Ranking Every Flavor of Pure Leaf Iced Tea from Worst to Best

Iced tea tends to be my go-to drink. You’ll almost always find a pitcher of fresh-brewed tea in my refrigerator, typically unsweetened. And, if you were to go out to a restaurant with me, you’d likely hear me order an iced tea — sometimes sweet, sometimes unsweet. Even with fresh-brewed iced tea at home, there are still times when you might find it more convenient to pick up a few bottles of iced tea, such as for a summer cookout, when you’re running errands, or when you’re making a quick stop during a road trip.

For times such as these, Pure Leaf is one of the popular tea brands to consider grabbing. However, with 11 different flavor options, you might have a hard time deciding which flavors are really worth buying. I had the same dilemma, so I decided to taste all 11 varieties of Pure Leaf’s Iced Tea and rank them in order from the worst to the best. This ranking is based on how each variety tastes, including whether there was any aftertaste (pleasant or otherwise). Additionally, since iced tea is something many of us reach for on a hot summer’s day, I also considered whether each flavor was a refreshing thirst quencher, or whether it left me seeking something else to feel satisfied. I’ll share a more in-depth explanation of the methodology I used to rank these Pure Leaf flavors at the end of this article.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I like sweet tea, and initially thought that this Extra Sweet Black Tea could become my new go-to when looking to satisfy my sweet tooth. However, after the first sip, I knew I wouldn’t be seeking this one out again. Sadly, it was way too sweet for my liking. It had a very strong, syrupy flavor that was so overpowering that I could barely detect the flavor of the tea itself. I also noticed a distinct difference when pouring the tea. It just looked thicker and a lot darker than the other teas, reaffirming the presence of a viscous syrup somewhere in the mix.

One reason I often pick iced tea over other beverages is because of how much of a thirst quencher it can be. However, if I was at a friend’s house and they brewed this, I would doubt that they really knew how to make refreshing homemade iced tea. It didn’t do anything to quench my thirst. In fact, it left a film towards the back of my mouth, making me feel like I needed to drink something else to rinse it away.

If the strong, unpleasant flavor — and how it lingered — weren’t enough, I was also disappointed when I looked at the calories in the 18.5-ounce bottle. While I was expecting a higher calorie count due to the obvious amount of sugary syrup, I was still surprised to find that there are 240 calories in the bottle — a full 80 calories more than Pure Leaf’s standard Sweet Black Tea. It also has a whopping 64 grams of sugar.

I don’t typically like lemon in my tea, so I didn’t have the highest hopes for this flavor. And, after a few sips, it lived up to my expectations — or lack thereof. In my opinion, the lemon flavor is too strong. It really overpowers the beverage and could make you question whether there is even any tea mixed in. Beyond the strength of the lemon flavor, it also has more of an artificial taste to it. While I wouldn’t purposefully choose to squeeze a fresh lemon into a glass of iced tea, I’d much prefer that taste to this bottle from Pure Leaf. The strength of the lemon was immediately evident from the moment I opened the bottle.

While this flavor isn’t one I’m likely to pick up again, if you are someone who enjoys adding lemon to your tea, you might have a different opinion. With the strength of the lemon, it might even be a good pick for those who like Arnold Palmers, the classic combination of equal amounts of iced tea and lemonade.

Pure Leaf launched its first ever sugar-free sweet tea in 2024. After tasting the Zero Sugar Sweet Black Tea, I have some mixed feelings about it. First, I see its appeal, especially for those who prefer a sweet tea but can’t (or don’t want to) drink something with many calories or a high sugar content. One positive thing about this tea — especially when compared to the Extra Sweet and Lemon varieties above — is the smell you first notice when you open the bottle. While both those lower-ranked teas had a very overpowering sugary or lemony scent, this one actually smells like fresh-brewed iced tea. You can also clearly taste that fresh-brewed tea flavor with each sip.

However, while I was hopeful that it would be less obvious that it wasn’t made with real sugar, that simply wasn’t the case. You can very clearly tell that it has an artificial sweetener (two, to be precise — sucralose and acesulfame potassium). And, unfortunately, these give it a relatively unpleasant aftertaste. While the aftertaste did seem to fade after the first sip, it was still there, so I was unable to place this flavor any higher in the rankings. However, as I mentioned, anyone with diabetes or other health concerns that require them to limit their sugar intake may find it to be a suitable substitute (they may also be more accustomed to the artificial sugar taste).

