Extreme Vanilla - Organic Green Tea

I can’t remember who sent me this sample with other assorted teas – Meghann M? JoeCool (Nichole)? Sorry guys – too many tea packages! But thanks to whomever shared this from her stash! UPDATE: Thanks, QuiltGuppy!

For something called “extreme” this didn’t really seem so… sure, it tasted like vanilla, but I wasn’t that impressed with the taste. It does taste like vanilla & green tea, and the vanilla is of the regular soft-serve ice-cream variety, not so much in flavor…

I don’t know. But this was just a sample to try, so it’s not like I would never order from American Tea Room again…

Not the biggest fan of bancha or aracha mostly on principle. It’s lower-grade Japanese green tea, almost by definition. However, vanilla seems to bring out something extra beyond the naturally-even grassiness of it. I’ll admit it, there’s a good balance going on here.

So lately I’ve been so thankful for sample sizes… Not that the tea I’ve had is bad, but I like trying things before spending money on full-sized mysteries. I was excited about this kind because it had vanilla in it.. And you know how I like my vanilla tea. First steep was pretty darn good. This was a mix of green tea and vanilla pieces. The actual sweetness comes in the swallow of the tea. It was really powerful in the after taste.. So much I said, “wow!” while standing alone in my kitchen. The tea is quite good, but not consistent. I don’t think I’ll be buying this one again.

Extreme. This tea is extreme. The vanilla is extreme. Your opinion will be extreme.

Sipping this tea was like drinking straight vanilla extract. Vanilla to the nth degree. Horrid! There is a reason people don’t pour themselves a cup of undiluted vanilla extract. I couldn’t manage to finish my cup and was forced to dump out the rest after only a few sips! This is something I rarely do when tasting. Even if a tea is disliked, I will show some measure of respect by finishing. But this blend: undrinkable. Oh, and the green tea base is not even worth discussing since it is beyond obliterated by the vanilla.

The only reason I’m not giving this tea a score closer to zero is that the person I shared this pot of ‘extreme’ with happened to love it. This totally bizarre individual finished off the rest of pot solo. I don’t understand it, other than to say; this is a tea you will either completely love or hate. There is no in-between. Personally, I detest it, extremely.