Phantom Gourmet: Flavored Sparkling Water Taste Test

BOSTON (CBS) -- Phantom recently purchased four bottles of orange mango flavored sparkling water at a local supermarket. The thirst quenching contenders were Fruitwater, Polar, Skinnygirl, and Sparkling Ice. See if you can guess which fizzy brand ended up at the top of the food chain.

Skinnygirl sparklers finished in last place. Thanks to this bottle's slippery label, it was difficult to open. And once Phantom finally popped the top, his wished he hadn't been able to open it at all. With a bright yellowish color and barely any carbonation whatsoever, a glass of this Skinnygirl was not very attractive. As for taste, this stuff is just flat and musty, making for a sparkler that flat out fizzled.

A step up from there is Fruitwater. Made with no juice at all, this sparkling water looks like orange soda, and smells like it too. More citric than sweet, the orange flavor overpowers any hint of mango, leading to a boring beverage experience.

The runner up is Sparkling Ice. When Phantom opened this fizzy bottle, he was overwhelmed with a sweet and juicy scent. And that's just how this stuff tasted too. While it does deliver a nice balance of orange and mango flavors, it's almost candy like, resulting in each sip being just too sweet.

At the top of the food chain is Polar. Finally a sparking water worth drinking. This tall thin bottle is bursting with a fresh floral aroma and a fun fizzy fruit flavor. The well balanced orange and mango notes taste like fresh fruit, with just the right amount of sweetness, making this a refreshing treat. That's why Polar Sparkling Frost Orange Mango is at the top of the food chain.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.