A tall, icy glass of mango juice should taste like a tropical vacation — bright, sweet, fresh and so complex that each sip begs a repeat. It’s no wonder that it’s the third most popular juice, just behind orange and apple.
Local stores stock plenty of options, but as it turns out, finding mango juice that hits all the right notes is not simple, primarily because of the nature of the fruit. Unlike oranges and apples that are easily juiced, mangoes are so dense and fibrous that they need to pureed, then thinned with liquids. Translated, that means all mango juice is a blend, no matter what the label says.
Lesser brands mix a dash of mango puree with various sweeteners, often high-fructose corn syrup, or super sweet juices, such as white grape or apple. Nicer brands rely on flavorful juices, such as pineapple and orange, that underscore the mango flavor and deliver a full-flavored juice.
The best mango juice blends deliver a burst of fresh, bright flavor thanks to a generous amount of mango puree and a careful blending of numerous flavorful juices and purees. The lousy ones either mask the mango by overdoses of alternative juices or contain so little mango in the first place, you can’t taste it.
Here’s the scoop on the best of mango juices and the watery, oddball impostors. Nutrition info refers to one cup of juice.
Lakewood Biodynamic Mango Blend
Velvety thick and very fresh, this flavor-dense juice showcases the sweet, bright essence of mango. It’s sweet and tart — and if you’re making tropical cocktails or smoothies, eminently bar worthy. 150 calories, 10 mg sodium, 33 g sugar. $8.29 for 32 ounces at Whole Foods. (4 stars)
Open Nature Mango Nectar Juice
Mango is the primary flavor in this rich, syrupy juice. It tastes like a hunk of fresh-cut mango. 120 calories, 30 mg sodium, 31 g sugar. $4.99 for 33.8 ounces at Safeway. (4 stars)
Santa Cruz Organic Orange Mango
This expert blend uses apple, banana and orange juice to highlight the mango. It’s slightly less mango-forward than the top-rated brands, but it’s both delicious and quenching. 120 calories, 15 mg sodium, 25 g sugar. $5.79 for 32 ounces at Whole Foods. (3½ stars)
Trader Joe’s Organic Mango Nectar
Kudos for capturing the flavor of mango, but this extra-sweet juice is unbalanced. It’s in desperate need of an acid kick. 130 calories, 30 mg sodium, 31 g sugar. $4.99 for 64 ounces. (3 stars)
Welch’s Mango Pineapple Juice Cocktail
Even though the mango is way understated, and the juice tastes too sweet, the hit of pineapple is a win. 110 calories, 20 mg sodium, 27 g sugar. $3.18 for 64 ounces at Walmart. (2½ stars)
Good & Gather Organic Pineapple Mango
Sadly, despite the label, this blend is not pineapple-mango. It tastes more like banana-apple. It’s not bad, but the flavor of mango is missing entirely. 120 calories, 15 mg sodium, 25 g sugar. $4.99 for 32 ounces at Target. (1½ stars)
365 Organic Orange Mango
Love apple juice? Grab a bottle of this, as both the mango and the orange have gone AWOL. 120 calories, 30 mg sodium, 29 g sugar. $3.99 for 32 ounces at Whole Foods. (1½ stars)
Ceres Mango Juice Blend
Why this is labeled “mango” is a mystery. It tastes exactly like what it is — pear juice. 120 calories, 10 mg sodium, 21 g sugar. $5.29 for a 33.8 ounce box at Whole Foods. (1 star)
V8 Splash Mango Peach
It looks like Kool Aid and tastes just as fake. This tart, acidic “juice” literally has no fruit juice at all. It is basically water that’s colored with carrot juice and spiked with artificial flavors. 50 calories, 15 mg sodium, 10 g sugar. $2.58 for 64 ounces at Walmart. (½ a star)
Ocean Spray Orange Mango Immunity
Love the idea of immunity in a glass, but this tastes like grapefruit-flavored cough medicine. 60 calories, 10 mg sodium, 14 g sugar. $3.98 for 60 ounces at Walmart. (No stars)
Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.
