Usucha Ryo no Kage

Ol******, 2025-05-04 07:48 JST, UKRAINE

I’ve been sampling Kanbayashi Shunsho’s entire usucha lineup for a while now, and I have to say Ryo no Kage sits in an odd spot. It’s marketed as a mid-intensity matcha, but honestly, if you’re not a total newbie, everything below Yuzuriha Mukashi feels… undrinkable. First off, the color. Instead of that vibrant green you expect from a decent usucha, this one leans toward a dull, yellowish hue. It’s like someone tried to stretch a good batch with lower-grade leaf. And the flavor? You sip it and think, “Is this really the best they can do?” There’s a reason you can always find Kanbayashi Shunsho’s lower tiers in stock: they simply don’t move. Compare that to Hekisuien’s offerings at the same price point and the difference is night and day. Hekisuien delivers a crisp, layered sweetness with real deep green color. Here, the experience feels one-dimensional. Now, to be fair, Kanbayashi Shunsho has a strong heritage. But for a company with such a storied history, I expected more consistency across grades. If their Ryo no Kage is any indication, they should seriously revisit their mid-range production. Because unless you’re just starting out and don’t notice the finer points yet, you’ll be left thinking, “I paid for what, exactly?” Perhaps they’ll take this as constructive feedback. I’d love to see them reclaim their reputation by sharpening that flavor profile and brightening up the color. Until then, I’ll stick with brands that match my growing taste. Hekisuien, I’m looking at you.

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An******, 2025-04-08 05:28 JST, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Ryo no Kage Matcha is truly exceptional. The quality is evident from the moment you open the package — a vibrant green color, fresh aroma, and a smooth, rich taste with no bitterness. It’s perfect for both traditional whisked matcha and lattes. I was also really impressed with the fast shipping; my order arrived quicker than expected and was carefully packaged. On top of that, the customer service was outstanding — friendly, responsive, and genuinely helpful. You can tell they care about both their product and their customers. I’ll definitely be ordering again!

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Ma******, 2025-01-30 16:42 JST, CANADA

as usucha, it is a little bit bitter and astringent (but not too unpleasantly so), nutty and a bit grassy. it's not very creamy but a rather more light and refreshing usucha. the color was not as vibrant as the other matchas that are higher up in their portfolio but it's still pretty green compared to a supermarket or amazon matcha at the same or even higher price. i enjoyed it quite a bit as a latte- the astringency almost disappears and the bitterness gets toned down a lot, and i found it to be even better with a bit of sweetener. it stands out pretty well against milk because of the slight bitterness without being too unpleasant. if you're a beginner and looking for an affordable matcha only for lattes, not for usucha, and don't mind a bit of bitterness, id say this one isn't bad and definitely worth a try.

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Vi******, 2024-10-24 05:24 JST, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I'm new to matcha, so I've been exploring matchas to see what notes are to my preferences. This made me realize that I am not the biggest fan of nutty matchas. I tasted it the most in the aftertaste, it reminded me of almond. When making this into a latte, I preferred a lesser concentration of the matcha with more milk and water so the nutty-ness wasn't too much for me. At a ratio with higher concentrations, I found it very astringent and bitter. While the lower concentration ratio cut down the astringency by a lot and gave it a more light, delicate flavor. If you like matchas with a nutty aftertaste, I'd recommend this.

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Cl******, 2024-09-29 12:50 JST, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Very astringent but it gets quite mild if done as latte

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In******, 2024-09-05 14:06 JST, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

First thing: I'm very much a matcha beginner. I drink it mostly for the effects, not the taste; but I'm exploring to figure out if there's a matcha I also *enjoy* drinking. This is... okay. It has a strong earthy note which, in my opinion, tends toward bitterness. Used in a latte (don't judge me :P), the earthiness stands out, when I would expect it to be muted by the milk. It's certainly still better than cheap supermarket matcha, and I'll finish the small tin I bought; but I won't buy this again.

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Al******, 2024-09-01 08:59 JST, AUSTRALIA

This matcha would probably be a good, affordable entry-level option for matcha beginners, but it doesn't fit my preferences. It definitely has that silky and fresh taste that was promised in the description. However, it has a very strong bitterness and astringency that reminds me of sucking almond nuts (which is probably the "nutty aftertaste"). No matter what temperature I make it with, it still turns out very bitter. It also doesn't froth like the other matcha products I've tried. Lastly, the colour is not as vibrant as other matches (MK, Ippodo, even Biwa no Shiro from the same brand).

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