Review: Suntory Zen Green Tea Liqueur

Apr 28

Review: Suntory Zen Green Tea Liqueur

Stephen’s Teaview Snapshot

"I’m not much of a drinker - alcohol, that is - but when the chance presented itself for me to review Suntory’s new “Zen Green Tea Liqueur” I figured, why not? At first I was under the impression it was a non-alcoholic mixer (I’m not sure why), but it is indeed 20% alcohol which [...]"

Stephen’s Teaview:	7/10
Your Reviews:	10/10
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I’m not much of a drinker - alcohol, that is - but when the chance presented itself for me to review Suntory’s new “Zen Green Tea Liqueur” I figured, why not? At first I was under the impression it was a non-alcoholic mixer (I’m not sure why), but it is indeed 20% alcohol which (for me) is fairly strong. Along with the sample bottle came some recipe suggestions, including a Zen Iced Tea and a Zentini. I started off simple and went for a Zen Iced Tea.

Now, I should point out here that I didn’t really follow the given recipe - if I did I’d probably not be upright at this very moment. Let’s just say, a little goes a long way - at least for someone like me who can’t really hold their liquor. So I mixed a heavy splash of Zen Green Tea Liqueur along with some iced tea I already had brewed the day before from the fridge and… well, it was pretty darned good. The taste of thick, sweet matcha is definitely there in full force. It turned a regular iced tea into just about the perfect sunset-on-the-porch kind of drinks.

My only complaint would be that this stuff is really, really sweet. I mean, super-sweet. Granted, I tend not to go for things are overly sugared, so if you tend to enjoy a stiff, sweet drink, this is ideal for you, but for me personally - I couldn’t imagine mixing this at the proportions recommended. Just thinking of the amount of sugar involved nearly throws me into a diabetic fit. (But, that’s just me.)

I’d say without a doubt this is going to be a big seller for tea lover who also enjoy the occasional stiff drink. It really doesn’t have the “artificial tea” flavor you’d expect in other mass-produced tea products of this ilk. I was impressed.

— To purchase Suntory Zen Green Tea Liqueur, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.