Under the motto "you are what you drink" I bought eight bottles of different mineral waters at my supermarket.
I had to fiddle with all the packaging to get one bottle of each (yes, that was me) and endure the surprised looks at the cash register… Because I usually take a different kind of bottle with me.
Nice and cheap though, such a tasting of mineral waters! From 20 cents to a luxurious 72 cents per bottle of different volumes (33 and 50 cl).
The waters were poured randomly and the order was kept, during the tasting there was no view of the brand. Blind tasting water, perfectly possible…
The reason for the test? Messing up as little Ricard as possible with inferior water!
No, actually it’s just to see what's on the market and what I like most to drink every day, while working. Now that's usually sparkling water, so spa, and all that carbonation might not be ideal either. According to many, mineral water is unsurpassed as a thirst quencher throughout the day and despite some notable alternatives that just come to mind, I believe all those people.
There are of course more than eight mineral waters and some interesting candidates are undoubtedly missing, but given that I want to pick a favourite from the selection, that I will drink every day, it makes little sense to taste a water that my regular supermarket does not offer… Right?
Many advantages to a water tasting: you can taste an extra glass, or two, a spitting bucket is not necessary, it doesn’t stain.
Exciting too, a tasting of products that match so closely… Because where does one water make the difference and the other fail?
Funny, with the scents 4 stands out immediately, slightly fresher than the others, and in the visual comparison I notice that 3 is a bit darker.
Time to taste: 1 is quite neutral. Not illogical? Know that I'll try it a few times: first in order, then mixed, and then the difficult cases again. And neutral is really the only thing I can make of it… In fact, that's not even bad for mineral water.
2 had a fresh scent, but metallic in the aftertaste. “Can” I wrote down, but now I realize that this is just metallic… FYI: all waters came from plastic bottles, not from cans. But you saw that in the picture.
3 is a bit darker, but I can't add much to it at best. Unobtrusive, but again: for water that's ok.
Again a fresher scent at 4, but less than at 2. The mouthfeel is also a bit fuller, the consistency a bit thicker. Pleasant too.
Also 5 is fuller, thicker, and offers more than some opponents who seem a bit thin. The question remains: do you expect that from water?
6 is downright metallic and I don't like it.
With 7 everything is ok until the less pleasant, slightly chemical aftertaste throws a spanner in the works. Unfortunately.
We finished with 8 and I noted "cheap". It's suggestive, but to me this one offers less than some of the others. Taste, experience, satisfaction… a little bit less of everything.
What else stood out when the bottles were placed next to the glasses?
Bottle 6 is made of very light plastic, while the others are comparable in terms of strength. Remember, it's for everyday use…
The difference in price, however small, is reflected in the evaluation. Only 2 stands out in a negative sense, and 6 in a positive sense. But both were actually no longer eligible…
We also had a test report on hand from Test Aankoop, which contains some remarkable findings.
For example, 5 is not ideal for a low-salt diet and 3 is not suitable for daily use because of too much sulfite and calcium. The latter is also not suitable for infants. Interesting facts… The rest was ok, or not tested.
Result?
Katrien chose 3 as favourite, shortly followed by 4. I myself preferred 5, with 4 as runner-up.
FYI:
3 is Vittel
4 is Evian
5 is Chaudfontaine
Are we snobs now, since we prefer the bigger brands? Although not based on the names, we tasted blindly, but because of the quality.
Or are the obvious ones confirmed here?
Know that in terms of price, taste, appearance, experience… all are very close in this matter and that your preference will probably be different from ours. I can recommend the test.
But first you have to fiddle with the packaging in the store…
mb
PS : I am aware of the ecological burden of these plastic bottles, but since most people still rely on them and the alternatives are not available here with us, we have to make do with this for now. Let me make the switch from sparkling to mineral water and we'll take a look at the planet-friendly options later.
I had to fiddle with all the packaging to get one bottle of each (yes, that was me) and endure the surprised looks at the cash register… Because I usually take a different kind of bottle with me.
Nice and cheap though, such a tasting of mineral waters! From 20 cents to a luxurious 72 cents per bottle of different volumes (33 and 50 cl).
The waters were poured randomly and the order was kept, during the tasting there was no view of the brand. Blind tasting water, perfectly possible…
The reason for the test? Messing up as little Ricard as possible with inferior water!
No, actually it’s just to see what's on the market and what I like most to drink every day, while working. Now that's usually sparkling water, so spa, and all that carbonation might not be ideal either. According to many, mineral water is unsurpassed as a thirst quencher throughout the day and despite some notable alternatives that just come to mind, I believe all those people.
There are of course more than eight mineral waters and some interesting candidates are undoubtedly missing, but given that I want to pick a favourite from the selection, that I will drink every day, it makes little sense to taste a water that my regular supermarket does not offer… Right?
Many advantages to a water tasting: you can taste an extra glass, or two, a spitting bucket is not necessary, it doesn’t stain.
Exciting too, a tasting of products that match so closely… Because where does one water make the difference and the other fail?
Funny, with the scents 4 stands out immediately, slightly fresher than the others, and in the visual comparison I notice that 3 is a bit darker.
Time to taste: 1 is quite neutral. Not illogical? Know that I'll try it a few times: first in order, then mixed, and then the difficult cases again. And neutral is really the only thing I can make of it… In fact, that's not even bad for mineral water.
2 had a fresh scent, but metallic in the aftertaste. “Can” I wrote down, but now I realize that this is just metallic… FYI: all waters came from plastic bottles, not from cans. But you saw that in the picture.
3 is a bit darker, but I can't add much to it at best. Unobtrusive, but again: for water that's ok.
Again a fresher scent at 4, but less than at 2. The mouthfeel is also a bit fuller, the consistency a bit thicker. Pleasant too.
Also 5 is fuller, thicker, and offers more than some opponents who seem a bit thin. The question remains: do you expect that from water?
6 is downright metallic and I don't like it.
With 7 everything is ok until the less pleasant, slightly chemical aftertaste throws a spanner in the works. Unfortunately.
We finished with 8 and I noted "cheap". It's suggestive, but to me this one offers less than some of the others. Taste, experience, satisfaction… a little bit less of everything.
What else stood out when the bottles were placed next to the glasses?
Bottle 6 is made of very light plastic, while the others are comparable in terms of strength. Remember, it's for everyday use…
The difference in price, however small, is reflected in the evaluation. Only 2 stands out in a negative sense, and 6 in a positive sense. But both were actually no longer eligible…
We also had a test report on hand from Test Aankoop, which contains some remarkable findings.
For example, 5 is not ideal for a low-salt diet and 3 is not suitable for daily use because of too much sulfite and calcium. The latter is also not suitable for infants. Interesting facts… The rest was ok, or not tested.
Result?
Katrien chose 3 as favourite, shortly followed by 4. I myself preferred 5, with 4 as runner-up.
FYI:
3 is Vittel
4 is Evian
5 is Chaudfontaine
Are we snobs now, since we prefer the bigger brands? Although not based on the names, we tasted blindly, but because of the quality.
Or are the obvious ones confirmed here?
Know that in terms of price, taste, appearance, experience… all are very close in this matter and that your preference will probably be different from ours. I can recommend the test.
But first you have to fiddle with the packaging in the store…
mb
PS : I am aware of the ecological burden of these plastic bottles, but since most people still rely on them and the alternatives are not available here with us, we have to make do with this for now. Let me make the switch from sparkling to mineral water and we'll take a look at the planet-friendly options later.