River and Stone Tea Monthly Matcha Subscription

What's in the box: Each month brings freshly milled Japanese matcha from River & Stone's own range of single cultivars and blends, but the site doesn't state the exact amount or which teas are included.

River & Stone Tea is a small matcha specialist based in Minnesota. It grinds its matcha to order instead of selling powder that has been sitting in a warehouse. The company keeps its tencha, the leaf that matcha is ground from, in cold storage. Before milling, staff remove the stems and veins and sift the leaf several times. The mill runs slowly, at about 40 grams per hour. The company says it works with small family farms in Japan and uses tea grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides whenever it can. The freshness is the main reason to consider it, because matcha loses aroma and color fairly quickly after grinding. The range goes beyond one house blend. It includes single cultivars, blends and unusual teas such as an Old Bush Zairai matcha, plus a newer collection of hard-to-find Japanese loose-leaf teas. The site doesn't clearly explain how the monthly subscription works. It doesn't say which teas rotate, how much arrives each month or how to pause or cancel, so check those terms before you sign up. Shipping is free on orders over $50 and $5 otherwise, and the company says all shipping is carbon-neutral. This suits people who already drink matcha straight and care about freshness. Casual latte drinkers may find it more than they need.