What Does Matcha Taste Like?

If you've never tried matcha, you're probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

The short answer is that matcha has a complex flavor balancing umami, natural sweetness, gentle bitterness, and a refreshing finish. It's more concentrated than regular green tea because you're consuming the whole leaf rather than just steeping it in water.

That concentration means every sip is layered. There's a bright quality at first, then something deeper and more savory develops. There's also natural sweetness and a touch of bitterness that adds complexity. The finish leaves your palate feeling refreshed.

Honestly, matcha tastes unlike anything else you've tried. And that's exactly what makes it special.

The Four Flavors That Make Matcha Matcha

Like Japanese cuisine itself, matcha is all about balance. Every cup carries a beautiful, unique mix of four core taste elements that work together to create something greater than their parts.

Umami

This is the savory depth you also find in nori or dashi. It's what makes a cup of high-quality tea feel full and satisfying. Umami creates a rich, almost brothy quality that lingers on your palate. Some people describe it as oceanic or reminiscent of seaweed, but in the best possible way.

This is the flavor that separates exceptional matcha from good matcha. When you taste 753 Matcha, that umami really shines through. In fact, 753 is crafted with very high umami as its leading note, creating a smooth, refined cup that feels substantial with every sip.

Sweetness

Good matcha has natural sweetness, largely thanks to L-theanine, an amino acid that dissolves even at low temperatures. This gives matcha its smooth and mellow side. It's not sugar-sweet but a gentle, creamy quality that prevents harshness and creates balance.

The sweetness doesn't announce itself loudly. It's more like a quiet presence that rounds out the other flavors and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Bitterness

Bitterness in matcha is not a flaw but a structure. It gives green tea its backbone, similar to dark chocolate or coffee. When matcha is prepared properly, this bitterness should be mild and pleasant, adding complexity without dominating the cup.

All tea has some bitterness because of compounds called tannins. In high-quality matcha, it feels more like depth than harshness. It's what gives the flavor its shape.

Astringency

Astringency is that drying, mouth-tingling sensation that leaves a clean finish. It's the feeling that makes your mouth feel refreshed after each sip, almost like the tea is resetting your palate.

In good matcha, astringency should be present but gentle. Our 753 has very low astringency paired with that high umami and medium-low nuttiness. That's the kind of balance that makes each cup feel smooth rather than sharp.

Why Your Matcha Might Taste Different

Not all matcha tastes the same, and several factors shape what ends up in your cup.

Grade Matters

Ceremonial grade is the best grade of matcha for drinking. It's smoother, sweeter, and more nuanced, designed to be enjoyed straight with water or in lattes.

Culinary grade has a stronger, more robust flavor. It's meant for baking, where it needs to stand up to other ingredients like flour, sugar, and butter.

Freshness and Storage

Matcha does not expire in the traditional sense, but it does degrade when exposed to light, heat, and air. Fresh matcha tastes bright, sweet, and full of life. Old matcha can taste flat, bitter, or even slightly fishy.

We recommend storing your matcha in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoying it within three months of opening. This keeps the flavor at its peak.

Preparation Impact

Water temperature makes a huge difference. Aim for around 80°C. Boiling water will scorch the delicate powder and bring out harsh, bitter flavors that aren't supposed to be there.

Sifting your powder before whisking prevents clumps, which can create gritty, bitter sips that nobody wants. The ratio of matcha to water also affects intensity. Finding your personal sweet spot takes a bit of experimenting, and that's part of the fun.

Terroir and Cultivar

Just like wine, matcha is shaped by its terroir. The soil, climate, altitude, and farming expertise all influence the final flavor.

Our 753 comes from Honyama in Shizuoka, where the mountains are veiled in mist and the temperature swings dramatically between morning and evening. Those conditions create tea leaves with remarkable depth and fragrance.

The cultivar blend matters too. Our 753 is made from Asahi, Okumidori, and Saemidori cultivars. Each brings its own character, and together they create the smooth, layered cup that defines 753.

A lot of brands don't share this information, so even if their matcha is labeled "ceremonial grade," you have no idea where it's from or how good it actually is.

This is the most important point that people miss when it comes to matcha, and what we pride ourselves on doing transparently.

How to Experience Matcha's Flavor

There are a few different ways to drink matcha, and each one highlights different aspects of its flavor.

Traditional Usucha Style

This is matcha at its purest. Just powder and hot water, whisked until frothy. When you drink matcha this way, you taste everything. Nothing is hidden or softened.

To prepare traditional usucha, sift one teaspoon of powder into a bowl, add about 60ml of hot water at around 80°C, and whisk in a zigzag motion for 15 to 30 seconds until it's frothy. Then top up with another 120 to 180ml of hot water.

Modern Matcha Latte

If straight matcha feels too intense, a latte is your friend. The milk balances out the grassy and bitter notes, creating something creamy and approachable. It's easy to prepare, especially for beginners.

You can enjoy it hot or iced, and add a touch of sweetener if that's your thing. To get started, follow the steps in our guide on how to make the perfect matcha latte.

Red Matcha Alternative

If you're curious about variety, we also have Kōyō Red Matcha.

It's a world-first matcha-style black tea from Kagoshima. Instead of the grassy, umami notes of green matcha, Kōyō offers a different flavor profile with cacao-like depth and malty sweetness.

It's a completely different experience but equally smooth.

What Matcha Shouldn't Taste Like

Matcha can be an acquired taste, even when it tastes how it should. It can taste unfamiliar at first, with your palate adjusting over time to appreciate the complexity.

But there are a few things matcha should never taste like. Good matcha should never taste fishy or like seafood. If it does, that's a sign of poor quality or bad storage.

Matcha also shouldn't taste metallic, chalky, or overwhelmingly harsh. Extreme bitterness signals either low quality or water that was too hot.

Visually, if your matcha powder is dull, yellowish, or brownish, it's likely oxidized and has lost its freshness. And if it smells musty or stale instead of bright and grassy, don't bother whisking it up.

The key thing to avoid this is to store your matcha in an airtight container, like our 753 Matcha 30g metal tin. Keep it fresh, and you'll keep tasting all those flavors we spent so long searching for.