maybe about 5 minutes, and then my body temperature returned to normal.I have no idea whether this is a common experience after drinking the tea, but I certainly wouldn't let it put me off drinking it and I plan to continue drinking at least one cup a day, ideally two. Maybe the body warming experience was the fat burning properties, (that the tea apparently has), doing its stuff. Who knows.........In a nutshell though, don't let worries about what it tastes like put you off; whilst it doesn't smell great, the smell absolutely doesn't translate into the taste, and the buzz, followed by the relaxed feeling is lovely.

Not the first ceremonial matcha I had and certainly not the best. Comparison to another brand Kineta:Colour: Kineta, simply greenerSmell: Kineta is sweeter but S&T has a more complex and well rounded fragrance. I'd say S&T is more green-teaish since the sweetness and unique matcha aroma which is slightly compromised for S&T comes from the shaded-growing phase, during which the vibrant green colour is developed.Foam: both very goodTaste: similar amount of Umami. However, S&T is bitter which undermines its sweetness and umami.Overall experience: personally I preferred Kineta, it is very smooth and soothing with the right amount of umami and pleasant aftertaste. I'd definitely recommend it to matcha beginners and those with delicate taste buds. S&T is a fine product by itself, but lacks a bit in the characteristics of matcha. It could go well as latte though but I haven't tried it myself.The difference is acceptable as S&T is indeed few pounds cheaper. But I was shocked reading the S&T reviews where a lot people commented on the 'non-bitterness' of it.PS: matcha is my favourite and it's always excellent regardless of the brand. I'd give it five stars if not for that fact that some products are better than the others, and definitely worth the extra few pounds. :)

I have tried a few Matcha tea brands. So with regards to taste, this one does not really have a taste. For one second I even thought I may have Covid as I could not taste anything. :) Others I have tried in the past could be described as "fishy" and "Grassy". This one, I would describe as "tasteless" I am not sure if it is a good or a bad thing. But if you want the benefits of drinking Matcha without the tasting it, then this is the brand to go for. I feel the cost was also a bit on the high side. The bag is tiny.

This product came with a small wooden spoon and a piece of instruction, which would be useful for beginners. When I tried, I was very surprised by the quality of this match, especially given the reasonable price. Excellent quality matcha.I make pure matcha with S&T in the morning and make matcha latte with Domatcha in the afternoon.My comparison with Domatcha (organic, ceremonial grade) finds that:1. the colour of the powder is very similar, both great spring green but S&T is greener and Domatcha is very slightly -only very slightly!- more yellowish.2. taste: Domatch is slightly more bitter, which is why I make latte with it.There is no bitterness in S&T at all! Personally I find that S&T is great with water (for pure matcha) or with coconut milk (for latte) and Domatcha is great with almond milk.3. price: S&T £13.25 for 30g, Domatcha £26.48 for 28.3495g (1oz) (plus delivery charge to the UK is £5.10)4. clumping: S&T doesn't need sifting. Domatcha does need one. (I've tested both powders with the same coconut milk)Overall, I am very happy with this matcha powder.I very rarely write reviews but this one deserves it. I also love the fact that they are coming in a resealable bag rather than a tin, which is much easier to use every day.Thank you for providing such excellent product.