9 Gold Peak Iced Tea Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

I'm no stranger to iced tea. If I'm dining out at a restaurant or even sitting at my desk working, there's probably a glass of iced tea somewhere nearby. So, I jumped at the opportunity to taste-test— and rank — Gold Peak's iced tea flavors. You can find the brand not only at grocery stores, but also convenience stores. I wanted to find out which flavors are worth the money, whether you're just grabbing a quick drink to help you complete your errands or choosing something to serve to guests at a party. After all, there's nothing more disappointing than spending your hard-earned money on a drink only to be let down by its taste.

To rank these Gold Peak flavors, I conducted a taste test with the help of my husband, who is also a big iced tea drinker. We started by taking a few sips of each flavor, with a quick palate cleanse with a cracker between each option. As we sipped, we shared our initial impressions about the aroma, taste, aftertaste (if any), and whether we liked it and could see ourselves buying it again. We also discussed how well each flavor quenched our thirst and whether it might be a good pick for one of those hot summer days when you're looking for something that is truly refreshing.

Despite being ranked as the "worst" on this list, Gold Peak's unsweetened tea was far from the worst of its kind that I've had. I've tried many other unsweetened teas — both from restaurants and from various bottled brands — and found that many of them have a very bitter aftertaste that makes the beverage less enjoyable. I was pleased that I didn't detect that after taking the first sip. However, what I wasn't so pleased about was the overall flavor. My first thought was that it was really watery. That true tea flavor is there, but you have to search for it.

This was the first tea my husband and I tasted. After tasting how watery and neutral it was, we decided to take a sip of it a few times between some of the sweeter flavors to help remove the taste from our mouths before moving on to something new. Weirdly, we noticed new flavors each time we returned to it. Specifically, it had a mildly metallic aftertaste that we definitely didn't pick up on at first. Between this slight aftertaste and the really watery flavor, this tea lands in last place — but I stand by my original statement: I still prefer it over many other brands of unsweetened tea.

I wasn't a huge fan of this zero-sugar sweet tea. I was hopeful after opening it and taking a whiff. I didn't immediately detect that overpowering, "fake sugar" smell that you sometimes get with zero-sugar teas and beverages. However, my hopes of enjoying it pretty much ended there. The first sip was sweet — like really sweet. A few seconds later, that overly sweet flavor moved to the back of my tongue, where it quickly transitioned to an unpleasant bitter taste. I know it is designed to be a sweet tea, but it was just too much.

It was clear that the overly sweet flavor wasn't from sugar. My husband commented that it had a strong aspartame taste. When we checked the ingredient label on the back, and found aspartame listed as the artificial sweetener, his hypothesis was verified. Neither of us typically uses artificial sweeteners, so we aren't used to the flavor and weren't all that thrilled by it. However, if you are used to artificial sweeteners, specifically aspartame, and cannot have real sugar, you might really enjoy this tea. However, if you are looking for refreshing diet soda alternatives that are free of aspartame, you might want to look for a different brand to try. I will say that, despite how sweet it tasted, I was still able to detect a real black tea flavor underneath. That's not always the case with zero-sugar iced teas because the sweetness can overpower and hide the actual taste of the tea.

I didn't know what to expect going into this one. When I ranked Pure Leaf's iced tea flavors, the extra sweet black tea was at the bottom of my list. I thought it was offensively sweet, had a very syrupy consistency, and left a film over the inside of my mouth. I was worried that Gold Peak's extra sweet version would do the same.

Before braving that first sip, I took a close look at the tea and smelled it. I noted that it had a nice, dark amber color that certainly looked like real tea. While I could smell the sugar right away, the aroma wasn't too offensive or completely overpowering. Then came the moment of truth: the first sip. It was definitely sweet, but nowhere near as sweet as Pure Leaf's extra sweet variety. While it is sweeter than I would prefer, I could definitely stand to drink this one. I think the main difference was that it tastes like real sugar — Gold Peak even says right on the bottle that it uses cane sugar instead of granulated sugar (or heavy syrup) for this blend.

