Nippon Matcha’s Vol. 1 matcha is single-origin, from first-harvest organic tea leaves grown in Uji, Japan. The color of this powder is decently green. Upon opening the tin I was pleasantly surprised by the scent of dark chocolate. The aroma was sweet with slight fruity and earthy notes. In an usucha, there was prominent and lingering bitterness and astringency, as well as strong grassy and umami notes. The lingering bitterness was a bit much for my personal preference. I found the latte to balance out a lot of the bitterness and astringency, so it was left with a pleasant creamy, vegetal, reminiscent of beans or asparagus, slightly floral, and umami taste. I haven’t tasted a matcha like this, so deciphering the flavor notes was quite enjoyable. While I don’t see myself reaching for this matcha to make usuchas very often, I enjoyed it in a latte. I recommend this matcha to beginners or those who enjoy vegetal, umami matcha powders with prominent bitterness and astringency. I find this to be a very reasonable price for the quality of matcha powder.