Naoki Fine Japanese Matcha
Chiran Harvest
Tasted March 2021
About Naoki: This is a unique company offering several matcha blends and educating its customers on the complex web of growing and producing matcha. Naoki Matcha was founded in the year 2016 in Georgia, USA by two friends from Singapore. Naoki was named after a mutual friend who initially introduced the two to matcha. The website has beautiful footage of tea estates and processing facilities. At the time of this review, there were nine different matcha offerings on the website.
About Blend: This blend is made from the Seimei cultivar from Chiran region of Kagoshima Prefecture. Seimei cultivar is a cross between Fuushun and Saemidori cultivars. It is a high yielding variety know for bright color and higher amino acid content (info retrieved from My Japanese Green Tea blog). Naoki explains that the Kagoshima Prefecture is known for experimental flavors. No wonder this was such a unique tasting matcha.
Price: $34.99 per 40 grams, gifted to Grassy Notes
Scent: Deep raspberry and creamy.
Naoki Chiran Harvest Review
Color: Superior and bright powder. The liquor is also a bright and deep green, identifying a fresh and well treated product. Points 4.75
Foam + Texture: The foam is quick forming and thick. The texture is creamy, silky, and brothy. Points 4.75
Taste: This was a very unusual tasting blend. As a traditional usucha preparation, the umami and vegetal notes are closely linked together and can be difficult to tell apart, but the finish is long and this is where the umami becomes clearly pronounced. The umami is strong and unlike any matcha I’ve tasted before. Some have described it as mushroomy or meaty (Oolong Owl), but I experienced it as a fusion of a grassy chive with a nutty walnut. This most unusual flavor was strong and made for a bright matcha flavor. The blend is low in astringency and has no bitterness. Points 4
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5 points
Thoughts: This is a masters blend for matcha master drinkers. I recommend it for matcha obsessives and connoisseurs who have a developed palate for more intense matcha flavors. Even though there is no bitterness, most beginners are usually not accustomed to intense umami and vegetal flavors.
This is a very special blend that may seem like a waste to use for latte preparations, but in my experience it made for the best matcha latte. It is bright in color and the strong umami taste is fantastic for blending with milk to create a flavorful and creamy experience. This will be your fanciest matcha latte yet. If you are looking for this blend and it is not available from Naoki’s website, it may be in stock on Amazon.