In attempting to pick up on the subtle differences between the different sources of mineral water I decided to allocate myself the leisure to comparatively drink through all 4 bottles during the first week. The experience other than being most enjoyable has also allowed me to attune my senses and better grasp how to approach appraising water. Furthermore I needed to reaffirm that the test would be worthwhile towards improving my future water situation and that meant the quality of the bottled water had to surpass what I could already obtain at home with the Amway eSpring filtration. I was convinced this was the case.
First I would like to begin by saying that all 4 bottles procured for the test provided a clean and refreshing drink. In terms of taste I could detect varying degrees of minerals in the water but the differences are very slight. I cannot accurately enough detect and separate the experiences for it to be useful. Perhaps if I was to drink these bottles of mineral water every day for a year to develop and build on my sensitivity I would become more receptive and accurate in determining these nuances. For now the noticeable difference between the 4 different bottles for me is in the contrasting body of water in each respective bottle. This can be felt by slowly moving the water around within the cavities of the mouth. The Icelandic spring felt the heaviest and has an excellent mouth feel. Fuji water was medium-ish, being soft and rounded. Both the Australian and Scottish springs were lighter, feeling thinner by comparison.
What does all this mean? My experience tells me that generally a tea with low notes, possessing a dense and heavy character will pair well with water that is similarly heavy. This will impart a greater mouth feel and deeper taste. Vice versa a highly aromatic tea with light and floral characteristics will be more suitably paired with water that is light and crisp. This will encourage the tea’s aroma to rise and be better appreciated. - In Part 2 I will commence with the brewing of tea to explore the different outcomes and to identify the best performing water for the respective tea.