Not really sure about the smell or taste. Maybe I left the tea bag in too long as it was too bitter and it didn't smell or taste like Strawberry or Cherry to me. It kind of smelled and tasted more like a perfume than a tea. I was going to give a 1 star rating, but then I decided to ask my son what he thought of the tea and he said it smelled good and tasted good. He said it smelled and tasted fruity. My son gave the 4 star rating.