Prepare to find yourself in the mystical, slightly-psychedelic lemongrass meadowlands of your wildest spa dreams.
Tasting Notes
While there’s no shortage of coconut flavored sparkling waters, this one stands out by actually bringing the coconut to the background. It’s not present in the nose, but it emerges subtly and warmly throughout the sip, lingering mellowly as the finish.
This isn’t the aggressive, suntan lotion coconut punch of LaCroix. Instead, it’s more reminiscent of actual coconut water, mouth-feel included, enveloping your mouth and your senses without the cloying sweetness.
The foreground is dominated by lemongrass, with heavy emphasis on the “grass” part. This is a rich, complex, herb-forward flavor. We like to imagine the Aura Bora factory in San Francisco, where robed acolytes patiently steep their hand-harvested lemongrass stalks in warm coconut milk. And then infuse their results with delicate carbonation. Effervescent, satisfying, a spa visit in an artful can.
Overall, we find that this highlights the best qualities of both lemongrass and coconut. We were a little cautious going in, because lemongrass can be an overwhelming scent and flavor, but somehow this captures the quintessence without being too intense. Don’t be afraid that this will whack you in the face with flavor. Subdued and zen, this is a warm bath, not a cold plunge.
The ingredients list “natural coconut flavor with other natural flavors,” and we wouldn’t be surprised if one of these mystery natural flavors was ginger. It feels like there’s just a small, spicy note, distinct from the lemongrass.
This is one of our favorite sparkling waters, hands down. As much as we might enjoy the mass-produced, just-barely-naturally flavored sparkling waters that dominate the market, it’s always revelatory to taste something so obviously crafted with care and attention and genuine ingredients. Even among the quickly-growing artisanal craft sparkling waters, this is a standout.
Aura Bora is new on the market, released only a month or two ago and currently only available in a handful of stores in California and the southwestern US. Don’t despair, though, they’re currently offering free shipping, and we’ve got the link right on this page.
And don’t forget to read the poem on the can! Little gems of mystical wisdom are found inside and out of the aura of the Aura Bora.
ingredients
Carbonated Water, Natural Coconut Flavor with Other Natural Flavors, Lemongrass Leaf Extract
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