Mighty Leaf
Mighty Leaf presentation
Mighty Leaf Tea emerged from a shared passion that began over a simple pot of Chinese Oolong in 1996. Founders Gary Shinner and Jill Portman left behind careers in investment banking and architecture to pursue their dream, opening their first teahouse on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street. What started as a bold leap has evolved into a respected name in specialty whole leaf teas, including premium organic matcha sourced from Japan.
Artisan Craftsmanship Meets Japanese Tradition
The brand’s dedication to whole leaf tea sets it apart in an industry dominated by dust and fannings. Each tea undergoes careful selection from renowned growing regions worldwide. Their organic matcha from Japan represents this commitment to quality—vibrant, authentic, and crafted for tea enthusiasts who appreciate the difference between ordinary and exceptional.
Mighty Leaf’s innovative handcrafted tea pouches aren’t just packaging. These specially designed infusers allow whole leaves to fully expand and release their complete flavor profile, ensuring every cup delivers the rich, nuanced experience the tea was meant to provide.
Recognition and Growth
The brand’s excellence hasn’t gone unnoticed. Tasting Table ranked Mighty Leaf second place among green tea brands, while their Tea & Company line earned multiple awards at the 2017 World Tea Championships. In 2014, Peet’s Coffee & Tea acquired the company, providing resources to expand while maintaining the founders’ original vision of globally sourcing the finest ingredients available.
What Makes Their Matcha Different
- Certified organic matcha powder from premium Japanese tea gardens
- Available in convenient single-serve packets and larger quantities
- Suitable for traditional whisking or modern latte preparations
- Part of a broader wellness-focused tea collection
A Philosophy of Quality Over Compromise
From their San Francisco roots to their current Emeryville headquarters, Mighty Leaf maintains the same principle that guided Shinner and Portman from the beginning: never compromise on ingredients. Their organic matcha embodies this philosophy—no fillers, no shortcuts, just pure ceremonial-grade tea that honors Japanese tea-making traditions.
For matcha enthusiasts seeking authentic flavor and verified organic certification, Mighty Leaf offers the reliability of an established brand combined with the artisan attention to detail that defined their founding. Whether you’re preparing a traditional bowl or crafting a modern matcha latte, their Japanese-sourced powder delivers consistent quality that respects both tradition and contemporary tea culture.
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Matcha produced by Mighty Leaf
Mighty Leaf offers Organic Matcha Tea sourced from premium Japanese tea gardens, crafted from carefully selected Gyokuro (shade-grown) leaves. This ceremonial grade matcha delivers a distinctive flavor profile featuring delicate almond notes, rich umami depth, and smooth vegetal characteristics without harshness.
Product Specifications
The Organic Matcha is priced at approximately $32 for 2 ounces, positioning it competitively within the premium ceremonial matcha market. The powder exhibits the vibrant emerald color characteristic of high-quality matcha, achieved through the traditional shade-growing process that increases chlorophyll content and enhances the natural sweetness through elevated L-theanine levels.
Traditional Preparation
Mighty Leaf’s ceremonial grade matcha is specifically designed for the Japanese tea ceremony (Chado), where it can be whisked into a frothy, emerald beverage. The preparation process becomes a meditative practice emphasizing harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility – core principles of traditional tea ceremony.
The matcha’s flavor symphony includes subtle nuttiness reminiscent of delicate almond, complemented by savory umami depth similar to fine seaweed or dashi. This creates a smooth, vegetal experience that is subtly sweet and completely devoid of the bitterness often found in lower-grade matcha powders.
History of Mighty Leaf
Mighty Leaf Tea emerged from the vision of Gary Shinner and Jill Portman in 1996, who sought to redefine the tea experience through artfully blended whole leaf teas. Their journey began with Tea & Company, a boutique tea house in San Francisco, which continues to serve as their ultra-premium line gracing the finest hotels and resorts worldwide.
The company’s revolutionary approach centered on whole leaf teas, a bold departure from competitors who relied on fannings and dust. This commitment to quality led to their signature innovation: iconic silken tea pouches that preserved the integrity of their carefully selected leaves.
Their matcha represents the pinnacle of Japanese tea craftsmanship, sourced from the renowned regions of Kagoshima and Shizuoka. The leaves undergo traditional gyokuro cultivation, where plants are shade-grown for approximately three weeks before harvest. This ancient technique boosts chlorophyll levels and L-theanine content, creating the characteristic vibrant green color and smooth, umami-rich flavor profile.
