MatchaKo is a four SKU line of RTD matcha beverages that were designed to create a “healthy and affordable way to consume matcha while also providing a sense of luxury with each sip.” The products are packaged in 7.5 ounce cans and are USDA Organic certified.

The initial MatchaKo lineup has four still varieties, including Unsweetened, Almond Milk, Oat Milk and Lemonade. The Unsweetened is a zero-calorie offering while the other three contain maple syrup (the Lemonade variety also contains cane sugar) resulting in 50-60 calories per can, along with 86 mg of caffeine, putting it on par with a similarly sized energy drink.

As far as the liquid is concerned, here’s a rundown of the flavors:

• Unsweetened - Delivering ceremonial grade matcha in its unadulterated form, this SKU provides clean, smooth, and full bodied matcha flavor. However, it doesn’t necessarily have anything that is unique or will make this stand apart from similar products.

• Lemonade - This variety, which contains 4% lemon juice, is arguably MatchaKo’s most mainstream flavor. It drinks almost like an Arnold Palmer but with matcha, and the note of lemon and the sweetness make this pretty crushable.

• Oat Milk & Almond Milk Matcha Lattes  -  The Oat Milk and Almond Milk varieties are largely the same but with oat milk in place of almond milk. Both have a milky body and less matcha flavor than the other two SKUs and feature a hint of sweetness.  While the flavor is good, there’s a gummy texture to both varieties that becomes a bit of an issue as you make your way through the can. We’d definitely like to see this improved upon and we also question whether it makes sense to have two very similar SKUs in the lineup rather than committing to a single plant-based milk.

Moving on to the packaging, MatchaKo’s branding has the look of a product that feels like it’s trying to attract serious matcha consumers. This starts with the brand name, which reads like “Matcha Co.,” as well as the prime placement of the words “ceremonial grade” on the front panel.  Other callouts include “natural, organic, vegan” (directly beneath the logo) and some text at the bottom of the front panel that states the flavor name. The color palette is white, tan, and green, which definitely feels like what we’d expect from a line of matcha drinks.

That being said, we would like to see a bit more visual variation between the SKUs as the text and color differences are subtle and require close examination.  In addition, we feel like there is maybe some more work to be done to increase the brand’s appeal versus the competition. Otherwise, the branding does feel clean and polished.

Ultimately, we think this is a good first effort from MatchaKo. There’s room for improvement, especially in making the brand have a marketable point of differentiation, but there are definitely some strong positives to the lineup (like the standout matcha lemonade) and we’re excited to see how they refine from here.