Shikibu no Mukashi

Today, I'll be trying the Shikibu no Mukashi blend from Yamamasa Koyamaen.. When you open the tin, the powder has a sweet, strong aroma with some fresh vegetal notes and a strong umami scent.. The color is a deep, vivid green, which shows the high quality of the powder.. When whisked, it frothed beautifully, creating a soft, creamy layer that held together very well.. It made the perfect microphone.. In my usual oat milk latte, the flavor carried a deep, lingering umami and some subtle toasty notes.. It's not naturally sweet, but there's absolutely no bitterness or any astringency.. It has a very well-balanced taste.. Overall, I'd give this a 3.5 out of 5.. This is perfect for those who love umami flavors in their matcha drinks.

Number 4 is Yamamasa Koyamaen's Shiki-bu no Mukashi. I was extremely lucky to have this 150 gram tin of it. It's heavier on the umami side, I would say like medium to medium high. It's not that creamy, but the savory, seaweedy notes are amazing.

I particularly have high hopes for this matcha. Upon opening the foil packaging, I was greeted with a sweet and vegetal aroma. I was not expecting it to be sweet scented. As an usucha, it was a deliciously rich umami, more refined than ogurayama, subtly sweet, and also creamy and smooth. I like it more as a warm usucha rather than an iced usucha because it feels like a comforting soup on a rainy day. The umami notes definitely lingered but did not overstay. Lastly, it was not astringent at all. As a latte, I felt like the umami isn’t as strong as I hoped it would be, so I adjusted the ratio and decreased the milk and syrup. In this area, ogurayma is the better option. Seeing that Shikibu lived up to my expectations, I welcomed it with open arms to my hall of favorites.