Every coconut water on this site gets six scores out of 10. This is what each one measures.
Taste
How pleasant is the immediate and after taste? Does it leave an acrid or bitter flavor? Is there depth — can you taste floral or earthy notes? Is it interesting? Due to the nature of carbonated and/or pasteurized beverages, they often score lower in this category than their non-carbonated peers.
1–3The flavor is unpleasant — there is an issue with the taste that makes me not want to finish the drink.
3–5The flavor is mediocre or unremarkable — it does not taste bad but isn't particularly interesting, complex, or pleasant.
5–7There is some depth or complexity, and generally the flavors are balanced, but there is still something to be desired.
7–10The coconut water is not only pleasant, but also interesting, balanced, and leaves a satisfying aftertaste.
Sweetness
How sweet is the drink? Maturity of coconut, added sugar, and other factors play a role.
1–3The lack of sweetness is unpleasant — the drink is not balanced.
3–5The drink is not particularly sweet, but the lack of sweetness is not an issue.
5–7The drink is sweet, but the sweetness is not an issue.
7–10The drink is too sweet — the sweetness detracts from the flavor.
Body
How much weight or creaminess the coconut water has in the mouth. Generally, this has a negative correlation with refreshment.
1–3The texture of the drink is hardly discernible from pure water — very thin.
3–5There is a slight body, but it doesn't coat the mouth and still feels somewhat delicate.
5–7The drink has substance — there is clear creaminess.
7–10The drink feels creamier than whole milk — it coats your palate.
Refreshment
How does the drink quench thirst?
1–3The texture of the drink is far too creamy to be satisfying.
3–5While still pleasant to drink when thirsty, it is not particularly thirst quenching.
5–7The drink has similarly refreshing qualities when compared to water.
7–10Drinking this is more refreshing than drinking water.
Ethics
What is the impact of producing this coconut water? Large scale coconut farming leads to habitat loss, and abusive labor practices including monkey slavery (for real). This rating exists to see if companies care enough about their impact to talk about it.
1–3There is little to no information about how the coconut water is sourced.
3–5Some steps are being taken — there might be some organic or fair-trade ingredients.
5–7Additional level of organic and fair-trade ingredients, or regenerative, or Rainforest Alliance certified.
7–10Comprehensive combination of the above.
Overall score is a personal rating based on the water as a whole — it is not an average.