Clearspring
Organic Japanese Matcha Ceremonial Grade
reviewed February 2021
Clear Spring Ceremonial Matcha
About: Clearspring is a family owned business retailing a plethora of organic and wholesome foods. It was launched in 1993 in London, UK by Christopher Dawson. Christopher was born in New Zealand, where he also studied law. The vision for Clearpsring came from an interest in sustainable agriculture and his travels to Japan. Today, Christopher’s adult children are an active part of the business and the company has expanded to include a variety of cooking products.
The Clearspring organic matcha comes from the Nagata family, a third generation matcha producer from the Koyoto hills in Uji, Japan.
Price: £16.99 per 30g, about $23.20 in dollars
Smell: Buttery and roasted notes.
Color: The powder is a lovely green toward white. The liquor (tea color) is dark and deep. Points 4
Foam + Texture: Quick forming foam that is thick and fluffy, giving a natural creaminess to the blend. There is slight bubble variation. The mouth feel is smooth with a descent finish. Points 4
Taste: Vegetal and bitter notes reminiscent of rainbow chard, a light toasted flavor traditional to green tea, and a gentle astringency that keeps one returning for the next sip. The bitterness has a short finish that is then followed by umami and sweetness. Points 3.5
Final Score: 3.8 points out of 5
Thoughts: I’ve enjoyed drinking this matcha and would definitely get it again in the future. To explain the flavors, I wanted to share some ideas about taste.
Even though some matcha experts argue that matcha should not taste bitter, I disagree. I was first introduced to bitterness as a positive flavor when reviewing Ippodo tea’s Kuon Blend. Olives, dark chocolate, the skin on a cucumber, all have bitter tastes that many of us love. Bitterness in itself does not equal bad. It is a dynamic flavor with many delicious aspects, especially when well balanced with other flavors.
The bitterness in the Clearspring blend works well because it is short lived. The first flavor in the sip is bitter, which creates an intensity and stimulates the taste buds. The bitterness is crisp and clear. It then quickly passes and shifts to a lingering umami and sweet taste, particularly in the back of the throat. This kind of chemistry keeps one returning over and over for the next sip.
I personally loved the Ceremonial blend first thing in the morning when craving a bit of flavor intensity without the fattiness of milk. I find this blend goes best with a traditional thin tea preparation. However, the flavor intensity will compliment latte preparations as well. I would recommend this blend to someone who is ready to graduate from matcha lattes to drinking usucha matcha.
If I am ever in London, I will definitely be on the look for retails carrying Clearpsing items to stock up on their goodies.