I have never been more grateful that I review teas a week in advance than today! It is currently Spring Bank Holiday Monday and the temperature is nearing 30°C – but I had the foresight to brew and photograph Twinings Cleanse Matcha hot last week when the weather was much cooler.
While this tea is quite likely very nice when it’s iced, it’s tradition here at Immortal Wordsmith to brew teas hot for review.
So, whatever temperature you like your tea, let’s dive into the flavour, ingredients and potential benefits of this tea in my full review.
Twinings Cleanse Matcha at a Glance
Izzy’s Rating
- Blend: Green tea and matcha with fennel seeds, lemon peel, and flavouring
- Flavour: Very pleasing contrast of lemony acidity and deep anise sweetness
I thoroughly enjoyed this tea. The flavour combination of lemon and fennel seeds is interesting and quite delicious. My only real complaint is that the green tea is lost.
Full Review – Twinings Matcha Teabags
- Type: Tagged square filter paper teabag
- Tea: Green tea, matcha
- Additives: Fennel seeds, dandelion root, lemon peel, manganese, natural lemon flavouring, other natural flavouring
- Flavour Notes: Mellow, lemon, acidic brightness, aniseed sweetness
- Aroma: Grassy green tea, lemon, anise, spice
- Milk or Lemon: Lemon, if desired
- Where to Buy: Twinings Official Tea Store or Amazon UK
The aroma from the teabag is a good start. The green tea notes are grassy and fresh, the lemon is present but a tad dull, and there’s a touch of anise spice too – it’s more like star anise than fennel, however.
It brews fairly quickly into a dark orange-yellow tea shade. Pretty? Yes. Typical of green tea? Nope. I was expecting something that looks fresh and bright with green tones given the name of the blend and the packaging.
You’ll find the brewed tea smells totally different too – gone are those grassy green tea notes and instead it’s highly lemony with fennel seed anise sweetness.
That lack of greenness is reflected in the flavour. It’s mellow overall with some acidic brightness hitting the roof of your mouth on that first sip. Once that settles, the fennel seeds emerge with a deep anise flavour making up the base of the tea. It has a good sweetness, but I wouldn’t describe it as a sweet tea.
That contrast of bright lemon and earthy sweet fennel seeds is absolutely delicious. They are in perfect balance and bring out a soothing quality. The only issue? There’s absolutely no hint of matcha green tea.
How to Brew Matcha (in Teabags)
Matcha shouldn’t be in teabags. It’s made by whisking powdered tea leaves into water – so if you put matcha in a teabag to infuse and remove, can you even still call it matcha?
Regardless, treat Twinings Cleanse Matcha Tea like any green tea. Set your water temperature to 80°C and let the teabag steep in 200ml for two to three minutes. This method ensures you infuse all the flavour without turning the green tea bitter.
As there’s both lemony and sweet notes in this tea, you could add a slice of fresh lemon and honey. But that’s totally optional – you’ll find the tea has plenty of flavour without them.
Green tea contains caffeine, so don’t drink this tea late in the evening.
Why Buy Tea from Twinings?
Twinings are the quintessential British brand and they’re mostly known for their breakfast tea, everyday tea, and earl grey. While they have quite a large range of flavoured teas, green teas, and herbal blends, it’s not really their speciality… and that shows in Twinings Cleanse Matcha.
The green tea feels like an afterthought. You can see plenty of it in the teabag, but it doesn’t contribute to the flavour. I’d even go so far as to say the person who created this tea didn’t actually like green tea – it’s like they tried to make a tea with matcha for people who don’t like matcha.
The flavour, aroma, and even the preparation method are so far from matcha that I’m a little peeved that they’re allowed to write matcha on the packaging.
But let’s focus on the other ingredients for a moment:
- Lemon – there’s both dried lemon peel and lemon flavouring in this tea. The citrus adds to the cleansing theme.
- Fennel seeds – sweet and earthy, they just don’t feel cleansing to me. Interestingly, fennel is a key ingredient in Pukka Feel New (once known as Pukka Detox) so perhaps Twinings made this tea to compete.
- Dandelion root – rich and earthy, dandelion root is popular as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. I couldn’t detect those flavours in this tea, however.
- Manganese – Twinings estimate there’s 0.25mg (12.5% of your daily intake) in every 100ml of this tea, to “contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress”
None of these ingredients scream cleanse to me, so I’m afraid that’s simply a name picked by the marketing team. Nonetheless, Twinings are primarily using natural ingredients and natural flavourings, and the overall cup is well-balanced. It tastes good, and that’s what counts!
Summary
If you’d like to try Twinings Cleanse Matcha Tea, you can find it as part of their Superblends range in supermarkets, on Twinings’ official website, and on Amazon. I certainly recommend giving it a try if you are looking to sip something interesting this summer.
Tea Recommendation
Lemon and green tea is a classic combination, as is lemon and honey. But did you know you can put them all together? You can make fresh tea by brewing green teabags, adding a teaspoon of honey, and floating a slice of lemon in your cup. Alternatively, check out Fosters Lemon Honey Green Tea to see what I thought of this convenient alternative.
