Bottle Water
The Taste of Water
By bottledwaterweb
Jun 22, 2005, 18:57

We all form subconscious conclusions when we taste water. At a blind water tasting held by The San Francisco Chronicle in 1980, samples of municipal waters from around the San Francisco Bay area were collected and rated by a panel of food and wine experts. Hidden among the tap waters to be tasted was a highly mineralized, non-carbonated French bottled water. All of the judges found it's taste unpleasant and gave it poor marks -- all except Francoise Labet, a French wine maker. He rated the bottled water as the best tasting, with comments like, "This water reminds me of home." Unknown to him, the water which he rated so highly actually was what he drank at home. He demonstrated that our taste buds and brain have strong recall, even with the subtle taste of water.

In another tasting conducted for The American Institute of Wine and Food in September of 1990, California municipal tap waters were judged by a panel of eight food and wine experts. Each judge collected their own local tap water and brought it to the tasting. There was a general consensus that the best water in California came from the North and that probably San Francisco or Santa Cruz would win. Much to the surprise of the judges and audience, the winning water came from Huntington Beach, a coastal town South of Los Angeles. It was discovered that Huntington Beach's own wells have lower concentrations of minerals than the Northern California sources -- and tasters prefer their tap water with lower minerals.

At another tap water tasting in Atlanta, organized by Southpoint Magazine, ten Southern municipal waters were rated on a scale from zero (sludge), to 13 (nirvana). Memphis won with comments like "...On the nose, at first it was cottony ... a refreshing texture." Judges rated New Orleans, "...for its neutrality, this is Swiss of the waters." Dallas was said to be, "...crude, with an edge." Houston , "... bring on the chlorine, "...It was like a chemistry lab, " and for one of the judges "...that brought back unpleasant memories." Atlanta water wasn't so peachy. The judges said, "... It was like having a gulp of a swimming pool," Charlotte was described as tasting "like when you have a Band-Aid on your finger and you get in the shower and you get out and suck the water out of the Band-Aid ...It's like a wet Band Aid." And of Orlando's water they said "...It's the reason most people don't drink water."

A more scientific approach to the taste of water was explored by Professor William Bruvold of the University of California at Berkeley. He conducted and published findings about the taste of minerals in water. His study showed that certain combinations and concentrations of minerals in water were more acceptable to tasters than others.

We have approximately 100,000 taste buds and each one is connected to the brain by a nerve. Each taste bud senses four basic stimulations from various parts of the tongue. Saltiness and sweetness are experienced from taste buds on the tip of the tongue. The sensation of sourness is perceived on the outer edge of the tongue and bitterness is perceived on the rear surface of the tongue. Aiding the total tasting experience are two nerves in the upper passage of the nose. The aromatics of a substance pass through the nose region when we exhale. Pinch your nose and see how much less you really taste without your nose. When evaluating water its important to draw the water into the mouth and cover all your taste-sensitive areas.

Tap water taste varies depending on where you live and how your municipal water supply treats or processes the water. Chlorine is one of the most commonly perceived tastes associated with municipal water and the chemical imparts a slightly acidic taste.

Water impurities can affect the taste of many foods and beverages. Julia Child said that her Santa Barbara tap water turns her "Chinese tea into mud." Certainly, tea and coffee's natural aromatic constituents will diminish with poor tasting tap water. Chlorine and other chemicals can effect the taste of beverages, ice cubes, soups and even vegetables.

Carl Rosenberg, the former chief baker at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, was asked to duplicate the famous dinner rolls at the Olympic Hotel in Seattle. Rosenberg went to Seattle, and on returning to Los Angeles tried out the recipe. The rolls' distinctive flavor and texture were both missing. He rechecked the ingredients and all were correct and of the highest quality. "Could it be the water?" he wondered. After ordering several gallons of Seattle tap water he tried the recipe again. This time it worked. Since it was not practical to ship Seattle water each time he baked the rolls, he used distilled water which produced better dough fermentation. And although distilled water may be better to cook with, it does not score well in water tastings.

At The American Institute of Wine and Food's "Homage to H20," ten non-carbonated bottled waters were judged in a blind tasting. The water scoring the lowest points was a distilled bottled water. The judges used words like "dull" and "flat" to describe the taste. People tend to prefer drinking spring waters and using distilled waters for their car batteries or irons.

Natural springs are as unique as a fingerprint. No two are identical. They occur randomly, and each one has its own personality. Some are gushers while others gurgle. Some are still while others are carbonated. Some are boiling hot while others are near freezing. But one thing all springs have in common is that each one has its own unique water analysis.

The taste of spring water reflects different geologic strata where water absorbs minerals and trace elements; some over a year or two and others over centuries. These minerals are described in the water's mineral analysis and are perceived in its taste. Highly mineralized water can sometimes taste metallic, and high bicarbonates can taste salty. Water with hydrogen sulfide tastes like rotten eggs, and high iron in water can taste like a rusty nail. Lower grade plastic bottles can cause a plastic taste in the water. And, if those bottles are stored in sunlight, the plastic taste can become even stronger. People tend to prefer their non-carbonated water in the range of 30 - 100 patrs per million of total dissolved solids -- that being the measure of these minerals and trace elements. For carbonated waters, higher levels of minerals are more acceptable.

