This study investigated the sensory characteristics of adlay tea favorably consumed by Korean consumers and analyzed the drivers behind for liking or disliking adlay tea. Six adlay tea products showing the highest market share in South Korea were selected. Sensory properties of the six products were analyzed using generic descriptive analysis. Among these, four products were further selected for consumer taste acceptance test. Sensory lexicons of adlay tea were developed by trained panelists, and the sensory characteristics of each adlay tea product were measured based on the perceived intensities of these attributes elicited from the samples. In the consumer taste acceptance test, frequent tea and coffee drinkers participated. Consumers rated the acceptance of each tea product on a 9-point hedonic scale and evaluated the reasons for liking or disliking each product based on the check-all-that-apply method. Analysis of Variance, principal component analysis, frequency analysis, and correspondence analysis were utilized for statistical analysis. Twenty sensory attributes were developed in order to characterize the six adlay tea products. The results of the descriptive analysis showed that attributes such as viscosity, black soybean flavor, goso flavor, peanut flavor, seaweed flavor, green, and presence of chunks were key factors differentiating the adlay tea products. In the consumer taste test, roasted flavor, goso flavor, peanut flavor, and presence of chunks were positive drivers for liking the adlay tea products, whereas seaweed and green flavors were negative attributes that drove consumers away.