Reserve Matcha
Reserve Matcha
Reserve Matcha is our most exceptional matcha — a first-harvest, ultra-premium selection made for those who want to understand what matcha is fully capable of.
The flavour is extraordinary: profound natural sweetness, deep layered umami, an ultra-silky texture, and a long, complex finish that reveals itself as you drink. This is not an everyday matcha. It is a deliberate experience — best prepared simply, with warm water, in full attention to what is in the cup.
Taste profile
Profound natural sweetness · Deepest umami · Ultra-silky texture · Negligible bitterness · Long, complex finish
What sets it apart:
- First harvest, ultra-premium leaf selection — the most flavour-dense leaves of the year
- Shade-grown to the highest standard: maximum chlorophyll, L-theanine, and umami depth
- Stone-ground for a texture so fine it dissolves before the whisk stops moving
- Vivid, luminous green — the most intense colour in our entire range
- Unmatched flavour complexity: sweetness, umami, and a clean, lingering finish
The pinnacle of the My Infusa range. The most complete expression of what matcha can be.
Produced in small batches and available in limited quantity — availability cannot be guaranteed year-round.
Complete your ritual
What Is Reserve Matcha?
Reserve Matcha is the highest tier in the My Infusa range — an ultra-premium, first-harvest matcha made from the finest leaves of the earliest spring harvest.
Every year, the first flush of young tea leaves emerges at the peak of the growing season: tender, nutrient-dense, and carrying the full concentration of everything the plant has produced over winter. These first-harvest leaves — known in Japan as ichibancha — are the most prized in the entire annual yield. They are the most flavourful, the most aromatic, the smoothest, and the most complex. They are what Reserve Matcha is made from.
Below it in the My Infusa range is Ceremonial Matcha, which is the traditional standard for pure matcha preparation, and Daily Grade Matcha, which is designed for lattes and everyday drinking. Reserve sits above both — not just in grade, but in what it asks of you. It rewards attention, proper preparation, and the kind of quiet ritual that lets the matcha speak for itself.
If you already know ceremonial matcha and want to understand how much further it can go, this is the answer.
What Makes Reserve Matcha Different
Reserve Matcha is the product of several overlapping quality decisions — none of which are complicated, but all of which matter significantly to the result in the cup.
First Harvest Leaves
Tea plants rest over winter and produce their first new growth in early spring. This first flush is categorically different from what follows later in the season.
The young leaves that emerge in the first harvest are smaller, thinner, and more concentrated in the compounds that define great matcha — L-theanine, chlorophyll, and the specific amino acids responsible for umami depth and natural sweetness. They have had no opportunity to toughen or accumulate the tannins that contribute to bitterness in more mature leaves.
Later harvests produce larger, more sun-exposed leaves with a higher tannin content and a less refined flavour profile. They have their place — but first-harvest leaves are the pinnacle. Reserve Matcha uses only these.
Extended Shade Growing
Like all quality matcha, Reserve Matcha leaves are shaded from direct sunlight for the weeks before harvest. Shading triggers the plant to produce more chlorophyll — which deepens the vivid green colour and concentrates the compounds that make the flavour smooth and sweet — and significantly more L-theanine, the amino acid responsible for matcha's quality of calm, focused energy and its distinctive umami depth.
The difference in the cup between shaded and unshaded tea is not subtle. Shading is the reason good matcha tastes nothing like ordinary green tea, and it is the reason Reserve Matcha's flavour profile is as layered as it is.
Careful Leaf Selection
At harvest, only the youngest and most tender leaves are selected. The stems and veins are removed, leaving pure leaf flesh — called tencha — as the base material for grinding. This is true of ceremonial grade matcha generally, but the selection criteria for Reserve are more stringent: the leaves that go into this tin are chosen for exceptional quality, not merely adequate quality.
Traditional Stone Grinding
Reserve Matcha is ground using traditional granite stone mills at a slow, low-temperature pace. Each mill produces only 30–40 grams of matcha per hour. The slowness is not inefficiency — it is precision. Grinding faster generates heat, and heat degrades the volatile aromatic compounds that carry the most delicate aspects of a first-harvest leaf's flavour.
The result is a powder of extraordinary fineness: it dissolves almost on contact with water, coats the palate in a way that coarser powders cannot, and produces a froth that is tight, even, and stable.
What Does Reserve Matcha Taste Like?
Reserve Matcha has the most complex and refined flavour in the My Infusa range. It is not simply "stronger" than Ceremonial Matcha — it is more layered, more developed, and more rewarding the more attention you give it.
The first impression is profound sweetness — not added, not artificial, but the natural sweetness of a leaf grown under the right conditions at exactly the right time. This is followed by a deep, full-bodied umami: smooth and round, the kind that coats the palate rather than hitting it. There is no bitterness. The finish is long, clean, and gradually sweet — it does not disappear quickly. You notice it several sips in.
