Hints of pure lovliness? More than a hint I'd say... (Tesco Fruit Flavoured Sparkling Water)

Member Name: cheersdarlin

Product:	Tesco Fruit Flavoured Sparkling Water
Date:	28/06/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes great, cheap and versatile

Disadvantages: Aspartame used as sweetner, plastic is thin.

Working for Tesco, there are a few girls who come in to my store and buy these 'Hints of...' water varieties religiously, and they swear by them...

So I decided to give them a try, as surely one bottle can't hurt?

The Packaging:
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The bottles are quite wide at the bottom, and gradually slant into a slender top. This makes them shorter than some other bottles. However it also makes them wider at the bottom.

The bottle has a clear plastic label on it with the title of the product, and a picture of the fruit that it is flavoured by. This makes the packaging feel quite summery and even classy.

The bottles are easy to open using the screw-cap fastening.

However, one problem I find with the packaging, is that the plastic is quite thin, and therefore the bottles can be quite tricky to handle... especially if you are treating it as an 'on the go' drink rather than an occasional drink at home.

Selection:
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There are a number of varieties to choose from in the range:

** Hint of Peach
** Hint of Apple and Rasberry
** Hint of Blackberry and Grape
** Hint of Lemon and Lime
** Hint of Elderflower and Lemon
** Hint of Orange
** Hint of Grapefruit

There is a wide variety, which makes them perfect as cheap mixers at parties which go with any spirit you choose (especially rum and vodka)

The Ingredients:
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Of course the ingredients vary from product to product, but here are the ingredients for a couple of varieties, and they generally all share a similar format:

Peach:

Carbonated Spring Water, Peach Juice from Concentrate (2%), Citric Acid, Natural Flavouring, Preservatives (Dimethyl Dicarbonate, Potassium Sorbate), Sweetener (Sucralose).

Apple and Rasberry:

Carbonated Spring Water, Apple Juice from Concentrate(2%), Citric Acid, Raspberry Flavouring, Sweeteners(Aspartame,Acesulfame K), Preservative(Potassium Sorbate), Antioxidant(Ascorbic Acid).


They are obviously not quite as healthy as plain water would be, but I don't think they are as bad as coca-cola either.

I am not too bothered by the ingredients such as sweetners, but I know it affects some consumers, so it is worth mentioning that some do not use aspatame, some (such as the peach flavour) use sucralose, which to my knowledge is still not great, but better than aspatame.

However, I like it, as the use of sweetners brings down the calorie content dramatically, creating a guilt free pleasure :)


Other Allergens
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Recipe: No nuts.

Ingredients: Cannot guarantee nut free.

Factory: No nuts.

No Added Sugar

Suitable for Vegetarians

Nutrition:
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Energy 14kJ (3kcal)
Protein - trace
Carbohydrate 0.3g
sugars 0.3g
Fat 0.3g
Fibre - trace
Sodium* - trace


I was quite suprised to find that it contained 0.3g of fat... as I wouldn't have thought it would contain any, but yet it is such a small amount, it doesn't really bother me.

Taste
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I think the taste is just right for these bottles of 'Hints of...' water, as they are plentiful on fruitiness, but don't leave the after taste that you get after with some sweetners. I haven't tasted them all, but the ones I have tasted (peach, apple & raspberry, blackberry & grape) have all been wonderfully fruity, and protrayed the flavours advertised well and in perfect balance.

Also the fizzy bubbles in the drink, make the taste buds in your mouth smile, as the flavour becomes even more intense. The sparkling drink makes them great as mixers for spirits.

Price
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At 38p for a litre, they are very cheap, considering you can buy a 500ml bottle of Buxton water for 40p. Also, theres an instore offer at Tesco which is 3 for £1 lasting until 14/07/09. Meaning you can save some pennies too!

Also, with the three for a pound offer, you can save pennies and nab a clubcard point too!

Overall:
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Tesco 'Hints of...' Water is a great product which is versatile, cheap and tastes good. All you can ask for from a product really! I will be buying regularly, as I adore them, but I shall watch for the aspartame in them, as my mother tends to have a fit about it. haha!

Recommended to anyone who finds regular water boring, and wants a more uplifting hydration experience :)

Summary: I love these, and will be buying more of them!