Alfort's Rich Uji Matcha review: Is so delicious that even 12 pieces aren't enough!
INTRODUCTION
Oh my goodness…! This really, truly surprised me.
To be completely honest, matcha-flavored snacks are not exactly rare anymore, right? At convenience stores, at supermarkets, everywhere you look, it is matcha, matcha, matcha. Lately, I had started picking things up with that slightly skeptical feeling of, “Oh, matcha again.”
But this Alfort Mini Chocolate Rich Matcha completely smashed that tilted little preconception of mine the moment I opened the package.
“Before it even enters your mouth, it is matcha. Once it enters your mouth, it is matcha. Even after you finish eating it, it is still matcha. What is this?”
I learned a truly outrageous fact.
This Alfort Rich Matcha is exactly that: a deep matcha impact.
Apparently, we have reached an era where you can buy something at a convenience store that feels almost like drinking matcha, except it is a chocolate biscuit snack you eat. Bourbon’s official product page describes it as a rich matcha chocolate made with two kinds of Uji matcha, paired with a matcha biscuit containing whole wheat flour and tea leaves. Their 2024 launch announcement also notes that the chocolate uses first-picked Uji matcha from Kyoto Prefecture.
This series is so well known that it starts trending on social media every time a new version appears, and this time the product name itself includes the words “Rich Matcha.” That alone tells you they came prepared. And yes, the actual performance was absolutely not ordinary.
This is the matcha monster.
Packaging
The moment I pick up the box, it already starts talking to me.
The package design, built around a deep and serious green, does not have that light, playful energy of “Look! Matcha! Cute, right?” Instead, it carries itself with a calm and elegant presence. It is immediately obvious that this is aimed at adults who genuinely love matcha.
The words “Rich Matcha” are placed boldly and confidently on the front, and just seeing them raises my expectations. The word “Rich” alone shines in gold, and it almost feels as if the package is overflowing with confidence. The use of Uji matcha also adds another layer of appeal. Uji matcha is widely known as one of Japan’s most respected matcha styles, valued for its deep aroma, balanced bitterness, and refined umami. Just seeing that name attached to this product already creates the feeling that this is not meant to be a casual, shallow matcha snack, but something aiming for a more serious and satisfying matcha experience.
It comes in a mini format with 12 pieces, all packed together inside the box rather than individually wrapped. That size feels just right both for carrying around and for snack time. It is built in a very dangerous way, the kind where you think, “I will just have one… maybe two…” during work, and then suddenly several are gone.
Now we get to the main point.
The moment I opened the box, the aroma drifting out made me say, “Wait—what?” out loud. The fresh, vivid, richly green aroma of Uji matcha floated gently into my nose. It was one of those moments where your instincts immediately tell you, “This is not like other matcha snacks.” There are actually not that many snacks where the aroma alone already tells you it is serious.
This rich matcha chocolate uses first-picked Uji matcha. First-picked tea means the earliest leaves harvested in spring, known for having the strongest fragrance and deepest umami. Bourbon’s launch announcement explicitly says the chocolate uses Kyoto first-picked Uji matcha, and that quality really does connect directly to the overwhelming persuasive power of the aroma.
Once it goes into the mouth, the matcha chocolate begins to melt slowly across the tongue. What arrives before the sweetness is the umami of matcha, followed by a pleasant bitterness that spreads little by little afterward. That bitterness is the key: it is not harsh, but it has a firm presence. For anyone who feels, “I like matcha, but overly sweet matcha snacks are a bit much…” this is almost an ideal balance.
The flavor, umami, bitterness, and aroma of the matcha all come forward like they are moving in formation.
And this is only the chocolate part.
That alone already hits this hard, which only raises my anticipation for what comes next.
And then we meet the whole-wheat matcha biscuit.
Even before eating it, I had a small suspicion:
“Wait… does this biscuit look a little green too? No way…?”
It was exactly that.
According to Bourbon’s official information, the biscuit dough also contains tea leaves. The official product page says it is paired with a matcha biscuit containing whole wheat flour and tea leaves, and once you eat it, that fact becomes unmistakably real. The texture created by the whole wheat and tea-leaf dough is crisp and toasty, and every bite layers wheat flavor together with the aroma of matcha.
“What on earth! It is matcha all the way through!”
And it contains actual tea leaves, okay?
Not just matcha powder.
Not vague “matcha flavor.”
Not some distant green tea suggestion.
Tea leaves.
So yes, the direct attack has finally arrived.
The dense matcha richness of the chocolate, the crisp texture of the biscuit, and the rustic matcha fragrance of the biscuit layer — this two-layer structure is exactly why Alfort has stayed loved for so long, and in this Rich Matcha version I feel it is shining at full power. That moment when you are eating the chocolate and then suddenly realize, “Wait, even the biscuit is matcha!?” is something I genuinely want first-time eaters to experience for themselves.
There are so many voices on social media saying things like “The bitterness of the matcha feels authentic and addictive” and “The matcha intensity is insane!” and honestly, I completely understand why. The moment I finished one piece, my hand was already reaching for the second. This is exactly why snacks like this get called dangerously sinful.
Quick Review
Product Information
Nutrition Facts
(per 1 box / 12 pieces, standard 60g)
Calories: 323 kcal
Protein: 3.5 g
Fat: 18.3 g
Carbohydrates: 36.7 g
Sugars: 35.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Salt Equivalent: 0.2 g
Ingredients
Sugar (made in Thailand and Japan), wheat flour, vegetable oils and fats, dextrin, whole milk powder, shortening, cocoa butter, matcha, lactose, whole wheat flour, whey powder (contains milk), salt, tencha, creaming powder (contains milk) / emulsifier (soy-derived), leavening agent, flavoring, antioxidant (V.E)
Dietary Info (Reference only)
Gelatin: Not listed
Emulsifier: Derived from soy
Alcohol/Liquor: Not listed
Lard/Shortening: Listed, source not specified
Allergens
Milk
Wheat
Soy
Manufactured in a facility that also produces products containing:
Egg
Product Classification
Manufacturer: Bourbon Corporation
Name: Chocolate
Net Weight: 12 pieces
Storage Instructions
Store in a cool, dry place below 28°C away from direct sunlight.
Purchase Location
It is sold at a wide range of retail stores and convenience stores throughout Japan.
Final Thoughts
Recommend This with Full Force to People Like These!
Even after finishing it, a soft matcha aftertaste remains in the mouth.
And that aftertaste feels so good that it becomes a kind of magnet pulling you toward “just one more.” This is honestly a terrifying snack — and I mean that as the highest possible compliment.
This Alfort Mini Chocolate Rich Matcha is something I especially want to recommend to:
People who truly love matcha and want a genuinely authentic flavor.
People who prefer a more grown-up sweetness.
People who love the combination of biscuit and chocolate.
People who always keep an eye out for seasonal or special releases.
And especially the matcha maniacs who think, “I have already eaten every matcha snack out there.”
Those are exactly the people I want to hand this to and say, please try it once. I really think you will end up blurting out, just like I did, “What is this!?”
I think it is also perfect both as a matcha experience and as an entry point into matcha sweets.
So if you see it, please do not hesitate — put it in your basket.
As a portable form of matcha, it would also make a wonderful little gift for any matcha lover.
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