This level of complexity is best experienced when the matcha is prepared simply, with warm water only. Milk does not compete with it — Reserve Matcha in a latte is genuinely exceptional — but the most revealing way to taste it is without anything else in the bowl.
Flavour profile:
| Characteristic | Profile |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | Very high — profound natural sweetness, present from first sip |
| Umami | Very high — deep, round, full-bodied |
| Bitterness | Negligible — essentially absent |
| Creaminess | Very high — ultra-silky, coats the palate |
| Vegetal notes | Refined and complex — layered, not sharp |
| Finish | Long, clean, and gradually sweet |
| Complexity | The highest in our range — develops over several sips |
How Reserve Matcha Compares
My Infusa offers three matcha tiers. Here is how Reserve sits within the full range.
| Daily Grade Matcha | Ceremonial Matcha | Reserve Matcha | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Lattes, iced drinks, everyday use | Traditional preparation, pure drinking | The finest ritual, the deepest experience |
| Harvest | Premium drinking grade | Spring harvest, ceremonial selection | First harvest, ultra-premium selection |
| Flavour | Smooth, balanced, approachable | Rich, refined, complex umami | Ultra-refined, deepest complexity |
| Bitterness | Low | Very low | Negligible |
| Beginner-friendly | Yes — ideal starting point | Yes, better once you know matcha | Best experienced once you know matcha |
| With milk | Excellent | Excellent | Exceptional |
| Straight with water | Good | Outstanding | Outstanding — the definitive way |
| Grade | Premium drinking | Ceremonial | Ultra-premium first harvest |
The honest framing: if you are new to matcha, start with Daily Grade Matcha and build from there. Reserve Matcha gives you the most back when you already know what you are looking for — when you have tasted ceremonial grade and want to understand what is still possible beyond it.
How to Prepare Reserve Matcha
Reserve Matcha deserves the same care and tools you would bring to any premium ingredient. The preparation is simple — but here, the details make more difference than with any other grade.
What you'll need:
- Reserve Matcha powder
- A bamboo matcha whisk (chasen) — the 100-prong chasen creates the fine, even froth this matcha deserves
- A wide ceramic bowl — the wider base makes whisking easier and produces a more even froth
- A bamboo scoop (chashaku) for consistent measuring
- Water at 70–80°C — temperature matters significantly here
The Japanese Matcha Tea Set includes whisk, scoop, ceramic bowl, and whisk stand in one complete kit — everything needed to prepare Reserve Matcha properly from the first cup.
Traditional Whisked Matcha (Usucha)
This is the preparation that reveals everything Reserve Matcha offers. No additions, no distractions — just the matcha and the water.
- Warm your ceramic bowl with a small amount of hot water, then discard — this prevents the bowl from drawing heat away from the matcha
- Sift approximately 1.5–2g (one level bamboo scoop) of Reserve Matcha into the bowl — sifting avoids clumps and ensures even dissolution
- Add 70–80ml of water at 70–80°C — not boiling
- Whisk briskly in a "W" or "M" motion for 20–30 seconds, keeping the whisk near the surface to build a fine, even froth
- When a consistent foam covers the surface, stop — and drink immediately while the froth is intact
Why not boiling water? Above 85°C, water begins to break down the volatile aromatic compounds and L-theanine that make Reserve Matcha what it is — flattening the flavour and introducing unnecessary harshness. The first-harvest leaves that go into Reserve are especially sensitive to this. Cooler water is not a preference; it is the correct temperature for the leaf.
Thick Matcha (Koicha)
Koicha — thick tea — is the most concentrated expression of ceremonial matcha: twice the powder, half the water, no froth. A rich, syrupy consistency that delivers the full depth of Reserve Matcha in its most intense form. This is the traditional preparation for first-flush, highest-grade matcha in formal Japanese tea ceremony.
- Measure approximately 3–4g of Reserve Matcha into a warmed bowl
- Add 30–40ml of water at 70–80°C
- Rather than whisking for froth, knead the matcha slowly in a smooth, folding motion until it becomes thick, glossy, and fully incorporated
- Drink in slow, measured sips — the flavour is concentrated and deserves attention
Koicha prepared with Reserve Matcha is a genuinely different experience from anything else in the range — or from most matcha available anywhere. The depth of sweetness and umami in this preparation is where first-harvest quality becomes unmistakably apparent.
Reserve Matcha Latte
Reserve Matcha holds its character even with milk — the umami depth and sweetness come through in a way that a lighter-grade matcha cannot match. The result is a more complex, more rewarding latte.
