Let me start by saying that I am not a huge fan of basic black teas. I tend to like fruity, flavored and spicy teas. The aroma is fresh and roasty. I also think I smell some vegetal maybe even asparagus. Interesting. The liquor is dark and looks like coffee. The first taste I had was strong and coffee like. Steepsterites who said that this would be good for people changing from coffee to tea are not wrong. I feel that this has similarities with coffee with out the astringent/bitter taste I associate with coffee. This tea is a bit astringent without being bitter. When I drink most teas I add a sweetener and I felt that I needed to try it with sweetener. I used Stevia which has no calories. I still smell and taste the hint of asparagus, as well as a nice roasty taste. The sweetened black is full bodied and tastes fresh. I wonder how much caffeine in this? I’m betting a lot. I would drink this in the morning but would be a little afraid to drink it later in the day. The bag doesn’t have any instructions for brewing, but it’s not tricky to figure out. It is a black tea after all :D