Essentuki No. 4 vs No. 17: what is the difference

In short: No. 4 is a medical table water with a mineralisation of roughly 7–10 g/l, taken with meals and in short courses. No. 17 is saltier, 10–14 g/l, and is meant for a prescribed course rather than casual sipping.

One deposit, different wells

Essentuki No. 4 and No. 17 are bottled at the same Caucasus Mineral Waters deposit, but they come from different wells. The water rises from different depths and passes through different rock layers, so it picks up salts differently: No. 4 has a mineralisation of 7–10 g/l, No. 17 of 10–14 g/l. Because of that gap, GOST R 54316-2020 classifies No. 4 as a medical table water and No. 17 as a medicinal one. The well number and the water type are printed on the label, so the two bottles are hard to confuse.

• Both waters are drawn from the Essentuki deposit in the Caucasus Mineral Waters area
• The wells tap different depths and different rock layers, which is why the mineralisation differs
• The well number and water type are printed on the label, an easy way to tell No. 4 from No. 17

Why is Essentuki No. 17 saltier than No. 4?

The taste of mineral water comes from its salts, and No. 17 holds about half as much again: 10–14 g/l against 7–10 g/l in No. 4. No. 4 therefore drinks smoothly, with a saltiness you notice but do not mind, while No. 17 feels dense and distinctly salty, and many people find it heavy going without food. Check the exact figures on the label of your batch: the composition of a natural water drifts a little, so the producer prints a range rather than a single number.

• No. 4 is gentler on the palate, with a moderate saltiness
• No. 17 is noticeably saltier and fuller, and takes getting used to without food
• Check the exact figures on your batch label: a natural water's composition drifts a little

How to drink Essentuki No. 4 and No. 17

No. 4 is a medical table water: it is served with meals and taken in courses, usually a 150–250 ml glass 15–30 minutes before eating, up to three times a day. No. 17 is saltier and classified as a medicinal water, so it is taken as a course on a doctor's advice rather than in place of ordinary drinking water. All of this comes from the producer and reference sources, and is not medical advice. If you have been told to limit salt, discuss the routine with your doctor.

• No. 4: with meals and in courses, usually 15–30 minutes before eating
• No. 17: as a course on a doctor's advice, not as everyday drinking water
• All of this comes from the producer and is not medical advice

What to choose for home, a restaurant or the banya

The choice usually comes down to the bottle and the occasion rather than the composition. For home and the office, No. 4 comes as a case of 0.45 l glass, 20 bottles, while an 18.9 l bottle covers the everyday volume. In a restaurant the same 0.45 l glass goes on the table, because it looks better and the taste holds longer. For the banya, pick something lighter in mineralisation and alternate it with plain drinking water: a litre of Essentuki No. 4 carries 2,000–3,000 mg of sodium plus potassium, and the WHO advises adults to stay under 2 g of sodium a day.

• Home and office: No. 4 in 0.45 l glass by the case, plus an 18.9 l bottle for every day
• Restaurant: No. 4 in glass, better looking on the table and better at holding its taste
• Banya: alternate with something lighter in mineralisation and keep track of how much you drink over the evening

Sources

• GOST R 54316-2020, Natural Mineral Drinking Waters: water types and table A.1
• Gastroscan reference guide: how Essentuki No. 4 is taken
• WHO: sodium reduction (no more than 2 g a day)