- Premium Select Matcha

Premium Select Matcha is Ippodo's limited blend of high-class matcha harvests from Kyoto. This year’s release has an accessible round character, blossoming butter-like umami, and almost no astringency.

View Premium Select Matcha

Like other top ranking Ippodo matchas Kanza and Kuon, Premium Select Matcha has depth, with strong umami and sweetness. However, each year this matcha’s nuances are unique, as a result of the changing growing conditions in Kyoto. The 2024 release stands out for its light, fresh aftertaste and easy-to-drink nature, on top of typical strong umami and sweetness. It leaves us feeling refreshened and invigorated, ready to take on the day.

Enjoyment Suggestions

This rare release is perhaps best enjoyed at teatime, when we can fully focus on its rich, complex character. Its refined taste pairs well with butter-rich pastries and other simple sweets. It is recommended prepared as both regular usucha and as the thick, powerful style, koicha.

Ippodo's premium select series

Though the flavour of our Premium Select Matcha blend changes with each release, other blends of a similar calibre, Kanza and Kuon, are sold throughout the year with a consistent character.
Comparing Premium Select Matcha 2024 with these other premium blends allows us to appreciate the nuanced complexities each possesses.

---

- Kanza

Taste: Lush, unwavering umami and a silky mouthfeel.
Aroma: Unequivocally powerful and clear. More deep than vibrant.

The Kanza blend is Ippodo’s highest-ranking matcha, and it is available throughout the year. Its taste is full of unwavering, fresh umami, and its character feels silky. Compared to Premium Select Matcha 2024, it features even more depth and sustain.

View Kanza

---

- Kuon

Taste: Elegant finish and refined crispness.
Aroma: A standout, soaring fragrance. Vibrant and sweet.

The Kuon blend ranks just below Kanza in the Ippodo regular matcha lineup. Its character is elegant; it tastes lively and crisp, while its sweet and bright fragrance is a highlight in every session. Compared to Premium Select Matcha 2024, it features an even more brilliant fragrance.

View Kuon