We Tried it: Tim Hortons’ New Iced Matcha Lattes
We may be living in Peak Matcha Times: nearly every café and fast-food franchise has released a riff on the green tea this summer, from strawberry foam-topped lattes to Beavertails (yes, really).
Even Tim Hortons is bringing matcha to its menu with three new lattes: Original, Unsweetened and Vanilla Cold Foam, served both iced and hot. (Editor’s note: Our local Tims was only serving the iced matchas, so we were unable to try the hot versions.) Tims’ matcha powder, according to a press release announcing the launch of the drinks, is made from a "high quality grade of shade-grown green tea leaves which are picked, dried and then double ground into a fine powder."
Team Chatelaine got to tasting to find out if Canada’s coffee giant could hold its own in the matcha game. A few sips (and a few powdery mouths) later, here’s how they ranked.
3. Original Iced Matcha Latte
Unfortunately, the barista at our Tim Hortons location either forgot the sweetener in this drink—or we just discovered the world’s most underwhelming Original.
At 31 grams of sugar, we certainly didn't taste any—but maybe that’s because we never actually got the drink to begin with? You’ll have to try to let us know.
2. Vanilla Cold Foam Iced Matcha Latte
This one is for those with a sweet tooth.
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On first sip, the sugary marshmallow fluff-tasting cold foam completely steals the spotlight. The earthy green tea latte only makes an appearance in the aftertaste, making this more like a vanilla milk drink with a whisper of matcha than a traditional café latte. It’s also the priciest of the bunch at $4.29 for the smallest size, so if you're hoping for those bold, grassy notes, you may leave a little disappointed.
1. Unsweetened Iced Matcha Latte
The surprise winner: this one actually tastes like matcha.
The vibrant green colour looked the most authentic of the bunch, and unlike the vanilla version, the matcha flavour wasn't camouflaged by sweetness.
But it wasn't without its flaws: some of the powder settled stubbornly at the bottom of the cup (seriously, ask for a stir stick), leaving the last few sips grainy and dare we say, a little acid reflux-inducing.
Our biggest nitpick?
Matcha might be a tricky fit for the Tim Hortons pace. Matcha drinks are typically whisked carefully to fully incorporate the powder, and adding a finicky drink to the menu is quite honestly the last thing our time-strapped Tim Hortons baristas need. The wait for these drinks was significant. That said, we ordered them on the first day they were available, so there was likely was a learning curve on the preparation.
Still, at $3.99 for a medium size, it's one of the more affordable matcha lattes you'll find—and one we’d cautiously order again.
Want more Tims' reviews? Here's what we thought of the new protein bagel and Poppin’ Frozen Quenchers.
Sarah Bauly is the assistant editor at Chatelaine. Outside of writing, she can often be found getting lost in her favourite ’80s hits, lingering in bookshops or exploring the city in search of her next go-to coffee spot.
