Whilst browsing my local healthy-food mart I found a flavor of hint–one of our Best of 2008 winners–that I haven’t tried before, and felt like I needed a bit of a mental refreshment as well as libationary.  While doing my obligatory research I noticed that about a year ago hint began a ‘Mom’s Against Sugar Water’ campaign which I fully support, and now they are offering free ground shipping in the U.S. for cases of their products!  I should totally get a case of the cucumber flavor.

Honestly, the scent reminds me of an Otter Pop, but which chemically engineered flavor I’m not sure.  The tangerine is evident, but I’m having difficulty picking out the pomegranate.  With my first taste, the light, almost ethereal flavors whisper to my taste buds and travel into my olfactory center, drawing out sweet memories of these tangy fruits.  The water is clean and crisp, and the tenuous flavors never become a burden on your tongue.  A light sweetness seems to brush the back of my tongue, despite the lack of sugar.  The tangerine seems to take a stronger presence than the pomegranate, but it’s still there.

As always, you can chug a hint for its cool, fresh water, but I suggest sipping it to get the full effect of the subtle flavor combinations.  No calories, no preservatives, no unnatural chemicals of any sort, how can you not enjoy this beverage?  Not my favorite of the line, but still on of my favorite drinks all around.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. A refreshingly light, fruit-citrus combination with nothing it shouldn’t have.

– WiseGuise

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Blends right in with the fruits and veggies

Although it may be a bit difficult to find in my area, I still love hint and their wondrous flavors.  No sweeteners, preservatives or even a single calorie is hidden inside this bottle.  There’s a reason this product made it on to our Best of 2008 list.

Cucumber is my favorite flavor of this line, not because it’s an amazing flavor, but because it’s different, and delicious.  The fresh-cut cucumber scent is there right to the bottom of the bottle, and the ‘hint’ of sweet cucumber stays with you as well.  Yet, you can chug it, enjoying the cold, crisp water taste, and then let the cuke aftertaste mellow on your tongue for as long as you would like, since it tends to stick around like an amiable friend.

I have nothing negative to say about this product, but I must admit that I have run into individuals that dislike the idea of cumumber-flavored water.  Despite these anti-cucumbites, I think that this is definitely worth trying at least once.  If you can’t find them or want to try more flavors, you can always order online.

Score: 5 out of 5. Clean, crisp taste, and nothing more.

– WiseGuise

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The bottle speaks confidently of its company’s “Award Winning Product,” and advocates us to ‘drink water, not sugar.’ I most wholeheartedly agree. The only ingredients in the bottle are water and natural flavorings.

This has the most pungent pear aroma I’ve ever experienced in a beverage, and the taste is right on as well, hinting of a pear-y sweetness while still having no sweeteners, or calories for that matter. You can chug it, and it tastes like good, cold water, and then retreats down your gullet leaving a pleasant pear aftertaste. This is definitely easy to enjoy slowly, letting the flavors mellow on your palette while you read Dostoevsky or your other favorite Russian author.

If you can ignore the eye-roll inducing pun joke on the side of the bottle, and the pear ones as well, you may enjoy this one as much as I did. Available in many health-food and grocery stores, online as well. And for now, the company seems to remain independent.

Score: 5 out of 5, the perfect beverage for those who still like some flavor in their life.

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