Company: Grin Mood
Type: pure matcha
From: Jeju Island, South Korea
Grade: Ceremonial
Ounces: 2.12
Price: $29.95
Price Per Ounce: $14.13
Rating: 4 / 5
Click Here to Get This Matcha
Matcha Review
Grin Mood Ceremonial Decaf Matcha comes in a re-sealable bag. After unsealing it, there’s a smell of slightly-stale hay as well as a brininess reminiscent of seaweed. This matcha has a flat green color. After whisking 1/2 a teaspoon of matcha into 4 oz of water, the matcha had a nice froth and bubbles, and a smell of hay.
This matcha has a grippy texture due to a high tannin content. It tastes bitter and astringent on its own. Even for review purposes, I was not able to finish the tasting I made, and so I turned it into a matcha latte instead. I would call it an unbalanced, “wild animal” of a matcha, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just means that for most people, it won’t be a pleasant experience to sip on the matcha alone. One way I’ve tried this matcha that is really enjoyable is in a latte:
- 1/2 tsp of matcha
- 1/4 cup unsweetened Oatmilk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp lion’s mane powder OR 1/2 tsp maple syrup
Grin Mood Ceremonial Matcha tastes more like a “culinary grade” instead of “ceremonial grade”, as ceremonial is generally used to describe a matcha that is more complex in taste and aroma, and culinary is generally less complex and more astringent/bitter.
Per Grin Mood, this decaffeinated matcha has only .48mg of caffeine per 1/2 tsp of matcha. In comparison, an 8 0z cup of decaffeinated coffee typically contains 2-5 mg of caffeine. This matcha is produced from low caffeine tea leaves in the Jeju Island, South Korea, and is organically farmed without chemicals.
Overall, if you enjoy your matcha as a latte or in baked goods, and are looking for an option to sip on in the evenings (or are caffeine sensitive), this is an affordable option I would highly recommend. Just don’t expect it to taste like a Ceremonial matcha from Japan. It has higher tannin content, which means it doesn’t taste balanced on its own and needs blended. On the positive side, the higher tannins mean it likely has a high antioxidant/ EGCG content, which is good for folks that are drinking matcha for health reasons.
