I’d planned to review a tasty caramel black tea blend this week, but the weather doesn’t want to play ball. It is 38°C as I am writing this, so let’s try Perfect Ted Vanilla Matcha instead! It’s a sweet flavoured matcha powder that’s designed to be whisked directly into fridge-cold milk and served over ice.
I have some thoughts about the ingredients and whether we can actually categorise this as matcha, but before we dive into that, let’s cover the flavour. I’ll also give you my favourite method for making a vanilla matcha latte at home.
Perfect Ted Vanilla Matcha at a Glance
Izzy’s Rating
- Blend: Ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha with coconut and vanilla flavouring
- Flavour: Vanilla milkshake with ice cream and a subtle hint of matcha
If you love sweet vanilla flavours, you’ll love this beverage. Like many commercial matcha latte drinks, the matcha is extremely subtle and more of a background note to the creamy sweet vanilla flavouring.
Full Review – Vanilla Single Serve Matcha
- Type: Single serve powder stick
- Tea: Japanese ceremonial grade matcha
- Additives: Coconut sugar, coconut milk powder, natural flavourings
- Flavour Notes: Milkshake, vanilla ice cream, subtle matcha
- Aroma: Vanilla milkshake, astringent matcha
- Where to Buy: Amazon UK or select UK supermarkets
I am reviewing the single serve matcha vanilla sticks by Perfect Ted but you can also buy this in loose powder packets (more on how the ingredients compare below). The aroma from the matcha is decent. You can actually smell the astringent and grassy green tea, though it is hampered a bit by an artificial vanilla milkshake aroma.
Yep, it doesn’t smell like real vanilla pods, but it does smell sweet and it is definitely not unpleasant! In fact, it is incredibly appealing.
Mixed with milk as per the method below, the aroma doesn’t really change though it does become a tad creamier. The colour is green-grey – very strange and not at all as verdant green as the marketing shows on Amazon.
I double checked the use-by date, so it must just be the natural colour of the beverage. A strange result of mixing matcha powder with flavouring and coconut milk powder.
The flavour is vanilla milkshake! It’s creamy and sweet in a way that hints at both vanilla and sugar. The matcha is so faint, it’s a small voice crying out as it drowns in a lake of vanilla milk. If you are drinking this beverage for a strong matcha flavour, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
So, think of Perfect Ted Vanilla Matcha as a smooth and creamy vanilla milkshake with an odd green colour and smooth caffeine boost. Just don’t go in expecting matcha.
How to Make a Vanilla Matcha Latte
To make matcha using Perfect Ted’s single serving sticks, simply open one stick (I found the tear perforation to be awful, so I used scissors) and pop it in a large jug and top up with 200ml of fridge-cold milk. I used soy milk but you can use any you prefer.
Then, either whisk it with a bamboo matcha whisk (standard kitchen whisk will also work, or even a fork if you don’t mind an arm workout) or an electric frothing whisk. Keep going until there are no dark green lumps left.
Don’t try to whisk it in your mug. My glass double-walled mug holds 300ml comfortably but this matcha froths up like you wouldn’t believe. You can see the results of using too small of a receptacle above.
You don’t need to add any extra sugar or sweetener, just plop in some ice cubes and you’re ready.
Why Drink Perfect Ted’s Matcha?
Perfect Ted are a British matcha brand and they have a lot going for them:
- Genuine Japanese ceremonial grade matcha, shade grown + hand picked + air dried + stone ground.
- Minimal ingredients, just coconut sugar, matcha, coconut milk powder and natural flavouring.
- Vegan-friendly and gluten free.
But the tradeoff is that this matcha isn’t traditional. By that I mean, it doesn’t taste like matcha or feel like matcha. I don’t feel at all relaxed or contemplative when I drink it, whereas when I drink a premium matcha from the likes of Naoki or Tokyo Tea Garden, I really slow down and savour every sip.
The vanilla being the main flavour was a choice made by the brand to make it more mainstream. Matcha is a huge trend in the UK at the moment, and I suspect this vanilla matcha latte powder was created to please a vast crowd of people rather than us matcha enthusiasts.
Also worth noting is the use of coconut milk powder and coconut sugar. It’s a great way to make the beverage vegan-friendly, but is it environmentally friendly to use coconut for a drink sold in the UK when we grow our own totally vegan beet sugar and oat milk in the UK?
Summary
I thoroughly enjoyed this drink and it was the perfect cold sweet treat on a hot day. It delivered 43mg of caffeine to keep me from dozing off in the heat and it satisfied my ice cream craving too. But was it a matcha drink? Not really, in my opinion.
I’d definitely drink this again, but as a treat rather than my daily cuppa.
Tea Recommendation
As a matcha enthusiast, I always champion drinking matcha how the Japanese intended. But that’s not always compatible with a busy lifestyle, so if you’re looking for more convenient ways to try matcha, I have a few options for you. Here at Immortal Wordsmith, I’ve reviewed plenty of ready-to-drink matcha beverages, but also some interesting matcha teabags. Read my review of Twinings Cleanse Matcha next to see what it’s all about.
