Breakaway Matcha
Blend 97
Tasted May 18th 2020
About Breakaway: Located in San Anselmo, California, Breakaway Matcha is founded by Eric Gower, a chef and cookbook author who had previously lived in Japan for 16 years. The company's motto is providing exceptional matcha and education. At the time of this review, Breakaway offered 17 different grades of matcha, which were all sourced from small, domestic farms in Japan. Many of these farms have been producing matcha for over 20 generations. Each blend was crafted in collaboration between Eric and the farmers to achieve a particular depth of flavor. You can take a quiz on their site to be matched with a matcha blend best suited to your liking. Blend prices vary depending on availability of the yield. Breakaway gets its name from the concept of moving away from strict tradition and ritual, to a way that is perhaps more simple and true to ones lifestyle.
About Blend: This is not an organic blend, but it is from Ogura, Uji (Kyoto), Japan, which is believed to be the capital of good matcha. Breakaway seems very thoughtful about who they get their matcha from, so I felt comfortable drinking this even without the organic label.
Price: $69.00 for 30g
Scent: Clean and distinct vegetal smell, with spinach and seaweed notes.
Blend 97 Review
Color: Bright and vibrant. Out performed Breakaway’s Organic Hyperpremium blend. Points 4.5
Foam: My experience with the foam was different from the website description. I experimented with powder to water ratios, as well as with water temperature and had the same results every time - a light froth with varied bubbles. The drink has a nice velvety texture. Points 4
Taste: No milk or additives needed here! Creamy flavor, with no bitterness, and a dynamic taste experience with variations of umami, grassy, roasted rice, and seaweed flavors swirling around. Points 4.5
Final Score: 4.3 out of 5
Thoughts: This blend had great zenergy. I felt focused and delightfully calm. This is the type of matcha you are meant to appreciate with a simple preparation. Smoothie additives or too much milk will take away from the richly dynamic and delicate taste of this blend. The flavors kept unfolding from one sip to the next. This is considered a high cost matcha, another reason to enjoy it for what it is and take extra care with storage.