I am pleasantly surprised. (I’m sure the matcha purists will be horrified!)
The first couple sips I definitely got a bit of the grassy/raw matcha flavor (I think some powder was hiding in the foam). It was also way too hot. As it cools and I get deeper into the cup I am getting a lot of honey sweetness. Must be in the mix as I did not add anything. The mix of matcha (or whatever they use) and honey and frothed milk is a nice combo. It’s not overly heavy or sweet, it feels somewhat healthy compared to a whipped cream and chocolate covered mocha or similar.
I don’t go to starbucks but once or twice a year, but next time I find myself there I will get this or try another of their tea lattes.
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I’ve tried this once. Back when they put melon syrup in it and didn’t list it in the ingredients. Since then, even though they discontinued the syrup, I’m just too scared to try it again in fear of wasting my money, their product, and their time making me something else. I’ve also heard their matcha has fillers… possibly presweetened like Rishi’s as well? Love the idea though, and I love their full leaf tea lattes… although after trying 52teas Mayan Chocolate Chai, I think I’ll be bringing that w/ me the next time I go to SBUX.
I accidentally created an entry for this under “Starbucks” before I found it in “Tazo.” So the other one needs to be deleted. I tried to send it via Feedback, no idea if that worked.
@ Cofftea – I don’t think that Rishi sweetens their matcha. Their website openly lists all the ingredients of their teas as well as the Nutritional Facts. Sweetener is NOT added from what I’ve read.
LENA, they used to have one w/ ginger (and maybe another one, I seem to remember 2) that said it was sweetened… but I’ve searched their site for “ginger”, “sweetened”, and “matcha”, but didn’t find it so maybe they use something else. I didn’t know SBUX uses Rishi brand matcha.
Starbucks sells “Matcha Green Tea Latte with Honeydew Concentrate by Tazo Tea” on their web store. Tazo also makes a plain “Tazo Matcha Green Tea Latte Concentrate.” I assume they use one of these in their drinks. I can’t be certain that the honeylike sweetness I tasted was honeydew, but it didn’t taste melon-y to me. I wish now that I had paid more attention when they were making my drink today to see what they used (or just asked!)
Rishi used to/maybe still makes a sweetened macha that is half sugar half tea. It’s NOT supposed to be drank like straight matcha, though, it’s for flavoring food and drinks.
I don’t know if Starbucks uses Rishi brand matcha. I recently bought Rishi’s matcha and didn’t notice any added sweetener. Then, I double checked their site to confirm after reading your comment.
Janefan, Please find out and inform me!:) If it’s a concentrate, I’ll pass. I don’t even use concentrate for chai lattes.
Whoops, cut off my comment. I meant to add that I read a really funny entry online about a guy who prepared the Rishi matcha like normal matcha, with yucky results. :)
Also, yes the Starbucks matcha powder is pre-sweetened with sugar, so if you want a sugar-free green tea latte, you can’t really get one. You can ask for one without sugar syrup though, to cut down the sugar a little bit.
Also, what do you mean by full leaf tea lattes? For the chai latte, they use a liquid mix and add hot water, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk.
LENA, you’re right, SBUX doesn’t use Rishi brand matcha. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was saying that. I thought Cofftea had asked about Rishi and I was just agreeing. :)
Shanti, you can get it w/ tea bags instead of the concentrate. I always do and it’s sooo much better. I suggest 2 in a tall. Don’t get another size because the flavor ratio is messed up then.
No wonder it was gross! I was hoping it was just the melon syrup and now that it’s gone it would be better. :(
Cofftea, Ah, I see what you mean. I think technically that’s called “tea misto”…and ugh, why do I know so much about starbucks! I don’t even like coffee. :)
No a tea misto would be 1/2 tea and 1/2 milk just like a coffee misto would be 1/2 coffee and 1/2 milk.
Which is different from your tea latte how? (Sorry I’m not trying to be snarky or anything, just wondering). I’ve asked my ex-boyfriend about this before, and he said that the tea-bag chai “latte” is really a misto. The new “tea lattes” like the London Fog, etc, are per the manual tea mistos with additional syrup…
Shanti, a tea latte is 1/3 water and 2/3 milk unless it’s a dirty latte, then it’s 1/3 espresso like a regular latte, w/ tea bags or concentrate. The sweeten their tea lattes? Ugh. That makes no sense because if you order a “tall latte” it isn’t presweetened. The only tea latte I’d dare presweeten is a chai.
