1/7/2016 Update: See the latest Matcha Reviews 2015 Showdown.  Here’s the full list of matcha reviews. 

I’ve been drinking matcha green tea for a while now, and purchase my matcha from Amazon.  The problem?  There are too many choices.  What’s a matcha drinker to do?  I purchased the top 5 matchas from Amazon search results and tasted each one.  The results were surprising.  See below for my detailed tasting notes and matcha reviews. 

Matcha Reviews Key

I’ve sorted my reviews by price per ounce (#1 being most expensive, #5 being least expensive):

DoMatcha Green Tea, Organic Matcha (Japan) Premium Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder (Japan) MatchaDNA Certified Organic Matcha Tea (China) Tradition Pure Green Tea Powder Matcha (Taiwan) Vita Life Brand Matcha Green Tea Powder (Taiwan)

1.  DoMatcha Green Tea, Organic Matcha

From : Kagoshima, Japan

Ounces : 1.06

: 1.06 Price : $26.61

: $26.61 Price per ounce : $26.61

: $26.61 Rating : 5 / 5

: 5 / 5 Get This Matcha

DoMatcha is packaged in a sealed tin can, inside is a sealed bag.  The matcha is a beautiful bright green in color.  This means the leaves were picked young and dried properly.  It has a delicate fresh grass smell.  After whisking, the matcha is full of bubbles and froth (as good matcha should be).  The taste is smooth, creamy, and bittersweet.  Like dark chocolate.  DoMatcha isn’t cheap, but if you want the real deal, this is it. 

2.  Premium Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder

From : Uji, Kyoto, Japan

: Uji, Kyoto, Japan Ounces : 1.05

: 1.05 Price : $10.99

: $10.99 Price per ounce : $10.99

: $10.99 Rating : 4 / 5

: 4 / 5 Get This Matcha

This matcha from Kyoto comes in a small sealed bag.  For storage, you’ll want to move it to a sealed can.  The matcha is bright green in color and has a slight aroma of sweet fresh grass.  After whisking, it has plenty of bubbles and froth.  The texture is creamy and smooth.  The taste is slightly sweet and not as bold as DoMatcha.  Overall, it’s a great matcha for the price. 

3.  MatchaDNA Certified Organic Matcha Tea

From : China

: China Ounces : 3

: 3 Price : $19.71

: $19.71 Price per ounce : $6.57

: $6.57 Rating : 2 / 5

: 2 / 5 Get This Matcha

This green tea powder claims to be matcha, but is likely sencha.  See Matcha versus Sencha.  It comes in a sealed bag, and inside is 34 individually packed pouches.  These seem useful if you are on the go but otherwise seem unnecessary.  MatchaDNA has a dark / olive green color (good matcha should be bright green).  It has an earthy smell to it.  After whisking, there are very few bubbles and little froth.  The taste is very bitter, chalky and has an astringent aftertaste. 

4.  Tradition Pure Green Tea Powder Matcha

From : Taiwan

: Taiwan Ounces : 8.8

: 8.8 Price : $13.49

: $13.49 Price per ounce : $1.54

: $1.54 Rating : 1 / 5

: 1 / 5 Get This Matcha

This green tea powder claims to be matcha, but is likely sencha.  See Matcha versus Sencha.  Additionally, on Amazon, it says it’s from Japan, but actual packaging says from Taiwan.  It comes in a large, resealable bag.  It has a dark green color and old grass smell.  It has a strong vegetal flavor and a very bitter, astringent aftertaste. 

5.  Vita Life Brand Matcha Green Tea Powder

From : Taiwan

: Taiwan Ounces : 10.58

: 10.58 Price : $19.38

: $19.38 Price per ounce : $1.83

: $1.83 Rating : 2.5 / 5

: 2.5 / 5 Get This Matcha

This green tea powder claims to be matcha, but is likely sencha.  See Matcha versus Sencha.  It comes in a nice large container.  Inside is a sealed matcha bag and plastic spoon.  The matcha is dark green in color.  It has a smooth grassy smell.  It has a smooth vegetal taste an only slightly bitter aftertaste.  For sencha, this is pretty good tasting.  It’s also at a more affordable price than real matcha. 

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