This does taste a lot like apple cider! The apple flavor is great, and while I’m not able to pick out the spices individually (aside from the cinnamon) they do come together to create a convincing flavor. This is my first (and, thus far, only) guayusa. The flavor is very earthy – I’ve seen it compared to wet leaves, and (with the caveat that I’ve never actually eaten wet leaves) I’d say that’s an apt description. I don’t think I’d enjoy it plain, necessarily, but it’s pretty good blended with complementary flavors – on this note, I’m quite curious to try Butiki’s Good Morning Sunshine! Just for reference, I’ve been drinking this hot, no add-ins.