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Cherokee Bottled Water takes fifth at tasting contestCherokee Bottled Water, a product of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, tied for fifth place at the 10th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in West Virginia.The brand, which has been produced by the tribe since 1998, competed in the bottled-noncarbonated division against 43 other brands representing 20 states and three foreign countries. This was the tribe's first entry in a water-tasting competition that also included categories for municipal, sparkling and label design. The tribe's brand accumulated 408 points to tie with Cool Springs Pure Spring Water from Parkersburg, W.Va. The winning brand was Halstead Spring Water from Speedwell, Tenn., with 423 points. "We've always known that the water in the Great Smoky Mountains, and especially the Cherokee area, is as good as any in the world," said Principal Chief Leon Jones about the award. "We are proud and grateful for the opportunity to prove it by placing fifth internationally in this taste-testing competition." The competition began Feb. 24 with preliminary rounds that paired the field to 10 brands for the finals held on Saturday. All brands were judged for taste, smell and clarity by a panel that included journalists from West Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The tribe hopes this award will boost sales for the product in and around Western North Carolina, said Greg Duff, marketing specialist for the bottled water program. "This award validates our claims that Cherokee Bottled Water is the best tasting product available in our market," said Duff. The award has already started to reap dividends for the enterprise as the Bottled Water Boutique has inquired about offering the brand on its website, Duff said. |
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