tomato
Mostly lattes, just getting into usucha. Lately I've been loving savory, brothy lattes. I am also a barista & a Minor Figures oat milk loyalist :)
Great as a latte
Wakatake is a culinary grade matcha that should strictly be used in lattes. I find it to be medium bodied, maybe even bold. There's a strong, grassy end note that's rather distinct and feels like a punch in your face with how bold it is. There is a slight bitterness. This is best for lattes, flavored lattes, and cream top lattes. It is a bold "matcha matcha" where it cuts through milk, but it doesn't have the same fragile complexity as higher tier ceremonial grade blend, which... is to be expected! It is a 6/10 in the grand scheme of things, but don't let the low ranking fool you. For a strictly culinary grade matcha meant for latte drinkers who only desire for their matcha to actually come through the milk, it is a great matcha. Bold flavor, and no jarring bitterness or other off-flavors.
Super creamy!
Such a default matcha lol. It's the type of matcha that makes you think "wow, it's creamy and sweet!"— there's no immediate notes that stand out, just a generic matcha flavor. There is some grassiness and brightness to it. Maybe a slight nuttiness. It is light to medium bodied and rather basic, but just because it's basic in taste, doesn't mean it's something to brush off! Isuzu has a uniquely pleasant creamy, smooth mouthfeel and sweet aftertaste, with minimal bitterness and astringency. So far, it is the creamiest offering of MK that I've tried. It's even creamier than the ceremonial grade matchas above it (Chigi no Shiro, Yugen, Wako). It may not be the most complex, but damn does its creaminess do all the heavy lifting. Isuzu is popular for a reason, and it is a crowd pleaser for those who like lattes and want something a little more special than a culinary grade matcha. Isuzu's creaminess goes great with soy milk.
Nutty as heck
I was caught off guard when I first took a sip of this as a latte. The first thing that came to mind was its distinct nuttiness. Yugen is extremely nutty (reminiscent of a walnut), almost dominantly so. Although it tastes single noted in its nuttiness at first, there is a savory aspect to it. Yugen is bold and full bodied, cuts through milk, and has a slight astringency but little bitterness. It is not as creamy as Isuzu. I'd even say it's slightly grainy in comparison to the two. Yugen is delicious as an usucha as well. The absence of milk reveals hidden flavors that I at first thought didn't exist in the face of such overwhelming nuttiness: a gentle grassiness and faint sweetness shines though, mingling pleasantly with the nuttiness in a way that makes it feel more subdued. At first I thought that the nuttiness somehow appeared stronger in a latte and then mellowed out as an usucha— instead, I realized that the milk drowns out Yugen's more delicate flavors, making it taste more one-sidedly nutty! Truly, usucha is the way to go for higher tier matcha. It was a bit of a wake up call for me, a person who usually drinks lattes :) Overall, this blend tastes much more balanced as an usucha as opposed to its dominate walnut form as a latte. But still it is enjoyable as a latte, so try it for yourself and see which you prefer. Oh, and many people recommend Yugen as a cheaper alternative to Wako, but I find the two to have completely different flavor profiles!
Good latte powder
Meiko is floral forward, reminiscent of cotton candy, with a soft nuttiness accompanying it. It is light to medium bodied and works well in a latte, though it is slightly on the weaker side. It has little bitterness and astringency. If you like floral, bright matcha, this is a good one!
Well, it's unique
Bitter, bitter, bitter. Well, when I first took a sip, Komiya was bright and refreshing. Then its bitterness hit me like a truck. I have to say though, it has a rather unique bitterness that I'm sure some will enjoy: it's a sort of bright, snappy, clean tasting bitterness. It's grassy and slightly aquatic, with a light body. Currently, I'm using it by mixing it with more mellow matchas whenever I make lattes with cream tops. The heavy dairy smothers the bitterness and it's quite tasty when used in this way. It has so many good reviews on their website though. Maybe I'm the problem...
Accidentally drank all of it as a latte
My 20g can of Wako was annihilated in just a few days, and I ended up drinking it as an unsweetened latte lol. I know it's supposed to be made as usucha, but goddamn did it go hard as a latte. As a powder primarily used in usucha, I was conscious of its more delicate flavors and so I made it as a basic latte: no sweetener, Minor Figures oat milk (the most neutral milk I know so far), and some ice. And holy cow did it open my eyes to a type of latte I've never had before. While I'm used to sweeter, more decadent lattes, Wako gave me a latte that was more elevated. It was delicately complex, with every single note ever: umami, nuttiness, light sweetness, and the lightest cotton-candy like floral hint to it. It was so so savory and reminiscent of a broth. It is so well crafted. This was like if a regular latte went ahead and got a 6 figure job and dressed itself up in fancy attire. Wako makes an elegant, elevated latte. Obviously, its delicacy gets lost when you add sweeteners, flavors, or cream tops. Anyways, I know I should've had it as usucha but I was so addicted to it as a latte that I went ahead and drank it all that way lol. But when I repurchase this, I will try it as usucha and update this review :D
Tastes like a mix between Isuzu and Yugen
Chigi no Shiro literally just tastes like Isuzu and Yugen mixed together!! I know this because I mixed the two together before trying Chigi straight after, and they were almost IDENTICAL (though I did prefer Isuzu+Yugen mix more than just straight Chigi). So if Isuzu is creamy and sweet, and Yugen is nutty and bold (in a latte), then Chigi is a happy middle. More nutty and complex than Isuzu, but more creamy and mild than Yugen. It's a happy middle. Although I ranked both Isuzu and Yugen as 8/10, Chigi is a 7/10 because I just wasn't wowed by it. Isuzu and Yugen's defining characteristics are what make them unique, and Chigi feels a bit more generic compared to them. I'd rather just buy the two powders separately and mix them if I want to— it's more versatile that way.