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Icha tea is a Toronto matcha brand offering ceremonial-grade powder sourced exclusively from first-flush ichibancha leaves. Its matcha comes from four terroir-driven regions—Uji, Nishio, Kagoshima, and Shizuoka—and is traditionally stone-ground to preserve vibrant colour and umami.
Plants are shaded weeks before harvest using the Tana system to boost chlorophyll and amino acids; only the youngest hand-picked leaves are processed. The brand maintains direct partnerships with producers in Uji and Nishio, and its farms avoid pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.
Matcha SHINREI is a Uji, Kyoto matcha sold in a 50 g tin, built around a savory, forest-green profile rather than the light sweetness many drinkers expect from a ceremonial-style powder. Its name, Shinrei (森霊), means “spirit of the forest,” and the tea is described in those terms: a deep green character, a calm forest-like aroma, and a texture that stays creamy and smooth in the bowl.
How does Shinrei matcha taste compared with typical ceremonial matcha?
The defining difference is body. Shinrei carries a fuller umami weight than typical ceremonial matcha, layered rather than sweet, with a green character that reads fresh and grounding instead of sugary. The texture is rich and creamy, and the aroma lingers gently on the palate after the sip. If you find lighter, sweeter matcha thin or one-note, this leans in the other direction, toward savory depth. If you specifically want a delicate, candy-sweet bowl, this is not the profile to reach for.
What does Uji, Kyoto sourcing mean for this matcha?
Shinrei comes from Uji in Kyoto, the historic heart of Japanese matcha cultivation. Uji is the region most closely associated with matcha production in Japan, and it is the single provenance detail attached to this tea, so treat it as the origin marker rather than a stand-in for cultivar, harvest, or grade information.
Is Shinrei better whisked as usucha or koicha?
Both. Shinrei is balanced enough for usucha, the standard thin whisked bowl, and concentrated enough for koicha, the thicker preparation made with more powder and less water. Koicha in particular gives the creamy body and forest-green character room to show, while usucha keeps the aroma more open. Buyers who own a chasen (bamboo whisk) and want one tin that covers both styles will get more out of it than someone who only makes milk drinks.
What comes in the tin, at a glance
- Format: 50 g tin
- Origin: Uji, Kyoto
- Texture: rich, creamy, smooth
- Flavor: deep green and layered with lush umami, not lightly sweet
- Aroma: calm and forest-like, lingering
- Preparation: suited to both usucha and koicha
Shinrei is stocked by ICHA TEA in Toronto. Worth a look if you are shopping for an umami-forward Uji matcha for straight whisked bowls and want the flexibility to go thick as well as thin from the same 50 g tin.
Matcha SHINREI is a matcha from Uji, Kyoto (宇治, 京都), the historic heart of Japanese matcha cultivation.
Shinrei (森霊) means "spirit of the forest," a name that matches the tea's calm, forest-like aroma and deep green character.
The profile is rich, creamy and exceptionally smooth, with lush umami and a green character described as fresh and grounding, like a quiet forest after rain.
The aroma is calm and forest-like, and it lingers gently on the palate.
It carries a fuller umami body than typical ceremonial matcha.
Instead of the usual light sweetness, it leans toward a deeper green profile layered with umami.
Yes. It suits both usucha (thin matcha) and koicha (thick matcha) preparations, with the creamy body and forest-green character coming through in each bowl.
Matcha SHINREI comes as 50g in a tin.
Probably not the first choice. Rather than the usual light sweetness, this one is built around a deeper green profile and a fuller umami body, so it favors drinkers who want a stronger, more savory bowl.