The taste of carbonated water is dominated by the level of carbonation. The more carbon dioxide gas present, the more acidic the taste. This sensation, sometimes described by tasters as "bracing," "sharp" and "spritzy," can be positive or negative, depending upon which minerals are in the water. Certain minerals bind the carbonation into the water. Seltzers tend to loose their carbonation quickly because of the lack of minerals. In bottled water tastings, the more highly mineralized carbonated waters have scored best.

As the bottled water boom continues and new brands search for shelf space, the question of taste may become the battle ground of the 1990s. The consumer has been given the message from the industry that bottled water tastes better than tap water. But which bottled water tastes best? Try your own water tasting with the guidelines set herewith and perhaps the answer may spring forth!

ORGANIZING A WATER TASTING

You can have a water tasting at your home or office by simply following these guidelines. Having a water tasting is similar to a wine tasting although the threshold levels of differences are more subtle and the next morning there are no hangovers.

FLIGHTS OF WATER
Each type of water should compete in their own category. For example, carbonated bottled waters should be competing against one another in one flight, non-carbonated bottled waters in another flight and municipal tap waters in a third flight. No more than 20 different waters should be sampled at one sitting because palate fatigue can affect the results.

BOTTLED WATER
A selection of bottled waters can be found in most grocery stores and purchase enough of each brand to serve 10 ounces per judge. Make sure to read the labels of each bottle to determine the type of water and be aware of products that may look like water but contain juices, flavoring and sugars. The FDA’s Standards of Identity for bottled water published November 13, 1995 in the Federal Register requires that the bottlers clearly label their water. “Spring Water” means water from a spring or a borehole which must prove to be the same as that which comes from the spring’s natural orifice. “Mineral Water” must not have less than 250 parts per million of total dissolved solids. It defines terms for “high” mineral (more than 1,500 ppm) and “low” (less than 500ppm). “Municipal Source” must be clearly labeled as such, unless it is sufficiently processed to be labeled as distilled or purified water. Bottled “Municipal Source” should not be included in a flight with municipal tap water.

MUNICIPAL TAP WATER
For municipal tap waters be sure that the water supplied to the location is billed by the local municipal water department. Make certain that the location does not have any treatment devices such as water softeners, reverse osmosis equipment or activated carbon filters. A tap on the side of the building often yields water direct from the delivery lines and will give a representative sample. Do not use water which passes through a plastic hose as it will retain a strong plastic flavor.

DRAWING FROM THE TAP
Use water only from the cold tap. Water heaters can alter the character of tap water. Run the cold water tap for at least one minute prior to rinsing the bottle and filling. This will clear the lines of any sediment or flavor the water might otherwise pick up in the pipes.

FILLING THE BOTTLE
Use a clean bottle, preferably one that has been used for commercial bottled water and has not had other liquids stored in it. Fill the bottle 1/3 full and put a cap on it. Vigorously shake the bottle and then empty the water. Then fill the water to the top of the neck and close the cap.

STORING PRIOR TO TASTING
Try to collect the samples as close to the tasting event as possible. When the sample is collected store in a dark, cool place away from any petroleum, chemicals or strong smelling substances.

JUDGES
Almost anyone can judge water as long as they have a good sense of smell, sight and taste. The best time to hold a tasting is late morning before lunch or late afternoon, before dinner. One-half hour prior to the tasting, judges should not smoke, consume coffee, alcoholic beverages, spicy food or chew gum as they tend to dull the ability to taste and smell. Judges should avoid wearing strong perfumes as it can interfere when evaluating the aroma of water. Judges should not talk to one another during the judging.

PROCEDURE
Judging should take place in a well lit, quiet area away from noise and distractions. Wine glasses are especially good for evaluating water and each glass should be double rinsed and hand-buffed to insure that there is no chlorine residue from washing. Waters should be tasted blind and the judges should not know the brand name or source of the samples. Make paper place mats with a number for each glass. Six glasses per flight works well at most tastings. All samples should be tasted at room temperature. An assistant should pour about half a glass of each sample out of the judge’s view. Each glass should then be placed on the judges paper mat of the corresponding number.

JUDGING
Use the WATER RATING SHEET model provided at this link.

APPEARANCE
The first step in evaluating a water is to perform a visual check. Observe the water to see if there are any noticeable differences from the other water in color or other obvious defects. If the water has a color, is cloudy or has suspended particles then deduct points.

AROMA
To obtain the aroma of the water (if any) swirl it in the glass and then take three short sniffs, holding the nose directly above the water. If there are any unusual or off odors such as chlorine, plastic, sulfur or mustiness then deduct points.

FLAVOR, MOUTHFEEL & AFTERTASTE
After swirling the water, take a small amount into the mouth. Spread the portion quickly throughout the mouth; swallow. Since a number of waters will be tasted, only a small portion of the sample need be swallowed and the remainder expectorated. Observe if the water has any unusual or off flavors such as chemicals, saltiness, iron, sulfur, etc. Does the water have a stale mouthfeel and is there an unpleasant residue wen swallowed? If so deduct points.

CARBONATED WATERS
If carbonated waters are being tasted it is important to observe the quality of the bead (or bubble) in the water. Are the bubbles aggressive or slow and random? Which tastes more pleasant? Carbonation may make a water feel brisk in the mouth and have a higher acidity. Evaluate how this adds or detracts from the taste quality.

REPORTING THE RESULTS
Use the Water Rating Sheet model that follows to give points for each sample and to describe the appearance, characteristic odor and taste quality. The Water Rating Sheets should be collected from the judges and then tallied for a final score.