hint Water: Watermelon

I love the idea of hint water-- spring water (aka no bubbles) with just a hint (get it?) of whatever flavor.

I have noticed that with all the various hint flavors I have tried, I have either loved them or hated them, with no middle ground. The flavors either come off as too weak or too bitter (as was the case with the apple). It's hard to criticize them for that because the flavors do seem pretty natural -- it has just not made me like them any more.

Watermelon should be a slam dunk, right? It's already got 'water' in the title, so you would think that you'd be halfway there. Or perhaps I may have been spoiled. You see, what feels like a thousand years back (but in reality was only five years), when I was living in Woodlands Hills, California, just down the street from us was a rotisserie place that had in fact been there forever (Chicks). They made fresh watermelon juice. Let me tell you, I can take or leave chicken (mostly leave) but that watermelon juice kicked ass. Since then I have searched for something that would be at least close to as good.

So how does the hint water stack up?

I drank the water both ice cold and at room temperature. Ice cold, the flavor was barely perceptible -- almost like drinking watermelon that was under-ripe. The basic flavor is there, but it's more like a shadow of what the flavor will be.

At room temperature the flavor is stronger, and the best way to describe it is to tell you to go get a piece of watermelon flavored gum. Chew the gum for about thirty seconds and then drink about a gallon of water. You know that sour, vaguely bubblegum taste that's left over? That's what this hint water tastes like.

It's not bad, or unpleasant in any way. It does in fact live up to the brand name, as it is only a subtle hint of flavor. I am starting to suspect I do not do subtle all that well...



PURCHASED FROM:
Some bodega (convenience store) whose name I can't remember, NYC