Mango Ceylon

A surprisingly light and fruity tea. No hint of bitterness to the cup.

I was really surprised with how good this tea tastes! I’m usually not one to drink the fruity blends of tea but this one was a good strong cup with just a tiny but definitely notable hints of mango.

Totally generic tea. Quite bland, no distinct flavors, nothing particularly good or bad about it. I guess there’s a touch of sweet that could be the mango, but otherwise, just very average and nondescript. Might be good iced, or with food but not something to drink for its own merits.

Loose leaf – bought from the bulk aisle @ the fancy grocery store.

Large black tea leaves with yellow strips of dried mango.
Not a super scented tea.

Added more sugar than I do for other teas.
Added milk.
Tasted like a melted mango ice cream bar.

Had a little less than half a pot left at the end of the workday – sweetened it, faux-iced it in a giant tumbler for the drive home. Cold, milky tea is odd, but not bad. Wouldn’t necessarily need the milk if drinking as iced tea on a regular basis.

*faux-ice: those plastic, chemical filled, reusable ice cubes that come in weird shapes, like flamingos and fish shapes.

This is the tea that got me into tea, though I grew up drinking Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger, this is the one that introduced me to the world of caffeinated teas so there’s a lot of “homeyness” in this for me.
The mango in this cuppa was much more mellow than usual and the ceylon was weaker (I probably understeeped it, patience is a virtue that I do not have) but it was still good. There are some sweet notes but they’re quieter, like a slight drizzle of honey. The cup is “dry” not the driest tea I’ve had by far, but my mouth feels “cleaner” which for me is something I enjoy for tea. In the past, the ceylon has never been tannic for me and the mango is not by any means overdone compared to a few other mango blends I’ve tried so this was the perfect cuppa for the first storm of the season :)

I also drank this at Panera Bread. I didn’t sweeten it, but it had a subdued taste that reminded me of the mystery flavor in Tea Forte flavored black teas that turned me off to that brand. Perhaps it is the tea leaves. It was alright for drinking mindlessly, but it has grown worse over time. I don’t taste mango. It’s just the indistinct aftertaste of disappointment.

This has always been a favorite of mine. While some drinkers lament the soft mango hints and would prefer a more robust fruit flavor, I find its subtlety to be its best feature. A cup of Mango Ceylon is always delightful and smooth on its own merits. I have convinced many non-tea drinkers to give tea another look after serving a cup of Mango Ceylon.

The tea sachets are handy and make this an easy tea to prepare, but that’s where the truly positive ends. I bought a tin of this (50 unbleached tea bags) at Whole Foods in St. Paul, MN. I felt that the black tea had a bitter undercurrent to it. I even tried steeping the tea with lukewarm water and under-steeping it time-wise. There was a light bitterness to every cup. Could it have been old tea? That’s why I mention the store from which it was purchased. Also, I could not detect a mango flavor. I bought this tea in desperation as I had just run out of Teavana black teas; since getting this tea, I have managed to wean myself from even black tea (I only occasionally drink coffee, and have not touched pop/soda for 26 years). I just wouldn’t buy this again.

I have drank this tea for over 10 years and I’ve always enjoyed it. In fact, I’m drinking it iced right now. I like the subtlety of the taste.

I only got a light hint of mango, there’s more of a flowery taste, but not overpoweringly so, and very pleasant. It doesn’t knock my socks off, but it’s very nice to drink.