I wouldn't be too upset if this were the only drink offered at a party or the only bottled tea available at a convenience store. However, I still probably wouldn't choose it over the higher-ranked Gold Peak flavors. It's a bit too sweet for my taste (and I like sweet tea) and I don't think it would be a particularly good choice if you're feeling really thirsty. You might end up looking for something else to drink right after sipping on it. 

This Gold Peak sweet tea placed third in our ranking of the best store-bought sweet tea brands. Overall, I agree with that. It is a pretty solid sweet tea. Unlike some other brands I've tried, this one really does taste like real tea. It isn't weak — like Gold Peak's unsweetened tea was. My husband and I both noted that the sweet tea also has a nice deep amber color — which is probably why it tastes more like tea than water.

I thought it was a little too sweet, even for a sweet tea. It's noticeably less sweet than Gold Peak's extra sweet tea, but not incredibly so. However, I do think it's a more refreshing option than the extra sweet version. If you were thirsty and drank the regular tea, I don't think you'd be immediately looking for something else to quench your thirst. Despite being a solid pick overall, I couldn't put this tea any higher in my ranking because I just don't think that it beats any of the other picks in terms of taste or overall enjoyability.

The Gold Peak tea with Simply raspberry juice was one of the flavors that I was most excited to try. I like raspberry teas, whether a specialty blend from a restaurant or a bottled option from the store. I wasn't sure whether the fact that this was made with Simply raspberry juice would make it too sweet or more enjoyable, but I definitely wanted to find out.

If all of the labels for these teas were missing, I think I could have easily figured out that this one was the raspberry-flavored one. It definitely has a very noticeable red color, making it different than the amber or brown color of the other teas. And, if the color didn't give it away, the smell certainly would have. As soon as I started pouring, I detected a pleasant raspberry aroma. It smelled like real raspberry juice, not some fake concoction. We were off to a good start.

After taking the first sip, I think my husband and I had the same initial impression — it was really good! However, considering it's a tea, it does taste a bit too much like a juice. You sort of lose the tea flavor beneath all that raspberry goodness. So, if you like a little bit of tea with your juice, it might be your new favorite. However, if you are looking for just a hint of raspberry flavor with your tea, then it's probably too much for you. I honestly thought I would rank this one higher — until I tasted some of the other flavors. As I was compiling the final ranking and came back to it for another sip, I just couldn't put it any higher because of the lack of tea taste. 

Although I had a few mixed feelings about the slightly sweet tea, it ended up being my favorite black tea offering from the brand. When I first opened the lid, I detected a hint of sweetness. The sugary smell, however, was definitely not overpowering, which makes sense, given that this one is labeled slightly sweet. The sweetness was barely detectable when I first took a sip, though it didn't make it "bad." In fact, it reminded me of the unsweetened, home-brewed tea that is usually in my refrigerator.

There are a few reasons why it's my favorite Gold Peak black tea. First, you could really taste the tea flavor. Unlike Gold Peak's unsweetened tea, which was overly watery, this one is very tea-forward. While it may not be the ideal choice for those who like a lot of sugar in their tea, I found the mild sweetness very refreshing. I think this would be a great bottle to have by your side on a summer's day. Plus, because it is only "slightly" sweet, it has a much lower sugar content than either the sweet or extra sweet — 24.66 grams of added sugar per 18.5 ounces compared to 48 grams or 68 grams, respectively. As I was putting the final ranking together, I initially had this placed closer to the top. However, when I compared it to the other options, its flavor was ultimately not as good. 

You'll probably never see me adding lemon to my tea. However, lemonade is another story. Knowing this about myself, I hoped this combination of Gold Peak's black tea with Simply lemonade would prove to be a tasty beverage. And, it honestly lived up to those hopes. Even my husband, who doesn't like lemonade, especially when it's added to tea, was pleasantly surprised. 

