The Water Palate
Read a water before you pour it
Three maps of the cellar's verified waters, in the spirit of a wine bar's tasting chart. Each dot is a water: hover or focus one for its numbers, tap it to open its page.
Map 1
Bubbles and pH
Left to right is pH as printed on the label: below 7 is acidic, above 7 is alkaline. Bottom to top is bubbles, from still to bold. Carbon dioxide makes water more acidic, which is why most sparkling waters sit on the left.
- LivelySparkling and acidic. Sharp bubbles, bright finish.
- PolishedSparkling but alkaline. Rounder bubbles, softer edge.
- CrispStill and acidic. Clean and slightly sharp.
- SoftStill and alkaline. Smooth and round.
22 of 26 verified waters print a pH on their label. Bubble levels are our estimates (still, or sparkling at Classic unless the brand or a tasting says the bubbles are light or bold) until we have each brand's CO2 figure in grams per liter.
Map 2
Body and salt
Left to right is body: total dissolved solids on a log scale, from featherlight to heavy. Bottom to top is how much of the mineral charge comes from sodium rather than calcium and magnesium. Sodium reads soft or salty; calcium and magnesium read firm and chalky.
- MellowLight and sodium-led. Soft and smooth.
- SavoryFull and sodium-led. Salty and mouth-filling.
- FreshLight and calcium-led. Clean, quietly mineral.
- ChalkyFull and calcium-led. Firm and structured.
20 verified waters have the calcium, magnesium and sodium figures this map needs. Shares are calculated by electrical charge (milliequivalents per liter), the standard way to compare ions.
Map 3
Finish and salt
Left to right is the finish: how much of the charge on the other side comes from sulfate and chloride (dry, sometimes bitter) rather than bicarbonate (smooth and round). Bottom to top is sodium, as in map 2. Hydrologists use the same two balances to sort waters into types.
- Smooth & saltySodium bicarbonate. Soft, saline, rounded.
- BrinySodium chloride. Salty, close to the sea.
- Round & chalkyCalcium bicarbonate, the classic spring-water profile.
- Dry & firmCalcium sulfate. A dry, slightly bitter finish.
12 verified waters list all six major ions this map needs. Many labels skip sulfate or chloride; those waters join the map once the figures are filled in.
See every number as a table
| Water | Country | pH | Bubbles | TDS mg/L | Sodium share | Dry share | Zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acqua Panna | Italy | 8 | Still | 141 | 12% | Soft, Fresh | |
| Apollinaris | Germany | 5.9 | Classic | 2,500 | 60% | 16% | Lively, Savory, Smooth & salty |
| Aqua Carpatica | Romania | 7.9 | Still | 197 | 1% | Soft, Fresh | |
| Badoit | France | 6 | Light | 1,100 | 36% | 10% | Lively, Chalky, Round & chalky |
| Borjomi | Georgia | 6.3 | Classic | 6,250 | 85% | Lively, Savory | |
| Evian | France | 7.2 | Still | 345 | 5% | 9% | Soft, Fresh, Round & chalky |
| Fiji Water | Fiji | 7.7 | Still | 222 | 30% | Soft, Fresh | |
| Gerolsteiner Naturell | Germany | Still | 836 | 8% | 9% | Chalky, Round & chalky | |
| Gerolsteiner Sprudel | Germany | 5.9 | Classic | 2,527 | 17% | 6% | Lively, Chalky, Round & chalky |
| Icelandic Glacial | Iceland | 8.4 | Still | 62 | 49% | Soft, Fresh | |
| La Salvetat | France | 6 | Light | 520 | 3% | 6% | Lively, Chalky, Round & chalky |
| Lurisia | Italy | Still | 35 | ||||
| MTN WTR | Japan | 8.6 | Still | 70 | Soft | ||
| Mountain Valley Spring Water | United States | 7.3 | Still | 220 | Soft | ||
| Perrier | France | 5.5 | Bold | 479 | 6% | 19% | Lively, Fresh, Round & chalky |
| Rogaška Donat Mg | Slovenia | 6.8 | Classic | 13,197 | 42% | 26% | Lively, Chalky, Round & chalky |
| S.Pellegrino | Italy | 7.7 | Classic | 862 | 11% | 71% | Polished, Chalky, Dry & firm |
| Solán de Cabras | Spain | 7.6 | Still | 263 | 4% | 13% | Soft, Fresh, Round & chalky |
| Souroti | Greece | Classic | 1,000 | 22% | Chalky | ||
| Svalbarði | Norway | Still | 21 | ||||
| TAU | United Kingdom | 7.2 | Still | 208 | Soft | ||
| Topo Chico | Mexico | 6.2 | Bold | 630 | 16% | 61% | Lively, Chalky, Dry & firm |
| Ty Nant | United Kingdom | 6.8 | Still | 165 | 32% | Crisp, Fresh | |
| Volvic | France | 7 | Still | 130 | 35% | 33% | Crisp, Fresh, Round & chalky |
| Voss | Norway | 5.9 | Still | 44 | 41% | Crisp, Fresh | |
| Waiakea | United States | 7.9 | Still | 86 | Soft |
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