- Measure 1.5–2g of Reserve Matcha into a bowl
- Add 2–3 tablespoons of water at 70–80°C
- Whisk until smooth and lightly frothy
- Warm your milk of choice gently — do not boil
- Pour the warm milk slowly over the whisked matcha and drink
Oat milk is the most natural pairing — its subtle sweetness and creamy body complement the deep umami of Reserve without competing with it. That said, full-fat dairy also works exceptionally well here, producing a particularly rich and indulgent result.
Why First Harvest Matcha Costs More
Reserve Matcha sits at a higher price point than Ceremonial Matcha, and the reason is straightforward: first-harvest leaves are rarer, more labour-intensive to produce, and more valuable — in the cup — than the leaves that follow later in the season.
The first flush is a finite window. It arrives once per year. The window for harvesting these leaves at peak quality is narrow, the selection criteria are stricter, and the quantity of tea that meets the standard is smaller. This scarcity is real, not manufactured — it reflects the actual supply of exceptional first-harvest tencha that can be stone-ground to this standard.
Reserve Matcha is produced in small batches — the yield from a single first-harvest season is finite, and once it is gone it cannot be restocked until the following year. This is not a marketing device. It is simply the reality of producing matcha at this level: you cannot rush the growing season, you cannot harvest the same leaves twice, and the quantity of first-flush tencha that meets the standard for Reserve is inherently limited. Availability cannot be guaranteed year-round.
Beyond scarcity, there is the question of what you get in exchange. Reserve Matcha is the most complete expression of what the tea plant is capable of producing — the flavour cannot be replicated at a lower price point because it requires exactly this combination of leaf, timing, and production method. You are not paying for a label. You are paying for the result of doing everything correctly with the best possible starting material.
If your primary use is lattes or iced drinks and you are not looking for the ceremonial experience, Daily Grade Matcha is the more appropriate choice — and it is excellent. Reserve is for the moments when the matcha itself is the point.
Reserve Matcha and Caffeine
All matcha naturally contains caffeine, and first-harvest shade-grown leaves like those used in Reserve Matcha tend to be on the higher end of the caffeine range — owing to the elevated L-theanine content that shading and first-harvest quality produce.
Matcha's caffeine works differently from coffee. The presence of L-theanine moderates how the caffeine acts: rather than a sharp spike followed by a crash, the result is sustained, calm alertness — clear focus without anxiety. This quality is often more pronounced in ceremonial and reserve-grade matchas, precisely because the L-theanine concentration is higher.
What's naturally in Reserve Matcha per 2g serving:
- Caffeine — approximately 35–50mg (less than an espresso, gentler in effect)
- L-theanine — higher concentration than lower grades; works alongside caffeine for calm focus
- EGCG — one of the most studied antioxidant catechins in green tea
- Chlorophyll — responsible for the vivid, luminous green colour
For those who find coffee useful but dislike the jitters or afternoon crash, first-harvest ceremonial matcha is often the most effective alternative — the L-theanine:caffeine ratio is at its highest in leaves of this quality.
Is Reserve Matcha Right for You?
Reserve Matcha is not the right starting point for everyone — and that is not a flaw in the product, it is honesty about what it is.
If you are new to matcha and curious about trying it for the first time, Daily Grade Matcha is the place to start. It is forgiving, versatile, and genuinely good — the right product for building a matcha habit. Ceremonial Matcha is the natural next step: the traditional standard, best drunk plain, excellent in lattes.
Reserve is for those who already have a relationship with matcha — who know what ceremonial grade tastes like and want to understand what is still possible above it. It is also for those who want a very specific kind of daily ritual: not the fastest or most convenient preparation, but the one that asks for full attention and returns something extraordinary.
It is, finally, an exceptional gift for someone who takes their matcha seriously — and because it is produced in limited quantities and not guaranteed to be available year-round, it is worth having when it is in stock.
Build Your Matcha Ritual
The right tools make a meaningful difference at every grade — and at Reserve level, that difference is most apparent.
A bamboo matcha whisk is not optional for this preparation. The 100 fine prongs create a froth that no blender or handheld frother can replicate: even, stable, and fine enough to let the flavour of the matcha come forward without interference. It is also the correct tool for koicha — the slow kneading motion that produces thick tea requires a chasen that won't drag or clump.
A bamboo scoop makes measuring consistent and keeps handling minimal — Reserve Matcha should not be touched or compacted unnecessarily, as the ultra-fine powder is sensitive to moisture and pressure.
The Japanese Matcha Tea Set — whisk, scoop, ceramic bowl, and whisk stand — is the complete setup for preparing Reserve Matcha properly. The whisk stand is particularly worth having here: it keeps the chasen in correct shape between uses, preserving the fine prongs that produce the froth Reserve Matcha deserves.
Reserve Matcha rewards slowing down. The ritual of measuring, whisking, watching the froth form, and drinking something this carefully made — that sequence is part of the experience, not just the delivery mechanism for it. It is worth taking the five minutes.