Trader Joe's Organic Mango Kombucha, Organic Green Kombucha, & Organic Pomegranate Hibiscus Kombucha

It's the small simple things that bring a lot of joy to my day to day. A cozy scarf. My bed. A nearly deserted grocery store on Super Bowl Sunday. Soft scrubs that don't feel like a burlap shopping bag. That delicious smelling hand soap. Lactaid pills. New kombucha flavors. Hello my pretties. 

Even though kombucha is growing in popularity, it's still pretty unknown to a lot of folks. But in my mind it has reached my [frivolous] benchmark for success - you know you've made it if you've (your brand/merchandise/product) made it to Target. I still find it difficult to describe the taste. It's a fermented tea, which for most people who have trouble imagining that means something vinegary. Now it's not like drinking apple cider vinegar (I think kombucha is way more palatable than shots of that stuff).  For me, it's kind of like what I wish beer tasted like -fizzy, a little earthy, and fruity. Don't expect any IPA reviews around here. :P



This sign stuck out like a sore thumb. For one, it hasn't been replaced by the typical more handwritten-looking sign. Second, it says kombucha mango juice, which begs the question is it kombucha or juice? It's the fermented tea with kombucha cultures that makes kombucha kombucha. But word on the street is that some companies use more juice and less kombucha and bottle the drink as kombucha for the profit margins.......cuz otherwise clueless consumers like me wouldn't know the difference. But whatever. It's TJ's. Take my money.



Interesting that the mango kombucha (labeled as kombucha mango juice, even though it's only 1% juice) has the least amount of sugar while the pomegranate hibiscus has the most. Even still, note that this whole bottle still has less sugar and calories than any soda. If you can get past the fermentedness, it makes a decent soda replacement.

So I read "chlorella" in the green kombucha ingredients list as "cholera" and can't unsee it. How appetizing. My favorite out of this bunch is definitely the mango kombucha. No surprise there, given my well-documented love for mango. Even though it has the least amount of sugar, to me it tastes the sweetest. It's a nice tasting mango flavor, not artificial at all, and works really nicely with the fermented tea. And actually the cholera (now you can't unsee it either) or green kombucha tasted quite nice too. I thought it would have tasted a little like wheatgrass but it actually had a hint of apple and was quite nice. It wasn't until I got toward the sediment at the bottom of the bottle that I wondered what spirulina was (blue-green algae...hopefully from a reputable source) and what it was doing in my drink. Maybe it does something. Maybe it does nothing.

I was most disappointed by the pomegranate hibiscus. I thought it would be similar to the cranberry spiced apple a few months ago. It had a tartness, which I usually don't mind but it was a bit strong for my taste. Couldn't detect the hibiscus at all. And yes, it took me a few days to finish the bottle and by the last couple of days this particular flavor started to smell ketone-like. Fruity but with an acetone note. Eeeegh but oddly still palatable. Maybe I let it sit too long? 

I've readily admitted my bias towards mango. That one I'd willingly repurchase. The others are okay. Can't say that thus far the Trader Joe's brand kombuchas are my favorite (Far from it - I prefer GT's) but the price point isn't terrible and it's a good introduction to those that want a piece of this hipster/hippie/trendy health food. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Organic Mango Kombucha. A mild tasting kombucha with just the right amount of mango. 7 out of 10. 

Trader Joe's Organic Green Kombucha. Earthy but apple-y. 5.5 out of 10. 

Trader Joe's Organic Pomegranate Hibiscus Kombucha. Tart. Ketone-like. With some imaginary hibiscus. Merp. 5 out of 10.