Good Earth, Mango Me Crazy

Good Earth Description:
It’s the little things in life that make us smile. Like the crazy, happy feeling you get with a first peek of sun or toes in the sand. Or in this case, some Mango Me Crazy™ tea. Blended with a bold variety of breezy fruit flavors, this white tea will have you feeling like summer is just around the corner whenever you enjoy it.

Ingredients:
White tea, rosehip, sweet blackberry leaf, natural mango and mangosteen flavor with other natural flavors, mangosteen peel, chamomile, hibiscus, citric acid, steviol glycosides (stevia), natural flavor.

Sample provided by Good Earth

My Review:
I'm feeling a little less than 100% today. We used a couple plug in air fresheners in the house. I learned I can't be around them as it flared up a pretty severe respiratory attack. Beyond the air fresheners, this is not a good time of year for those of us with breathing issues. First its colder out so outside air is not a big part of the day. Then every store you go in seems to have candles burning or heavily scented wreathes and potpourri. At least there is tea to give some comfort.

Today, I wanted something easy and light to remind me of warm summer air. This bagged offering from Good Earth is a white tea flavored with tropical fruit. I have never actually experienced ocean breezes but today I am imagining that I am on the beach typing this review.

Each bag contains 2 g of leaf. They come sealed in individual foil envelops to increase freshness. The packaging is bright and cheery. I only have one envelop and it does not have brewing instructions, although from previous experience with Good Earth, I know it is on the box.

Since I do not have printed instructions, I planned to default to my old tea bag ways of boiling water and a 4 minute steep. Except as the water heated, I just couldn't do it. I stopped the water at around 195 F. I just can't boil white tea unless I know it is recommended.  

The scent as I open the envelop is really nice. I have never been to the tropics and I have never smelled a real mango. The aroma here I find closely resembles a fresh peach but more prickly and just a touch tart.

When I look at the ingredients, it has me scratching my head. Rosehips? Hibiscus? Chamomile? You know what though? It actually works here. What I am tasting is the mango flavor shining through. The other ingredients seem to be added to fill out the experience. They add fullness and a touch of tart, without drawing attention to themselves. The addition of stevia is almost welcome, except it does add that odd stevia bitterness in the aftertaste. On the other hand, I am not sure if the fullness of the tart fruit bite would present without it, and certainly it would not be as sweet as fruit. It definitely does not need any additional sweetening.

This was a pleasant change of pace. I would like to try it again sometime but iced and under a tree on the beach.

You may find Good Earth Mango Me Crazy at your local Walmart or Kroger stores. It is also available online through Amazon, or order direct from Good Earth.