Ito En - Unsweetened Oi Ocha Dark Green Tea 16.9 Fl. Oz.

Perfect. The taste reminds me of Japan

Arrives with minimum 11 months best by date plus always fresh flavor as I would expect to receive in Japan

If you were to walk down a street in Tokyo, you would probably see at least one vending machine that has bottles of Ito En tea. I've deeply enjoyed my vacations in Japan, so having this stuff available at home in the U.S. is a daily way to evoke fond memories for me. That said, there are pros and cons you need to consider for yourself. A big pro to this kind of tea is that it contains zero sugar. My stomach can't handle sugary soft drinks anymore -- and I certainly don't need the calories -- so that's a very good thing for me. Another pro for me -- but maybe not for you -- is that this stuff has a nice little jolt of caffeine. If you're a coffee drinker, the caffeine is probably insignificant to you, but I only drink tea anyway. If you have hypertension, avoid this stuff like the plague. A con is that these bottles of tea are not organic products. That might not be a big deal to you, but I try to buy organic whenever possible. That's not really a priority for a big Japanese company like Ito En, though;this is a fairly industrial product, so don't go thinking there's anything particularly healthy about it. Another con along those lines is that I wouldn't doubt the plastic bottles contain a certain amount of BPA or other nasty stuff associated with polymer chemistry. I'm willing to take the hit out of nostalgia, but maybe you're not so foolhardy. Finally, there's the taste. That could be a pro or a con, depending on what you like. I've been a tea drinker since I was a teenager (many decades ago), and I particularly like Japanese green teas. This stuff is very processed and not what I would call high-grade tea -- it's sort of like the Coca Cola of teas. As I said, for me it's a tourist's taste of Tokyo. But if you're accustomed to sugar-laden American soft drinks, you might find this tea too bitter and astringent. The lack of sweetness and carbonation might be very off-putting for you children who think Mountain Dew is mother's milk.

good

Love that is a strong tea