Posh Water: Is It Worth The Pop?
We find out whether RO water can hold its own against its fancy-schmancy bottled rivals.
Evian
Named after its Alpine source on the south shore of Lake Geneva, Evian has been one of the world’s most recognisable water brands since it was first bottled in 1829.
Price: ₹200. Source: Évian-les-Bains, France.
The bottle test
By appearance, it looks like a fine bottle of Champagne waiting to explode. But alas, the only thing that will explode if you happen to buy it, is your credit account.
The tastebuds says
Albeit it tastes the softest on the palate, holding it and drinking water from it makes you look quite like the Swagger that every girls wants to be with, or maybe not!
Our verdict
Describing water as ‘Pure’ in our country sounds a little dillusional, but in this case it’s true, and not in a good way.
Tap water
Pumped into every home in India by one of the privately owned water companies. We tasted purified Yamuna Water, which is also is the lifeline of NCR.
Price: ₹.010. Source: The tap, your kitchen sink.
The bottle test
Regardless of the bottle you want to fill it in, you have to own a water purifier or a RO system that makes sure that you get safe, germ free water to drink.
The tastebuds says
The chlorine flavour comes from the cleaning process, but Indian tap water has such dubious levels of regulation that there’s no guarantee of its quality.
Our verdict
Loses on the taste front, but for sheer environmental friendliness and value, it’s pretty darn good.
S.Pellegrino
The carbon dioxide induced water, originates from a layer of rock 400 meters below the surface where it is mineralised from contact with limestone and volcanic rocks. God must have had a lot of spare time to come up with somehting like this!
Price: ₹170. Source: Province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy.
The bottle test
The looks seems to be stolen from that of a Heineken bottle — rich green yet subtle on the eyes. A schmuck can certainly mistake it for a beer variant.
The tastebuds says
This tastes the cleanest, but they’re all subject to the same bottled water regulations. You’d have to have a very sensitive palate to tell.
Our verdict
You’d think it would be impossible to taste any difference, yet this water is a wet dream.
Voss
Two boyhood friends, almost had a Eureka Moment, when they realised that the world needs spring water from pristine and artesian water sources of Norway.
Price: ₹200. Source: Somewhere in Norway!
The bottle test
We were actually taken aback by this bottle. The overall pinkish tinge of the bottle made it look the most absurd from the lot. Maybe it would work better as a perfume.
The tastebuds says
This is at least 500 times pricier than tap water, but it does not taste 500 times better. It’s for people with more money than sense.
Our verdict
If ever there was liquid proof that price is not an indicator of quality, this is it. Nice perfume, err bottle though.
Perrier
The purported “50 Million Bubbles” bottle was initially marketed as the Champagne of mineral water, and today is available in 140 countries across the globe.
Price: ₹140. Source: Vergèze, Gard, France.
The bottle test
Though this is a cool looking bottle, one of us at FHM has used it as an alternative to a mug in the wilderness of Russia’s abundant forests. Works perfectly fine!
The tastebuds says
Yup, tastes like water. Lives up to the expectation of pure tasting natural spring water, though we could count only up to “49 Million Bubbles” till the end of the bottle.
Our verdict
“The best bottle on high street — thirst-quenchingly perfect for a hot summer’s day.”
The less known water myths
Purity
When a spring water company says it is 100% pure, it is not referring to the purity of the water, but the pure source — 100% from an underground water source.
Source
An estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle — sometimes further treated, sometimes not.
Plastic bottles
Reuse of polycarbonate plastic bottles is generally not recommended by commercial bottled water manufacturers, as it may pose a health risk from two perspectives — First, everyday wear and tear from repeated washings can lead to physical breakdown of the plastic. Bacteria can harbor in the cracks, posing a health risk. Secondly, reuse of plastic water bottles can lead to bacterial contamination unless washed regularly.
From the July 2013 issue of FHM India.
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