Apollinaris "Queen of Table Waters"

This is in my top three waters. A classic bubble with very high TDS and natural carbonation sets this water apart from the rest.

Very similar to Gerolsteiner with more Na to give it a sweeter taste. I could drink this everyday. I also love that fact that it is always in glass, thought I liked the yellow label better.

This water is a great source of Na, Ca, Mg and HCO3.Very similar to Gerolsteiner with more Na to give it a sweeter taste. I could drink this everyday. I also love that fact that it is always in glass, thought I liked the yellow label better.

The "Queen of Table Waters". Rain water seeps through the various layers of earth, picking up minerals and dissolving and filtering them. The longer the water travels - and this can take centuries - determines it's purity. In addition, ground composition determines which minerals and trace elements enrich the water.

Apollinaris originates in a site which has different layers of rock and volcanic occlusions: the Eifel. This unspoilt landscape allows the water to penetrate into the deepest layers of the earth. Natural carbonic acid collects from the volcanic rock stratum. This facilitates especially the absorbtion of many minerals.These ideal conditions provided by nature in the Eifel explain the high level of purity and the balanced mineral content of Apollinaris. (excerpt from fine waters)

http://www.mineralwaters.org/index.php?func=disp&parval=211 for all the tech info click here.

The only other thing I can say is that in a country with the second most mineral waters in the world, this one stands out.

Gerolsteiner "The Ultimate Sparkling Water"

Where do I start with this water? This has been one of my favorite waters since 2005 when I first starting getting into Mineral Waters. For me it has the best of everything, a classic bubble and a very high TDS of 2,500. It also has one of the best bottles which are back in glass after years in plastic. You really can’t beat all the minerals in here; it has a super low Na+ level which sets it apart from Apollinaris (another favorite) and high in pretty much every other mineral. A liter of Gerolsteiner provides 35% of the recommended daily intake of Ca, 25% of your Mg and has 1,816 mg of HCO3 For a full list of all the mineral please refer here:

http://www.mineralwaters.org/index.php?func=disp&parval=1183

According to their site:

The region, from which Gerolsteiner mineral water originates, the Volcanic Eifel, is of unique geological character. A mineral water of the highest quality is created here thanks to the special combination of carbonic acid from earlier volcanic activity and the dolomite rock known for its rich mineral content.

As the water finds its way through the various layers of rock it becomes naturally becomes naturally carbonated. This is an important process, as the carbonic acid allows the water to absorb the precious minerals and trace elements from the dolomite rock.

The water gathers at a depth of up to 200 meters after filtering through various rock layers, retaining its purity and freshness thanks to carbonic acid. To maintain this level of natural purity it is bottled directly at its source.

One interesting detail is that if you read the bottle it now says “with natural carbonation added” What does this mean? The water when extracted is carbonated around 3.5 mg/l, according to (fine waters) to make the classic Sprudel they add Co2 from the water itself directly from the source to give its end result of 8 mg/l.

Regardless if you know all the minerals in side what most people care about is taste. Most people when I tell them about these types of water will always say “all water tastes the same” which is so far from the truth.

The Ca and Mg really give this water a great flavor, I go back and forth with this and Apollinaris which has a sweeter flavor in my opinion.