11. Tropical Uprising

When thinking of tropical flavors, pineapple and coconut often come to mind. For this tea, Guayakí took a different route, combining pineapple with mango and guava, as well as apricot and hibiscus. This medley blended well together with the yerba mate and was a good match in terms of ingredient choices.

However, with the word "Uprising" in the name, I was expecting a flavor explosion in my mouth which did not occur. The pineapple flavor was barely discernable, and the other flavors were, for the most part, muted as well. Perhaps this is because Tropical Uprising only contains 1% juice. That said, the fruits blended well and gave a distinctive taste to this tea.

Oddly, this tea contained both 11 grams of added sugar and organic stevia leaf extract, which did not leave an aftertaste in this flavor. Because of its disappointing delivery on the name's promise and the mild flavor, Tropical Uprising ranked last in the lineup.

10. Sparkling Grapefruit Ginger

Next on the list is one of Guayakí's sparkling varieties. Grapefruit and ginger are a compelling flavor combination and well-suited for the flavor of yerba mate tea. What was interesting about both of Guayakí's sparkling options was that the initial flavor was bitter and somewhat overwhelming, kind of a "blow to the mouth" experience. However, once the tea was left out for a while, the taste settled down and was more pleasant.

Even if you are not a fan of ginger or grapefruit, this flavor can be pretty good, even with less than 1% juice content. Sparkling Grapefruit Ginger may not have a fun name, but it only contains 45 calories and 80 milligrams of caffeine.

This particular blend does not contain cane sugar. Instead, agave syrup is the main sweetener, along with organic stevia leaf extract. Happily, there was no unpleasant aftertaste, as can happen with stevia, and this tea only packs 10 grams of added sugar. This is a nice choice for a smaller caffeinated hit, but it's initially too bitter to rank any higher, officially landing it in spot number 10.

8. Peach Revival

Peach and iced tea are a timeless combination with a rich, unique flavor, so much so that some people like to make their own peach-flavored iced tea. Guayakí's peach juice-infused version of yerba mate tea has just a touch of lemon, as well as 150 milligrams of caffeine, for a great start to your day.

But this is not like sweetened Southern peach tea. Guayakí's version only contains 3 grams of sugar since it is primarily sweetened with organic stevia leaf extract. Although the peach flavor is very bold, this was the only Guayakí tea in my taste test where the stevia aftertaste was apparent.

Peach Revival contains natural peach flavor and one of the highest levels of sodium of these drinks, at 15 milligrams. It's not a lot, but it might be partly responsible for the lack of sweetness in this drink. If you like your peach flavor strong with earthy tones and free of sugar, this drink might be just right for you. Since unsweetened peach is not everyone's cup of tea, this earned the No. 8 spot.

6. Unsweetened Traditional Tereré

Next up is the only bottled flavor on this list, Unsweetened Traditional Tereré. Tereré is a way of brewing yerba mate tea that originated in Paraguay with the native Guarani people, who infused yerba mate leaves with cold water and drank the concoction out of a hollowed gourd. Today, we would simply call this cold-brewed with a dose of extra flavor.

I am not the biggest fan of unsweetened tea, so I called in an "expert" iced tea lover. Their verdict? Amazing! The combination of filtered water, organic yerba mate, and l-malic acid give just the right balance for a cool, refreshing drink, even if you're not a fan of most herbal teas.

If you're wondering about l-malic acid, this is a naturally occurring type of malic acid which is commonly added to food or drink for a dose of tart flavor. Malic acid also may have some physical benefits, such as boosting the body's energy production and helping with issues like skin concerns, oral health, or other diseases.

I suspect the tartness imparted by this additive is what makes the drink a suitable substitute for unsweetened iced tea. With 140 milligrams of caffeine and only 10 calories, this is the perfect choice when you're looking for a plain and refreshing drink. That landed it square in the middle of these rankings at No. 6.

5. Sparkling Cranberry Pomegranate

This medley of cranberry and pomegranate is another low-caffeine sparkling entry from Guayakí. Pomegranates are a flavorful powerhouse of a fruit, loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Research indicates (but doesn't fully confirm) certain possible health benefits, such as fighting inflammation or keeping cancer at bay.

That aside, pomegranate has an amazing flavor that is tasty and unique. It also pairs well with the tartness of cranberry, so it's no surprise that Guayakí teamed up these two delicious flavors.

Just like the grapefruit ginger version, this sparkling drink was bitter and strong at the first sip, with the flavors hitting the roof of my mouth in a way that nearly felt painful. Other than that, initially it was unimpressive. But, also like Sparkling Grapefruit Ginger, the taste grew on me over time, especially since the pomegranate juice imparted a nice flavor. The bitterness reduced as the drink lost its carbonation, so much so that I had to bump it up to No. 5 in the ranking.

3. Berry Lemonade

And now we come to the top three. In third place is Berry Lemonade. A blend of lemon, strawberry, and cranberry juices creates a pleasing and accessible taste that everyone will love. It also features a higher juice content than the other teas at 7%.

What's interesting is that while Berry Lemonade contains both lemon flavor and lemon juice, the lemon taste was not overwhelming; the drink was perfectly balanced. It has a mere 20 calories and 2 grams of sugar because it is sweetened only with organic stevia leaf extract. Guayakí uses a version of stevia leaf extract called reb A, which tends to have less of an aftertaste than the more common form, stevioside. That said, it was completely unnoticeable in this tea, leaving no awkward aftertaste.

Berry Lemonade is very drinkable, so naturally it made the top three in this ranking, narrowly missing the very top. Don't forget that it contains 150 milligrams of caffeine. It wouldn't be a good idea to drink too many of these, but with the smooth and fruity flavor, you'll be tempted.

2. Orange Exuberance

If you love citrus, the aptly named Orange Exuberance is the perfect choice for you. Made with orange, lime, and tangerine flavors, this drink feels more like an experience than just a caffeinated tea. There is an initial burst of orange flavor, but the other citrus juices balance it out, making it an ideal combination for herbal tea.

That's probably due to the way it's made. The first fruit ingredient is organic orange juice concentrate. Next comes yerba mate, which is brewed together with orange peel. Lime juice follows, which tempers the flavor explosion of the orange. The result is amazing, leaving you with an aftertaste that is pure iced tea.

Orange Exuberance contains 120 calories. This tea isn't exactly low in the sugar department, with 27 grams of added sugar. However, it's totally worth the indulgence. This drink landed at the No. 2 spot, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an exciting and unique flavor that is still very much a delicious herbal tea.

Methodology

The teas in this ranking were chosen based on their availability at major grocery stores, like Whole Foods, which carried most of Guayakí's line. Since yerba mate is well known for energy, how much energy each drink contained was a smaller consideration. All the drinks contained 140, 150, or 80 milligrams caffeine. Thus, each drink had some amount of energy-boosting effect, so I didn't factor it in the rankings. I also looked at sugar content, ingredients, and calories to see which provided the best bang for your buck.

The main factor in rankings was the flavor of the tea. Taste was based on expectations and whether or not each flavor truly reflected its fun name. The most important consideration, though, was how well the added flavors, or lack thereof, made the tea itself taste. The impact of ingredient blends, sweeteners, juice levels, and brewing technique also played a role in determining ranking.