If you love vanilla - the stuff I use is pure vanilla extract, the same stuff as I use for cooking. The company that produced it is now making that synthetic crap, unfortunately.
If you find the extract, open the bottle and recap it, then let it sit in your cupboard for at least a year. It'll age and intensify the flavour/scent. It ends up really, really sweet, rich, full-bodied, and a little nutty. It's soooooo good!
Probably the alcohol used to extract it is what makes it age like that.