How a tasting works
- Jacob presents itHe tells the room who made the matcha and what is special or different about it, as people try it.
- The room scores itEveryone tastes and gives it a score out of 5. Every matcha is whisked the same way and tasted plain, without milk.
- It gets its own pageThe score goes up here with photos and a link to the tea maker, win or lose.
The next tasting
The next date is not set. Ask to join and you will hear when it is.
What we tend to like
Clean, good tasting matcha from people who can tell you where it came from.
- We like a named farm, region or cultivar, because it tells you what you are drinking.
- Plain matcha with nothing added is what we tend to ask for.
- Mostly we want matcha good enough to enjoy without milk or sugar.
The score sheet
From the journal
The phrase names the variety of tea plant in the powder and very little else. Here is what it can tell you, what it leaves out, and why most matcha is blended anyway.
Covering tea plants for the last few weeks before picking changes the color and the taste of the leaf. The reason comes down to what sunlight does to one amino acid.
Ippodo says opened matcha does not spoil, but it does fade. Keep it sealed, dark and cool, away from strong smells, and plan to finish it in about a month.
Who runs it
Jacob runs Matcha Club. About a hundred people are on our invite list. Write to him at jacob@matchaclub.co.
Questions
What is Matcha Club?
A free matcha tasting club. Jacob presents each matcha, who made it and what is special or different about it. The room scores it out of 5, and every matcha gets its own page here, win or lose.
What does it cost to join?
Nothing. Joining is free, and nothing is for sale at a tasting.
When is the next tasting?
The next date is not set. Ask to join and you will hear when it is.
Is Matcha Club a shop?
No. It is a tasting club and not a retailer, and it does not sell anything.
Where do the matchas come from?
Tea makers send them to the club free. Every page that covers one says who sent it, and they do not see the page before it runs.
What does the club like to taste?
Clean, good tasting matcha from people who can tell you where it came from. That is a guide and not a rule.
How big is it?
About a hundred people are on our invite list.
Want a seat at a tasting?
Joining is free. Tell us who you are and what you have been enjoying lately.
Ask to join