Old Barrel Tea Company — Restaurant in Mesilla

As an avid tea drinker I would say this store is more for the novice tea drinker. There are many claims of "health benefits" of the different types of tea posted at the shop, however many of these claims have not been FDA approved nor are they beneficial if you don't incorporate a healthy lifestyle. You can't purchase a tea and expect it to cure your high blood pressure, insomnia, etc. if you live an unhealthy lifestyle. Second, many teas that are not organic contain unsafe amounts of heavy metals. Buying organic teas are recommended to avoid the toxins that can be found in most teas. While I was in this store the owner happened to be there. I asked her if the teas were organic, she stated they are not but "they work with farmers to insure the best product." Sure they do. I can order a bulk bag of tea from Chine online too. Also, none of the ingredients of the teas are listed on the tins. The employees will tell you the ingredients if you ask. Many of the teas have "natural flavorings" which leave a strange after taste and are most likely not natural. Also, at the time that I was at the store an employee was filling the the tins with tea by hand, not weighing the tea. So none of the tins have the same amount of tea in them, they just scoop some tea from a trash bag and fill the tins. The tins that the tea and spices are packaged in are a pain to deal with. I bought a couple tins of spice and when I got home and tried to pry the stubborn tin open the spice inside when everywhere. I was left with half a tin of spice. Not a fan of this place. Would not recommend.

How interesting that this review was taken so personally. As a business owner I would think one would understand that reviews are the personal opinion of ONE customer. Not everyone is going to like your tea, your store or you. There is no reason to respond in such an angry, condescending, immature manner. The response to this review is enough to make one not visit this store.

I stand by my review. I don't care if the owner of this business is local. It's doesn't matter to me if the owner is a man or a woman. I choose to shop at places that are honest with their customers.

While I was visiting the store the girl giving samples told every person she handed a sample to the "health benefits" of the tea. This information is misleading and I do not assume (nor should anyone) that everyone that walks into the store knows that these health benefits are only a suggestion, assuming you live a healthy lifestyle. This is a sales tactic used to sell this less than stellar tea. Also, I have been to many tea stores all over the world and many, most actually, weight their tea out and sell it by the ounce. Clearly, the owner hasn't ventured much outside of her small corner of the world. The owner can make all the claims she wants about this product being organic but I only purchase certified organic tea. When someone is trying to make a living selling tea, they will say anything to get people to buy their product.

Maybe the owner's time could be better spent researching more efficient containers for her mediocre product. Or coming up with a better way to slang her tea instead of spewing out misleading information to...

I don’t know about all the flavors, but the blood orange is flavored in an oil that contains something artificial. I have an intolerance to aspartame and msg. I had all the symptoms when I drank this tea. When I called them they told me the tea is soaked in a flavor oil. My suspicions were confirmed, unfortunately. RESPONSE to owner- “Natural flavors” is an umbrella term. You have it listed as an ingredient on a lot of your teas. You are not required to list what it consists of. MSG and aspartame are considered “natural flavors” btw. I do not have sensitivities to real foods, I do have reactions to preservatives, and sweeteners. I recently bought some tea from another company and was pleased to see that the only ingredient was the tea flowers. I did not have an issue with that.. I’m curious about your orange Popsicle flavored tea. Are the essential oils extracted from a...

LOVE this gem in Mesilla! Staff was inviting and friendly, offering samples right away. I sampled the Bourbon and Peppermint teas, both delicious. (The bourbon tea would actually pair well with real Bourbon - so good). With a huge variety of teas, tea essentials, great gifts for not just the tea enthusiast, but animal and adult beverage-loving friends as well, I couldn't wait to make and taste the Tropical Black tea I ended up purchasing. Strong and sweet it perfect paired with a Mesilla Valley sunrise. Highly...