Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I’ve been recently trying different Matcha powders to see which one is right for me cost and quality wise, so I decided to do a little taste test, and this is my opinion on the 8 that I tested. Note that all are Ceremonial Grade except for Jade Leaf (Culinary Grade) which I’ve been using for cooking and smoothies but included it for comparing color.  Cost: Kyoto Dew: $.83/gram Ippodo: $1.37/gram (BEST) Matchabar: $.99/gram Pure Chimp: $.29/gram (WORST) Kenko: $.33/gram Encha: $.65/gram Akira: $.83/gram Jade Leaf (Culinary Grade): $.19/gram Top 4: 1) Ippodo: Hands down the best Matcha I’ve ever tasted, but very pricey to use daily. Sweet, earthy, Intense and complex with an unmatched bright rich green color. This is a special occasion or limited use Matcha for me because of the price. 2a) Akira: The taste is remarkably close to Ippodo but not as complex and has a slight bitterness at the beginning. Sweet, earthy, floral, fresh and complex with a bright rich green color. 2b) Kyoto Dew: A particularly good Matcha that gives a strong herbal and sweet flavor with a subtle bitterness. Sweet, herbal, smooth and slightly complex with an incredible dark (Chlorophyll Dense) rich green color which I love. 3) Encha: A particularly good Matcha but lacks the high complexity of Ippodo and Akira. Mild bittersweet, earthy, nutty, smooth and slightly complex with a bright rich green color. Bottom 3: I didn’t include (Jade Leaf) because it’s Culinary Grade. 7) Pure Chimp: The worst Ceremonial Grade Matcha I’ve tasted. If this is in fact a true Ceremonial Grade Matcha, then it’s not a premium grade. The color, texture, aroma and flavor are on par with Culinary/ Cooking Grade with maybe a slight edge to Pure Chimp in color (see pic) and taste. The price also reflects this. It was by far the cheapest Ceremonial Grade I tested ($.29/gram) and it showed. I see no reason for someone to purchase this product. 6) Matchbar: A decent Matcha, but for the price there are plenty of better options out there (Akira, Encha, Kyoto, Kenko) are all cheaper and better. 5) Kenko: A decent Matcha, but it was very lite with some bitterness that lingered too long. Slightly sweet, grassy, mild bitterness and soft flavor with rich green color. This would be a good start for someone that has never tried Matcha or for someone looking for a softer flavor.