Oh, I get it. Thanks for explaining. :)
This discussion confirms that Starbucks is way too complicated to understand.
Just like w/ anything you need to know what questions to ask. I’ve gone in there several times and between me and the barista, the one that was more confused was the barista.
I’ve tried this once. Back when they put melon syrup in it and didn’t list it in the ingredients. Since then, even though they discontinued the syrup, I’m just too scared to try it again in fear of wasting my money, their product, and their time making me something else. I’ve also heard their matcha has fillers… possibly presweetened like Rishi’s as well? Love the idea though, and I love their full leaf tea lattes… although after trying 52teas Mayan Chocolate Chai, I think I’ll be bringing that w/ me the next time I go to SBUX.
I accidentally created an entry for this under “Starbucks” before I found it in “Tazo.” So the other one needs to be deleted. I tried to send it via Feedback, no idea if that worked.
@ Cofftea – I don’t think that Rishi sweetens their matcha. Their website openly lists all the ingredients of their teas as well as the Nutritional Facts. Sweetener is NOT added from what I’ve read.
LENA, they used to have one w/ ginger (and maybe another one, I seem to remember 2) that said it was sweetened… but I’ve searched their site for “ginger”, “sweetened”, and “matcha”, but didn’t find it so maybe they use something else. I didn’t know SBUX uses Rishi brand matcha.
Starbucks sells “Matcha Green Tea Latte with Honeydew Concentrate by Tazo Tea” on their web store. Tazo also makes a plain “Tazo Matcha Green Tea Latte Concentrate.” I assume they use one of these in their drinks. I can’t be certain that the honeylike sweetness I tasted was honeydew, but it didn’t taste melon-y to me. I wish now that I had paid more attention when they were making my drink today to see what they used (or just asked!)
Rishi used to/maybe still makes a sweetened macha that is half sugar half tea. It’s NOT supposed to be drank like straight matcha, though, it’s for flavoring food and drinks.
I don’t know if Starbucks uses Rishi brand matcha. I recently bought Rishi’s matcha and didn’t notice any added sweetener. Then, I double checked their site to confirm after reading your comment.
Janefan, Please find out and inform me!:) If it’s a concentrate, I’ll pass. I don’t even use concentrate for chai lattes.
Whoops, cut off my comment. I meant to add that I read a really funny entry online about a guy who prepared the Rishi matcha like normal matcha, with yucky results. :)
Also, yes the Starbucks matcha powder is pre-sweetened with sugar, so if you want a sugar-free green tea latte, you can’t really get one. You can ask for one without sugar syrup though, to cut down the sugar a little bit.
Also, what do you mean by full leaf tea lattes? For the chai latte, they use a liquid mix and add hot water, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk.
LENA, you’re right, SBUX doesn’t use Rishi brand matcha. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was saying that. I thought Cofftea had asked about Rishi and I was just agreeing. :)
Shanti, you can get it w/ tea bags instead of the concentrate. I always do and it’s sooo much better. I suggest 2 in a tall. Don’t get another size because the flavor ratio is messed up then.
No wonder it was gross! I was hoping it was just the melon syrup and now that it’s gone it would be better. :(
Cofftea, Ah, I see what you mean. I think technically that’s called “tea misto”…and ugh, why do I know so much about starbucks! I don’t even like coffee. :)
No a tea misto would be 1/2 tea and 1/2 milk just like a coffee misto would be 1/2 coffee and 1/2 milk.
Which is different from your tea latte how? (Sorry I’m not trying to be snarky or anything, just wondering). I’ve asked my ex-boyfriend about this before, and he said that the tea-bag chai “latte” is really a misto. The new “tea lattes” like the London Fog, etc, are per the manual tea mistos with additional syrup…
Shanti, a tea latte is 1/3 water and 2/3 milk unless it’s a dirty latte, then it’s 1/3 espresso like a regular latte, w/ tea bags or concentrate. The sweeten their tea lattes? Ugh. That makes no sense because if you order a “tall latte” it isn’t presweetened. The only tea latte I’d dare presweeten is a chai.
Oh, I get it. Thanks for explaining. :)
This discussion confirms that Starbucks is way too complicated to understand.
Just like w/ anything you need to know what questions to ask. I’ve gone in there several times and between me and the barista, the one that was more confused was the barista.