While I sometimes go for sweet tea when eating in a restaurant or grabbing a cold drink at a drive-thru, I also enjoy plain iced tea, especially at home. So, I was hopeful that this Unsweet Darjeeling Black Tea would be a winner. However, after tasting it, I’m not planning to keep any stocked in my fridge. The flavor was a bit weak for my liking. When pouring it, I also got a hint that it might not be that strong. While it looks slightly orange in the bottle, it’s more translucent than you might think as you pour it.

Beyond being on the weaker side, I wasn’t in love with the flavor. It was too bitter for my liking. Plus, that bitter flavor seems to really stick around, and not in a good way. It sadly reminds me of some of the worst fast food iced teas that I’ve been unfortunate enough to pick up — just overall unsatisfying. I think this could be better if you were able to add something to cancel out the bitterness, such as some honey or sugar. However, adding sweetener to an already cold iced tea is not as easy or as effective as mixing it in during the brewing process.

When looking at all of the bottles of iced tea, the Sweet Hibiscus Herbal Tea really stands out for its gorgeous, deep red color. Hibiscus is, after all, a flower, and many varieties share this stunning red color. However, my affinity for this tea ended with its appearance. Its flavor is too floral for my taste. As my husband said when tasting it with me, “It’s like it wants to be raspberry tea, but it isn’t.” I just wasn’t a huge fan.

However, not everything about this “artisan inspired” tea was bad. Unlike some of the other sweet flavors, this one wasn’t overpowering — it had just a hint of sweetness. For those who do like hibiscus tea and aren’t as put off by its floral taste, it may be a good choice. The subtle sweet flavor also means that there are fewer calories and sugar in this option. It has only 60 calories and 16 grams of sugar per serving, which is the lowest of any of the sweetened options (aside from the Zero Sugar Sweet Black Tea).

This is another Pure Leaf flavor that I have some mixed feelings about. We’ll start with the positives: Compared to the other unsweet option (the Unsweet Darjeeling Black Tea), this is the superior choice. This one doesn’t have that long-lingering aftertaste that I noted with the Darjeeling. It also doesn’t have an artificial aftertaste, like I noted with the Lemon or Zero Sugar Sweet varieties. Even if you typically go for sweet teas, sometimes you’re looking for something that has a lower sugar content or that is a better pick to quench your thirst, and this tea would satisfy both of those criteria.

However, there’s a reason why it ranks towards the middle of the list instead of the top. It’s missing some of that classic tea flavor, and seems a bit watery. Somehow, it tastes both over-brewed and slightly weak. You might want to consider enhancing its flavor with some ingredients you could add to elevate a homemade iced tea, such as a hint of juice, some fresh herbs, or even some condensed milk to turn it into a close substitute for a Thai iced tea.

I was excited to try the Pure Leaf Blackberry Tea. I often enjoy other fruity teas (including Pure Leaf’s Raspberry Black Tea). With the added fruit flavor and hints of sweetness, they can be quite refreshing. I’ve tried a few blackberry teas in the past that have had a delectable flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. However, while this ranks far above some of the “worst” flavors, I also wouldn’t characterize it as one of the best. It does have a nice blackberry aroma, which you’ll detect immediately upon removing the lid.

There are some serious downsides to this option, in my opinion. Like Pure Leaf’s Extra Sweet Tea, it has a thicker, almost syrupy consistency. It also has a pretty bitter aftertaste. While the bitterness is much more palatable than in some other flavors, it was a bit too much for me. I think I might like it better if I was able to add a little more sugar or honey to counteract the bitterness. However, if you’re someone who can handle a more bitter tea and who really enjoys the flavor of blackberries (which definitely shone through), you might want to give this one a shot.

Pure Leaf’s Sweet Black Tea is a solid pick when you’re looking for a tasty beverage. It is sweet (as you would guess by the name), but not overwhelmingly so. Unlike the Extra Sweet Tea that was so thick and syrupy that you nearly lost all of the tea flavor, this bottle doesn’t suffer from that problem. You can still taste the tea, but you’ll certainly notice a bit of a syrupy flavor too.

Beyond its taste, this one also beats the Extra Sweet Tea in terms of nutrition. At 160 calories and 42 grams of sugar, it has 80 fewer calories and 22 fewer grams of sugar than its counterpart. However, compared to some of the other Pure Leaf sweet flavors, it is still on the high side in terms of calories and sugar content. Aside from the Extra Sweet Tea, only the Raspberry Black Tea has more calories or sugar. If you’re looking for something that will really quench your thirst on a hot day, this also may not be the best pick. I didn’t find it to be as refreshing as the flavors I placed above it in the rankings. All in all, though, you’ll probably be satisfied if you grab a bottle of this — in fact, it was the top-ranked pick in our head-to-head match-up of Pure Leaf vs. AriZona Iced Tea.