The sweetness of this beverage is just right. There's enough sugar to balance the lemon's sourness, without completely overpowering the beverage. Gold Peak seems to have nailed the tea-to-lemonade ratio. My husband said he would be pleased if he was served this after ordering an Arnold Palmer at a restaurant. It brought back memories of being at the county fair, sipping on some fresh-squeezed lemonade. When you consider that Simply was one of the top picks in our ranking of store-bought lemonade brands, the delicious flavor of this tea makes a lot of sense.

One quick note before I move on: If you are someone who enjoys the flavor created by adding just a hint of fresh-squeezed lemon to your iced tea, then you might not be as fond of this blend. Since it's lemonade — not lemon juice — its flavor is definitely stronger. There is also a good amount of added sugar (41 grams per 12-ounce serving), so this is far from an unsweetened lemon iced tea, if that's what you're looking for.

This Gold Peak green tea surprised me. It is rare for me to order a green tea at a restaurant or to pick up a bottled version up at a convenience or grocery store. Yet, this one ended up being my second favorite. I had a feeling that it would taste good after untwisting the lid. It had a really fruity, almost peach-like, aroma that was a sign of the good things to come. My husband took a sip of his first. He likes green tea, but knows it isn't my favorite. Yet, after that first sip, he told me that he thought I'd like this one because it was sweeter.

His prediction was spot on. I really appreciated the sweet flavor — and was pleased that I was still able to taste those fruitier notes. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience. However, that sweetness comes at a cost. Unlike some other brands that offer unsweetened green tea with zero calories or sugar, as you could probably guess, this one it's — it has 38 grams of added sugar in a 18.5-ounce serving. While the flavor is really nice, you might not decide this is the best choice if you're really looking to quench your thirst. Because of the sweetness, I don't think it's the most refreshing option.

I had a suspicion that I would like the Gold Peak black tea with Simply peach juice. However, I didn't think it would end up being my absolute favorite flavor from the brand. There was just too much to love about this beverage for it to rank anywhere other than in first place. When I opened the lid, I detected a slightly peachy aroma — while it wasn't overpowering, it suggested what was in store. While the peach flavor was definitely there, it wasn't so strong that I lost the actual taste of the tea. I think this is why I ended up liking it more than the tea with Simply raspberry juice — which tasted more like juice than tea. One of the most flavorful ways to craft your own peach iced tea is by stirring in a peachy syrup. Based on the sweet and peachy flavor, it seems Gold Peak did something very similar when creating this blend.

While I will absolutely buy this Gold Peak flavor again, I do want to add a few caveats to help set realistic expectations. First, as I noted, it is sweet. I found it more refreshing than the raspberry-flavored option, but I wouldn't say it should be your go-to thirst quencher. If you go in expecting a dessert drink, you won't be disappointed by it. But if you're expecting an unsweetened tea with a hint of peach, then you should adjust those expectations before giving this one a try.

I searched local grocery stores to find as many Gold Peak flavors as possible. After gathering the assortment mentioned above, my husband and I conducted a taste test of each flavor. We poured about an ounce of one flavor at a time, smelled it, took a few sips, and shared our thoughts with one another. When sharing our impressions, we discussed the aroma, the overall taste (and if we detected an aftertaste, pleasant or otherwise), and whether we would purchase it again. After each of these conversations, we ate a plain cracker before moving on to the next flavor. The cracker served as a palate cleanser to help ensure that we wouldn't be biased against the next tea due to any lingering flavors in our mouths.

After tasting everything once, we discussed where each flavor belonged in the final ranking. While we had some general ideas, we went back and tasted the different teas to better compare their flavors. We revised some of our initial thoughts after this re-tasting. For example, the Gold Peak Tea with Simply raspberry juice was one of the first flavors we tried, and I was pretty certain that it would be very high up in the ranking. However, after trying it side-by-side with the black tea with Simply lemonade, green tea, and the black tea with Simply peach juice, I was surprised that I was not as fond of it.