Peels Pear & Lemon Review
I’ve really been falling by the wayside when it comes to drink reviews. I think it’s because I’ve been inundated with so many good beers lately and don’t really think about reviewing rather than enjoying them. In fact, half the fridge is currently filled with various beers. However, this drink is a step out of the ordinary for me and has been on my to try list since I heard about it: Peels by Anheuser-Busch.
I picked it up at Shaw’s for $5.49 + deposit for a 4-pack of 10 oz. bottles. I personally would’ve picked up the blueberry pomegranate flavor, but the girlfriend said that pear lemon sounded the most appealing. I figured her opinion made more sense anyway, since the drink is targeted towards women. At $1.37 a bottle, it’s not overwhelmingly cheap, but the price isn’t bad, especially if compared to those hoity-toity juices by the produce. However, one taste proves that it hardly compares.
The liquid appears like other malt beverages such as Smirnoff Ice and looks like it could be water with a squeeze of lemon in it. I was joking that we could’ve drunk these on the way back from the grocery store without cops stopping us. A whiff of it gives a sweet but light pear and lemon scent, which is promising. However, the drink falls apart once it hits the tongue. To me, it tastes just like Smirnoff Ice, and the pear taste doesn’t really come out until after I swallow. The drink feels slightly fizzy, though it’s definitely not carbonated. My girlfriend claims she can taste the alcohol, though I’d say it’s very well masked at 5% AVB.
Overall, I’m unimpressed, as I was hoping it would taste more like fruit juice. They advertise 100% pure fruit juice concentrate (whatever that really means) with natural flavors. The color apparently actually comes from apples and hibiscus, which strikes me as odd.
Interestingly, the packaging says absolutely nothing about Anheuser-Busch. Instead, it only mentions The Peels Beverage Company, which I believe is a wholly owned subsidiary of AB.
