REVIEWS: Flavored Waters and Organic Iced Tea

Bombilla Gourd Organic White Iced Tea and Mate Tea

Available at www.bombillagourd.com and specialty stores; $22.50 for 15 pure teas and $32.99 for 12 mate teas

The pitch: "Consumed almost religiously in parts of Asia, this pure, unsweetened organic tea is now generating a buzz among American consumers for its unprecedented health benefits."

The skinny: Bottled iced teas with a clean fresh-brewed taste are hard to find. Most often, the staleness is masked by artificial sweeteners. You expect, however, a certain level of crispness when selecting a certified organic tea. And Bombilla Gourd delivers.

Those who wish the teas from their favorite Thai restaurant could be bottled and iced will be thrilled. The pure white tea had a bite, but it wasn't bitter. More important, it wasn't sweet. The white tea also includes 130 percent of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.

The raspberry mate flavor was designed to include sweetness, and it didn't overpower at all. The company pushes the potential health benefits to this high-end drink, but its flavor alone could attract converts.

Hint Premium Essence Water

Available at specialty markets and at

www.amazon.com; $22 for 12

The pitch: "Natural essences infused with pure water deliver on the promise of Hint's outstanding packaging - refreshing great taste without all the junk."

The skinny: There's a hint of flavor in this drink, but it tastes more watered-down than flavor-infused.

The peppermint flavor had less of an aroma than the one infused with pomegranate tangerine, but both left me wondering what it would be like to taste something with more - a lot more - flavor.

Despite brilliant bottle design, savvy marketing and a product placement deal with Disney, this product's delivery is weak. As it doesn't offer anything more than a faint flavor, there's little reason to choose it over Aquafina or even the water fountain at the office.

Fruit 2 0 Flavored Water

Available at Publix and Sweetbay supermarkets; $2.99 for six

The pitch: "The country's No. 1 full-fruit flavored water beverage with zero calories, zero grams of sugar and zero grams of carbohydrates per serving."

The skinny: Fruit 2 0 is likely so popular because it's a calorie-free equivalent of Kool-Aid. One sip and you know whether the crystal clear drink is the natural grape, lemon or strawberry selection. Kids love the sugary flavor, and moms like that it's calorie-free. Just be prepared that despite containing "natural flavors," the Fruit 2 0 label lists 35 milligrams of sodium. Also, adults may find anything beyond the lemon option too much for their palates.

Mary Shedden