Tim Hortons has entered the matcha game.
The coffee chain recently unveiled a new lineup of “handcrafted” iced and hot matcha beverages, made, according to the company, with “high quality, 100% pure and authentic matcha tea.”
A Tuesday press release from Tims goes further than that, describing a specific sourcing process: shade-grown green tea leaves that are picked, dried, and then double-ground into a fine powder, which is supposed to deliver what the company is calling a “signature matcha flavour” and “vibrant green colour.”
That’s a lot of specific language for a fast food matcha. So I drove over to my local Tims to try it for myself.
Once I got to the drive-thru, I noticed that the full new lineup includes a handful of different matcha drinks: the Original Iced Matcha Latte ($3.99, 210 calories), the Vanilla Iced Matcha Latte ($4.99, 320 calories), the Unsweetened Iced Matcha Latte ($3.99, 130 calories), the Matcha Latte ($3.99, 150 calories), and the Vanilla Matcha Latte ($4.49, 240 calories).
Tim Hortons’ new items.Tim Hortons
In order to get a fair sample of the variety, I ordered three items: a small hot Matcha Latte, an Unsweetened Iced Matcha Latte, and a Vanilla Iced Matcha Latte.
First off, all three drinks were ready in about 30 seconds. I’m no matcha expert, but for something described as handcrafted, that felt a little too fast. To be fair, they’re probably using a pre-blended solution rather than whisking it by hand.
Anyway, here’s how each one actually held up, scored out of 5 against what you’d get from a fancy coffee shop.
Hot Matcha Latte — 2.5/5
This one was weak. Watery, honestly, and it tasted mostly like warm milk with a faint green tea presence somewhere in the background.
The matcha flavour that was there wasn’t unpleasant, just underpowered. It also wasn’t overly sweet, which I appreciated, but I’d have taken a stronger, more concentrated shot of matcha over a milder, more diluted one.
With that said, I was happy to find real matcha grounds at the bottom of the cup when I was done.
Unsweetened Iced Matcha Latte — 3/5
Similar story here: a little watered down, with a flavour that reminded me of an iced matcha that had been sitting out for ten minutes before you got to it.
Not bad, exactly, just a bit flat. If you’re someone who already finds most matcha too intense, this one might actually work in your favour.
Vanilla Iced Matcha Latte — 3.5/5
This was the one I liked best, though “authentic matcha” isn’t really the vibe.
It’s very sweet, with an artificial sweetener taste that’s hard to miss, but the vanilla cold foam on top is a nice touch and does a lot of the heavy lifting here.
I’d drink this one again, though I’d probably file it under dessert rather than actual matcha.
The verdict
None of these drinks taste like what you’d get from a dedicated matcha bar, and the flavour across the board leans more diluted than bold. But it’s also worth keeping the price point in mind. At $3.99 to $4.99, and for a fast food chain putting out five new drinks at once, this isn’t a bad deal at all.
If you want a low-effort, affordable way to get matcha without committing to a $7 specialty drink, this lineup does the job. Just don’t expect the intensity a serious matcha drinker is used to.