The transformation from leaf to powder follows time-honored methods: careful steaming to halt oxidation, precise drying into tencha, and slow stone-milling using traditional granite mills. This meticulous process preserves the delicate flavor compounds and aromatic qualities that define ceremonial-grade matcha.
Mighty Leaf’s matcha embodies the principles of Chado (the Japanese tea ceremony), designed for whisking into the frothy, emerald elixir central to this meditative ritual. The resulting cup delivers subtle almond notes, rich umami depth, and a smooth, vegetal character without harshness.
3 events from Mighty Leaf's history
January 1996
Company Foundation
Gary Shinner and Jill Portman founded Mighty Leaf Tea in San Francisco with a vision to redefine the tea experience through artfully blended whole leaf teas, starting with their boutique Tea & Company tea house.
January 1996
Whole Leaf Tea Innovation
Mighty Leaf made the bold decision to focus exclusively on whole leaf teas rather than fannings and dust used by competitors, establishing their commitment to quality and introducing their signature silken tea pouches.
August 2014
Peet's Coffee Acquisition
Peet’s Coffee & Tea acquired Mighty Leaf, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth while maintaining their dedication to premium whole leaf teas and artisanal blending practices.
Gallery and medias
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Frequent questions
Find below some answers to the most common questions about Mighty Leaf.
What makes Mighty Leaf's $32/2oz ceremonial matcha different from their Tea & Company ultra-premium line?
Mighty Leaf’s ceremonial grade matcha at $32 for 2 ounces represents their standard premium offering, sourced from Gyokuro (shade-grown) leaves in Kagoshima and Shizuoka, Japan. Their Tea & Company line is their ultra-premium collection that graces the finest hotels and resorts worldwide, featuring more exclusive blends and packaging.
The ceremonial matcha focuses specifically on traditional Chado (Japanese tea ceremony) preparation with its characteristic almond notes and rich umami flavor. The Tea & Company line encompasses their most luxurious tea offerings across various categories, not exclusively matcha.
How does Mighty Leaf's Gyokuro-based matcha compare to competitors like Jade Leaf and Rishi Tea?
Mighty Leaf’s matcha stands out with its specific Gyokuro leaf base from Kagoshima and Shizuoka, creating a distinctive flavor profile:
- Mighty Leaf: Almond and umami notes, vegetal, smooth – $32/2oz
- Jade Leaf: Slightly bitter, grassy from Uji & Kagoshima – $20/1oz
- Rishi Tea: Sweet, vegetal, marine notes from various Japanese regions – $25/1oz
The Gyokuro shading process for three weeks pre-harvest gives Mighty Leaf’s matcha higher chlorophyll and L-theanine levels, resulting in that signature sweeter, less sharp flavor and vibrant green color.
Why does Mighty Leaf use granite stone mills for their matcha processing?
Mighty Leaf employs traditional granite stone mills to transform tencha (dried tea leaves) into their ceremonial matcha powder. While they keep their specific granite source confidential, these stones are prized for their exceptional hardness and ability to create consistently fine powder.
The slow, deliberate grinding process minimizes heat generation that could damage the matcha’s delicate flavor compounds and aromatic oils. This glacial pace preserves the almond notes and rich umami that define Mighty Leaf’s matcha profile, ensuring each batch maintains the quality standards established since their 1996 founding in San Francisco.
Should I be concerned about microplastics in Mighty Leaf's silken tea pouches?
Mighty Leaf’s signature silken tea pouches have been their innovative packaging since the company’s early days, but their current material composition isn’t publicly specified. Recent studies in Environmental Science & Technology showed that some plastic tea bags can release billions of microplastic particles into hot water.
For their ceremonial matcha specifically, this concern is less relevant since matcha powder is typically sold in traditional containers rather than individual pouches. However, if you’re using other Mighty Leaf products in their silken pouches, contact them directly to confirm whether they’ve transitioned to plastic-free materials like paper or plant-based alternatives, as many premium tea brands have done recently.
How do I properly prepare Mighty Leaf's ceremonial matcha for traditional Chado practice?
Mighty Leaf’s ceremonial grade matcha is specifically designed for Chado (Japanese tea ceremony), embodying the principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. The preparation becomes a moving meditation.
Whisk the fine powder from their Kagoshima and Shizuoka Gyokuro leaves into hot water (around 175°F) until you achieve a frothy, emerald-colored tea. The shade-growing process that creates their matcha’s high L-theanine content makes this perfect for the contemplative aspects of traditional tea ceremony.
The resulting flavor profile features delicate almond notes and rich umami depth, smooth and vegetal without harshness – exactly what’s needed for the meditative focus that Chado requires.
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