We’ll admit we were a little hesitant to try this one. We are fans of all things citrus, so the tantalizing lemons and limes depicted on the cans called to us, but…cherry is not the easiest flavor to do well.
Often it seems as if the cherry pendulum just swings back and forth between the sickeningly medicinal and the overly saccharine. So when we decided to take a crack at another cherry sparkling water, we girded our loins: was another cherrytrocity headed our way?
But we are here to explore the entire Bubbleverse, so we plunged ahead with determination, even if it meant our palates would take another beating a la cerise.
On first crack of the can, the lime is strong on the nose. Off to a promising start! The lime dissipates quickly though, and further sniffs involve a heavy dose of cherry. Sweet, round, slightly maraschino, and so ready to burst into your mouth. Open wide!
Tasting Notes
Surprise! There is actually a lot to like about this cherry. It gets incredibly close to getting it just right.
It’s subtle, first of all, a stone-fruit whisper from beyond the lush citrus orchard, a soft siren singing from a distant ocean, a lilting aria.
Lime’s green voice projects strongly into this flavor melody, which finds resolution in a softer lemon refrain. The citrus qualities are just as juicy as the cherry, and they entangle exquisitely as if they were sparkling equatorial jungle vines.
As the sip progresses, the cherry reemerges from the foliage, expanding into something rounder and sweeter, but with a faint acidity and welcome bitterness rare in the cherryverse. It all fades together, a long wave receding into the sunset.
The two dominant flavor profiles serve each other well. The understated, ripe cherry tempers the louder tangy citrus into a harmonious, thirst-quenching experience, a sophisticated ode to Hawaiian Punch.
Overall, this sparkling water is well-balanced and subtle. “Tropical” flavors can go one of two ways: either Welcome To The Jungle, or Refreshing Sea Breeze. This is definitely the latter.
And like some of the other G&G sparkling waters, these are very minerally. Think firm Topo Chico-esque bubble structure and just the right amount of down-the-hatch sharpness, plus a satisfying Gerolsteiner-like aftertaste. This one actually tastes like water, in a way that many other sparkling waters somehow don’t.
It’s a strong move from a mainstream brand like Target. The Bubbleverse applauds a bold mineral-forward quality in our sparkling waters, so we are here for it. 🎯
We will definitely be keeping this one in heavy rotation. Who knew that all that cloying, overly assertive cherry needed was a stint in the flavor labs at Target to mellow it out and bring out the best qualities?
I guess that makes sense. When doesn’t a little stint in the tropics bring out our best qualities? 😎🌴🍹
ingredients
Carbonated Water, Natural Flavor
Calling all Bubblenauts!
We’re trying to make this website better for bubblenauts everywhere
and would love your input.
