Why We Love Our ZenMatcha Shogun Grade Tea

We’re often asked about the differences between our organic Shogun grade matcha and the other matcha grades we offer. To answer this question, and provide more insight so you can make the best matcha purchase to fit your needs, we’ve enlisted the help of our CEO and Tea Meister to explain why he loves our ZenMatcha Shogun grade so much.

A Note from Our Tea Meister

The question has been asked… how, and just as importantly, why do I drink our ZenMatcha Shogun grade matcha tea?

There are many reasons to savor a bowl, but first, let’s take a look at the quality of this extraordinary tea.

Shogun Quality Starts With Our Growers

The ZenMatcha Shogun grade tea is high-grade organic matcha from our grower in Kyoto, Japan. Although Nishio and Kyoto prefectures are both renowned for growing and producing the highest grades of Japanese matcha, Kyoto gets the nod for the best soil and growing conditions resulting in the sweetest and finest leaves. Only a small percentage of the leaves grown qualify to be in our Shogun Grade. Of course, ZenMatcha specifies a long time grinding under the wheel, which results in an extremely fine grind that is readily incorporated into your tea.

Subtle Yet Distinct Flavors Make It an Unhurried Treat

The Shogun grade leaves have a signature sweetness and the taste is pure, floral, soft on the palate, with just a hint of umami. This is a tea with subtle but distinct layers of flavor, and is best prepared with water (please, no hotter than about 145 degrees F to preserve the flavonoids and healthy organic compounds).

Sold only in 30-gram tins, this is definitely our most expensive tea. Some of our customers do indeed drink this as a daily cup, but for most of us, the Shogun Grade is something to be sipped when we have time to truly appreciate the complexity and nuance of flavors. For me, that means that I often enjoy a cup on an unhurried weekend morning. Whether winter warming our feet in front of the fireplace or summer sitting on the deck smelling the early morning fragrances of the garden, life just feels better enjoying a bowl of ZenMatcha Shogun. How wonderful to gently wrap our hands around a warm bowl of ZenMatcha Shogun and taste the goodness as it feeds our souls.

The Perfect Matcha Grade For Your Travels

When I travel, I always take my ZenMatcha Travel Kit with a tin of Shogun to start my days. Why? Because I can always find a source of good hot water, it’s easy to mix, it’s a tasty treat, and no matter where I am or what I’m doing, the first sip always gently leads me smiling back to the center.

ZenMatcha is proud to offer four grades of matcha tea. Each grade has its own unique flavors and applications. Starting with our Mixing Grade, next to our Artisan Grade, then on to our Premium Grade, and ultimately our Shogun Grade, each offering presents a unique blend of the best of Japanese matcha. There is a relationship between the strength of the umami flavor and the refinement of flavor on the palate. The higher the grade, the less umami, and the more complexity.

For me, the Shogun Grade is a sip of heaven in a bowl.