Does anyone here on Steepster remember Red Leaf Tea’s Caramel Matcha!? I’m pretty sure that was one of the first ever flavoured matchas I fell in love with, and while it has been years since I last had it… I remember it quite fondly.

I enjoy this matcha a lot – I’m not sure why, but despite the fact that caramel is insanely challenging to capture as a flavour in LLT it seems to work really well when you combine it with matcha – and so I think DT carrying some kind of caramel type of matcha was really only a matter of time. I enjoy the caramel in this a lot – it leans more into the creamy elements of a good caramel and it feels pretty rich and gooey despite not having a “darker” or “deeper” density to the flavour. As with most of DT’s matchas, this is pretty sweet (from the added sugar) but I expect that from a caramel profile. Still, I do personally find the recommended 5-6 Matcha Spoons a bit much.

An important thing to remember, this is a Salted Caramel matcha and you can definitely taste the salt in the tea! I mean, not surprisingly IMO since there is actual salt mixed in with the matcha powder. It mostly present in the initial sip, as a salinity that leans into the umami and vegetal matcha notes and then that hit of salt breaks into the sweetness of the caramel. When this tea was being developed, we debated a lot about what the “right amount” of salt was, and there were actually version that were significantly saltier than what we settled on. I really like the addition of the salt, as it makes the flavour much more dynamic and layered feeling and transitioning from salt to caramel really does make the sweetness and richness of it pop more.

Absolutely delicious on its own, but in my opinion this matcha is at its best when made as a latte!! I totally recommend trying it that way!

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Courtney

I totally remember that one!

ashmanra

It was delish! Don’t they still sell it? They are Matcha Outlet now.

Mastress Alita

Matcha Outlet gutted all their cool flavored matchas… I’m sad I never had a chance to try any of them.

ashmanra

D25 was an excellent unflavored. I know Superanna bought some not long ago.

Lexie Aleah

Same, I waited too long to place an order with them and then all the interesting flavors were gone.I did get to try their caramel matcha in a sample once though and really enjoyed it.

mrs.stenhouse12

Just saw this review, and yes I remember RLT Caramel Matcha! I miss their flavors!

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Comments

Courtney

I totally remember that one!

ashmanra

It was delish! Don’t they still sell it? They are Matcha Outlet now.

Mastress Alita

Matcha Outlet gutted all their cool flavored matchas… I’m sad I never had a chance to try any of them.

ashmanra

D25 was an excellent unflavored. I know Superanna bought some not long ago.

Lexie Aleah

Same, I waited too long to place an order with them and then all the interesting flavors were gone.I did get to try their caramel matcha in a sample once though and really enjoyed it.

mrs.stenhouse12

Just saw this review, and yes I remember RLT Caramel Matcha! I miss their flavors!

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Hello! My name is Kelly, though many people in the tea community call me Ros or Roswell.

I am a mid-twenties tea addict, blogger, and all around nerd. I grew up in the Prairies, but a few years ago I relocated to Quebec to pursue a career with DAVIDsTEA in the tea industry! I’m still working on getting my French language skills down…

My first introduction to tea, in any form outside of instant and bottled iced tea, was about seven years ago when I happened to stumble upon DAVIDsTEA while looking for a birthday present for a friend! I tried their Birthday Cake rooibos blend, and I’ve been hooked on tea ever since! In those seven years; I was introduced to the online tea community, expanded my interest in flavoured teas to include a deep love and appreciation for straight teas and traditional brewing methods, got a tea themed tattoo, started reviewing teas, amassed a sizable tea and teaware collection, became a TAC certified Tea Sommelier, & even came full circle by beginning a career in the tea industry with DAVIDsTEA!

I consider myself a Jack of all Teas, and strive to have a knowledge and appreciation of all tea types, formats, and styles of drinking. I don’t like to feel boxed in to just being a “flavoured tea” or “straight tea” drinker – my expectations may vary depending on the type of tea or how it’s been processed/prepared but if it’s good tea, it’s good tea no matter how it’s been made!

You name it, I probably drink it- and I’ll absolutely try anything at least once.

My default method of preparation is hot, Western style, and straight – but I’m not opposed to additions if I’m in the right mood. If I ever add something to a tea or use a different method of preparation I will ALWAYS call it out in the tasting note though.

I like to listen to music when drinking tea, especially when I’m brewing a large pot at a time or steeping Gongfu. Often I curate very intentional tea and music pairings, and sometimes I share them here in my tasting reviews. Music is something that I find can deeply affect the experience of having tea.

I’m also one half of the “tea and fandom” podcast GeekSteep where, weekly, we discuss newly explored fandoms over tea as well as try to figure out the perfect tea to pair with each fandom. You can find us on Spotify and Apple & Google podcasts.

Favourite flavour notes/ingredients: Pear, lychee, cranberry, cream, melon, pineapple, malt, roasty, petrichor, sweet potato, heady florals like rose, hazelnut or walnut, sesame, honey (in moderation), and very woody shou.

Least favourite flavour notes/ingredients:
Lemongrass, ginger, strongly spiced profiles (and most Chai in general), mushrooms, seaweed, chamomile, stevia, saltiness or anything that reminds me too much of meat that isn’t supposed to taste like meat…

Currently exploring/obsessed with: Sheng from Yiwu, Yancha (Qilan in particular), anything with a strong sweet potato note. Also, I need to try ALL the root beer teas! Searching for a really good caramel flavoured blend, ideally with a black tea base.

Please contact me at the instagram account listed below if you would like me to review your teas.

Currently I’m employed in the tea department of the DAVIDsTEA head office. While I’m still sharing my own personal thoughts on new & existing DAVIDsTEA blends, I am no longer numerically rating them due to the obvious conflict of interest. Any comments expressed are a reflection of my own thoughts and opinions, and do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the company. Any DAVIDsTEA blends you currently see with a numeric score were reviewed prior to my being hired there and have not been adjusted since becoming a DAVIDsTEA employee.

Location

Montreal, QC, CA

Website

https://www.instagram.com/ros...

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