Adagio Matcha Stick Traditional Tea Review

adagio matcha review

It’s matcha time! I’ve been going through a matcha craze lately. From matcha-flavoured cakes to lattes and iced teas. This week I’m reviewing Adagio Matcha Traditional Stick, which is a simple tube of matcha that’s pre-portioned for you.

In theory, all you need to do is pour the matcha into a bottle of water and shake it up.

So, thank you very much Adagio for sending me this matcha to sample for the Immortal Wordsmith blog! I will cover the flavour, brew method, and more, in the full tea review below.

Adagio Matcha Stick Traditional Tea at a Glance

Izzy's Rating
3/5
  • Tea: Traditional, unflavoured matcha
  • Flavour: Smooth, simple matcha with subtle sweetness and distinct bitterness

This is a great plain matcha to experiment with. Add some sugar for sweetness or go a little crazy with different flavours. You could even add it to a hot chocolate for an extra caffeine boost.

adagio matcha stick

Full Review – Adagio Matcha Powder

Izzy's Rating
3/5
  • Type: Stick packet
  • Tea: Pure traditional matcha
  • Additives: N/A
  • Flavour Notes: Bitter, light, watery, sweet, smooth
  • Aroma: Grassy, astringent
  • Milk or Lemon: Milk for a latte
  • Where to Buy: Adagio Traditional Matcha

I always get excited for matcha time! Ripping open the little plastic tube, I can immediately see that there is a generous dose of matcha inside. The colour is quite pale, but it livens up quickly when added to water. It’s easy to sieve into a fine powder as well.

The aroma is simple – grassy matcha with astringent notes. With matcha, there’s always some astringency to the cup. It’s all about whether it’s balanced or not.

It brews into a dark, murky green colour. See details about my brewing method below for some extra advice.

As for the flavour, it’s simple and grassy with quite pronounced bitterness. The texture is sleek but watery. I recommend brewing it with milk or additional flavours to create more body. This is a great plain matcha to drink on-the-go but it doesn’t have the substance to create an elegant, matcha ceremony.

adagio teas matcha in teacup

How to Brew Adagio Matcha Sticks

Each tube contains 2g of powder, which is slightly larger than a traditional scoop of matcha (by my eye). Adagio recommend that you shake this up in a bottle containing 500ml of water. I tried this, but didn’t get great results.

Usually, matcha is whisked in a small amount of water – definitely no more than 200ml. If you want to whisk a traditional matcha, I recommend 50ml to blend it, then 125ml to top it up. I prefer to use a bamboo whisk but there’s nothing wrong with using an electric one. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Just make matcha in the way that works best for you.

If you want to follow the bottle shaking method for an on-the-go cup, use 200ml to 300ml. When you use 500ml it really waters down the matcha and it isn’t great!

However much water you use, ensure that it’s no hotter than 80°C. You can also switch the water for milk (or dairy alternative) to create a frothy matcha. Try adding other powders or flavourings. If you have those syrups you can use to create coffee flavours (e.g., pumpkin spice), then you could use those as well.

Why Adagio Teas?

I really enjoy some of Adagio’s teas. Their sweet blends are the best, particular Autumn Mist Green with those yummy crème brulee notes! This matcha is quite simple but it is a solid base for baking or more complex matcha latte recipes.

traditional matcha powder

As for the quality, Adagio don’t confirm what grade this matcha is. I hope it’s ceremonial but given the low price I imagine it may not be. We also don’t know where this matcha originated from. Most matcha is from Japan or China. I suspect this matcha comes from one of these countries too.

Matcha tea isn’t the same as just powdered green tea. The tea plants need to be shade grown to create that delicious matcha flavour.

Summary

Overall, this is a solid matcha tea that can be used in many different recipes, to both drink and bake with. I will definitely be keeping a stash with me for on-the-go matcha emergencies! You can find this tea on Adagio Teas’ official website. As far as I know, it’s not available to buy anywhere else. In that sense, it’s quite exclusive.

Tea Recommendation

I’ve thought long and hard about which tea I can recommend to you after this one, and I’ve settled on a Teakruthi tea. What I like about Teakruthi is that they source all their teas from their home country – Sri Lanka. If you ever want to find a great Sri Lankan tea blend, Teakruthi are there for you. Check out Teakruthi Mythical Green Tea next.

Isobel Moore

Isobel Moore is a quiet, quirky and creative “human bean” whose favourite pastime is curling up with a cuppa and a good book.

Over the past 5 years, her tea reviews at Immortal Wordsmith have helped thousands of readers choose vibrant tea blends and single origin selections from fine, organic, and responsible tea companies.

As a professional content writer with a qualification in digital marketing, Isobel has worked with market-leading tea brands around the globe to develop their content marketing campaigns and gain exposure. Her professional portfolio can be found on Upwork.

Besides a deep-rooted passion for tea, Isobel writes on topics ranging from food and travel to wellness and literature.

Favourite Quote: “Manuscripts don’t burn” – Mikhail Bulgakov

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