Archives Of Us Premium Reserve Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha review

Name: Archives Of Us Premium Reserve Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha
Brand: Archives Of Us
Rating: 7 (1 reviews)

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MS Rating

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Umami

2.5

Bitter

Astringent

Sweet

Product Details

Brand: Archives Of Us
Origin: Kagoshima
Grade: Ceremonial
Cultivars: Okumidori
Sizes: 60g
Description: A single-cultivar Okumidori from Kagoshima, made from shade-grown first-harvest leaves and stone milled. It is JAS certified organic and comes in a 60g tin. The flavor leads with umami and has light sweetness, a velvety texture, and a clean finish. It works whisked on its own or in a latte.

Premium Reserve Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha - image 1

Expert Review

Bymichael

TL;DR

Grassy and refreshing, but disappointing lack of umami when prepared traditionally

Prepared as

Traditional

6g matcha

175°F

6 oz (177 g) water

MS Rating

7.0

/ 10

I finally decided to visit the buzzy Archives of Us cafe in Los Angeles. The lattes looked tempting, but I stuck to my usual preference of usacha, or "matcha tea" as they call it (a hefty 6g of powder mixed with 6oz of water).

I tried it both iced and hot. In both cases, the color was beautiful vibrant green. The initial taste was crisp and straight with a pleasant grassy flavor. There was surprisingly little umami. The grassy-ness faded into a slight bitter finish.

The high point was definitely the initial grassy taste, which was quite refreshing, especially in iced form. However, I found myself disappointed in the overall quality. The matcha tasted latte-grade on it's own, which makes sense given the needs of the cafe, but I had higher hopes given the price point.