VERY BITTER if prepared with boiling water or steeped more than 3 or 4 minutes. I use hot but not boiling water and mix it with a rosehip/hibiscus blend and oolong (total of 3 teabags per brew for two 10-12 oz mugs, sweetened with 1 teaspoon raw honey per mug. I'm not brave enough to drink it unsweetened or alone, smells wonderful though.