Rocky's Matcha

I’m on a really aggresive Yame matcha kick right now, but I snuck this one in as usucha this week because I wanted to make a larger mug of matcha and I thought the softer, more gentle mouthfeel and flavour profile of this matcha was something that would work well to a larger serving like this one. Plus, with it’s delicate floral profile and somewhat chocolate-like finishing notes, I thought the flavour also really suited the mug selection too.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSnvqLJkpxz/?img_index=1 (Second Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKdO6CqESeQ

Enjoyed this paired with a little hawthorn pastry for an afternoon matcha break and pick-me-up! This is one of the softest textured matchas that I own, with an incredibly fresh, light, and delicate floral-leaning profile. The pastry is super buttery and flaky, and the delicate and tender flavour of the hawthorn matches the mellow sweetness and umami of the matcha. The matcha finishes with a note of cocoa, which is the richest aspect of this otherwise very light and refreshing tea.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQchnt5EipS/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTaRew3sQWk

Pulled out my fancy hagiware matcha bowl to whisk this one up. Like the first time I made it, I found this incredibly smooth, fresh and delicate with softer umami and floral notes and just a bit of a cocoa note on the finish. Really, really grounding!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOUQH3JkvLL/?img_index=1 (Second Pic)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xW0nMWfFos&ab_channel=NewTranslations

Y’all the matcha fixation is very real.

Between working at a tea company, TikTok, Instagram, and (to a lesser extent) even here on Steepster… the amount of matcha exposure I’m getting is surreal. And it varies so much. People discovering matcha for the first time, people making the most mouth watering and delicious looking lattes and specialty drinks, general education about preparation or cultivar, people shaming other people for how they’re making or hoarding their matcha, and of course A LOT of conversation about the “matcha shortage” and the impending price hikes that are DEFINITELY going to happen soon following this year’s harvest… (Ippodo already announced theirs, and oof!)

And I feel like working in the industry I have a perspective that most don’t, but even with that peek behind the curtain it’s very, very hard not to be influenced myself. Even when I’m intellectually aware it’s happening, the effects are still so real. I guess that’s my long winded way of saying that Rocky’s Matcha is a brand I was introduced to via IG and I’ve been pretty obsessed with for a while. I’ve really, really wanted to try their matcha for a while but they sell out so fast and shipping to Canada kinda sucks right now.

Well, queue another IG company that’s made it to my feeds: The Roaster’s Pack! Though they’re really more of a coffee company, they’ve blown up because of their curation of matchas from all of these trendy micro brands. Including Rocky’s Matcha. So, about a week ago I decided to place an order with them for a whooollleeeee bunch of interesting sounding matchas since it was a great way to restock, avoid tariffs and international shipping, and try some of these brands and new (to me) cultivars that I’ve been curious about for a while…

I ended up picking up this matcha because I was curious about the tasting notes, and I’d heard positive things from other people I respect. It’s a blend of different cultivars, including Okumidori which is one that I personally like a lot. So far I’ve just made it as usucha, and I was very impressed. It’s really fresh and mellow with quite a lot bitterness/astringency. The taste is a bit umami and oceanic upfront, but then really clean and floral with a delicate sweetness and a bit of a cocoa note on the backend of the sip. I found the mouthfeel just a bit buttery, as well.

I know it’s mentioned that this could be used in matcha lattes, but I found the flavours so soft and delicate that I think that would be a waste. You’d either have to use so much powder to get a strong flavour that it just would be cost prohibitive, or you’d mask the taste of the matcha with your milk/sweeteners. But as usucha it was really, really good!