Before I did the official taste test of these Pure Leaf flavors, I was pretty certain that my final ranking would feature the Pure Leaf Raspberry Black Tea in the top spot. It’s been my recent go-to when grabbing a cold drink at a convenience store, a gas station, or a vending machine. However, while it made my top three, I was surprised that I ended up liking the following picks more. There’s just something enjoyable about a good raspberry tea; in fact, when we ranked every Peace Tea flavor, raspberry was the definitive winner. This bottle from Pure Leaf has fruity notes that add something that is missing from the Unsweet Black Tea. While it is on the sweeter side (with more sugar and calories than everything but the Extra Sweet Black Tea), it’s not overpoweringly sweet.

You can really smell the raspberries when you open the bottle. While the raspberry flavor is clearly there, it does push the tea flavor to the back burner. So, if you’re looking to taste a true, crisp iced tea, this one may miss the mark. The tea is also a bit bitter, but it’s nowhere close to being as bitter as the blackberry. Since the Artisan Inspired Teas that rank higher than this one are only available in 42-ounce bottles, this will continue to be my top choice when I’m just picking up a quick drink.

I’m honestly surprised with where the Sweet Jasmine Green Tea ended up in this ranking. I do not consider myself to be a green tea person, as I just don’t find the flavor to be all that enjoyable. However, there is something about this variety that I absolutely love, and I could certainly see myself choosing this bottle over a sweet tea or even my standard Raspberry Black Tea above. It has just the right amount of sweetness to complement the green tea without being too cloying. This more subtle sweetness is also evident based on the calorie count and sugar content — a 12-ounce serving of this large bottle only has 70 calories and 17 grams of sugar.

Another thing that really stood out to me about this tea was how truly refreshing it is. Unlike some of the sweeter teas that leave you thirsty, this quenches your thirst and could be a great choice on a hot summer’s day. I went back and forth about whether to give this one the top spot in the ranking, but ultimately decided it didn’t quite match the enticing flavor profile of my number one pick. Just remember — because of its higher caffeine content, the worst time to drink green tea is right before bed, so you’ll probably want to keep this as an afternoon beverage.

From the first taste, I was certain that this Sweet Assam Black Tea was going to earn a high spot in the rankings. As it turns out, it ended up winning me over enough to land in the top spot. When you look at the tea in the bottle, its beautiful amber color really stands out, distinguishing it from many of the other varieties that are dark brown. The flavor hits just right, too. It is a bit sweet, but not overpowering or syrupy like the Extra Sweet Black Tea, or even the Sweet Black Tea. Instead, it offers a very balanced flavor profile with just a hint of citrus notes.

This bottle also tastes perfectly brewed, unlike some that were weak, bitter, or even slightly watery. It just tastes like tea, which is what we all want when picking out an iced tea to enjoy. Frequent tea drinkers will appreciate some of the unique flavor notes that are present in this Northeast India-sourced tea. My single complaint, really, is that Pure Leaf only sells it as a 42-ounce bottle. I’d love to see it available as a smaller bottle that one could grab from a convenience store or a vending machine.

To compile this ranking of every Pure Leaf iced tea flavor, I conducted a taste test. I alternated between sweet and unsweet flavors, sipping on between 1 and 2 ounces of each variety at a time. I ate a plain cracker between flavors to try to cleanse my palate and remove any lingering aftertastes from my mouth. The slightly salty cracker also increased my thirst, so I could evaluate how refreshing each tea was and whether it might be a good option to truly quench one’s thirst.

Coming up with the final ranking required some additional sips of various flavors. I was pretty set on the order of the worst flavors, due to some of the stronger, yet not particularly pleasant (in my opinion) lingering flavors or the bitterness that came with each sip. However, for the top-ranked items, I did have a little debate with myself (and my husband, who tasted these with me). We saw a few being contenders for the top spot in this list, but ultimately there was a clear winner with a refreshing taste, balanced sweetness, and some unique flavor notes.

While I based this ranking primarily on taste, I did also consult the nutritional content of each tea, taking note of the calories per serving and total sugars. In some cases, this information gave me greater confidence about where I placed a particular flavor in the ranking. For example, the Extra Sweet bottle was not only overpoweringly sweet and syrupy, but it also had the most calories and the highest sugar content. This information combined really justifies its placement in the ranking, in my opinion.