Peter's Brand Pilsner Beer - Union Export Brewery

BeerAficionadoMCMXC

California

2.93/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer's color is the color of your piss after a long night of drinking. IT looks a little dark for a pilsner. The smell isn't too pungent which is a bad thing. THe taste is slightly atringent but it follows with that European crispness. The mouth is a little heavy. but overall it's a decent beer. I'd say this is my beach beer.

Serving type: can

05-21-2013 06:46:40 | More by BeerAficionadoMCMXC

LXIXME

New Mexico

2.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A medium sized white head quickly falls into a thin lacing above a clear bright golden colored pils.

Sour to light skunky grain malt with some light hops characteristics sneaking in the aroma of this beer.

Light sour to skunky grain malt with some bittering hops aiding in the taste.

A light dry aftertaste with just a bit of the sourness hanging around on this light bodied beer.

Not much to brang about here, standard light sour to skunky pilsener, next.

Serving type: can

12-27-2012 22:15:04 | More by LXIXME

beertunes

Washington

2.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another TJs bargain grab. Poured into 9oz pilsener glass. Poured a typical clean, clear light gold color with about 1/2 inch of white head that had moderate retention and no lacing.

The aroma was kinda bland, some grains, a bit of sweetness, soft hops and just a general "beer" scent. The flavors were all the same benign, bland features that the aroma had, nothing really stood out.

The body was crisp and a bit fuller than most of the style. The beer was mostly clean across the tongue, but did have a slightly sweet finish. Drinkability was a bit better than average for the style, the beer went down quickly and easily enough. Overall, a good brew, one that's probably a bit better than average. If you're looking for a good bargain "chore beer", this would be a good choice.

Serving type: can

10-03-2012 23:32:13 | More by beertunes

TheSarge

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Got this at Trader Joe's. Poured into a half liter dimple mug, and the brew makes a three finger thick bright white head, and the body is dark gold with perfect clarity.

The aroma is grain and husk, tobacco, lemon, and slight metallic.

Taste wise, it's of corn husk, tobacco, and maybe some butterscotch.

Feels light in body, cleansing to the palate, and very quaffable. Too much adjunct taste here for me to stick with a German Style Pilsner. I'd just claim this a typical Euro Lager.

Serving type: can

08-15-2012 00:58:16 | More by TheSarge

MadeInOregon

California

3.45/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Have seen this at Trader Joe's for a long time and finally decided to give it a go...

APPEARANCE: Crystal-clear light bronze to a faint gold color. Small, puffy white head recedes to nothing with absolutely no lacing. Not terrible, not great.

SMELL: Lowest point of this beer. Aroma is an unpleasant grassy hay and urine smell mixed with a faint amount of corn, alcohol, and hops. The smell is actually quite faint overall but what is there is not very nice and is unfortunately similar to many macro adjunct lagers (even though this is not an adjunct).

TASTE: Metallic, grainy (wheat), malt, with a nice amount of hops rearing its head but never gaining much strength. Finishes slightly spicy with an aftertaste consisting of a weird mix of bubblegum, candied fruit, wheat and mild hops. Main flavor coming through with each sip is metal + malt + mild hops. Overall, this is a sweet beer.

FEEL: Thin, but smooth. Certainly thicker than an American macro. This beer has a surprisingly good balance of density and effervescence. It ends with a slightly dry, sticky quality but remains very easy-drinking and thirst-quenching.

CONCLUSION: Definitely worth the uber low $5.49 for a 6-pack of 500ml cans! There are a few odd flavors and the smell is borderline gross in my opinion, but this really is not a bad beer at all. In fact, I'd say it's better than most beers in the low-priced lager genre--especially of the American variety.

Serving type: can

05-26-2012 00:40:31 | More by MadeInOregon

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another cheap Trader Joe's purchase. Can popped with no fizz and it only poured a 1.5" white head with medium lifespan. The body is a clear straw yellow and all the carbonation exhausted into the small head. It smells of malt, grass, and actually butterscotch. The taste though is much weaker than the smell and instead of the butterscotch you mainly get bitter grass.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 09:30:45 | More by MoreThanWine

UCLABrewN84

California

2.65/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Canned on 11/25/11.

Pours a clear light orange with a 1 inch foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thin foamy rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain and some odd artificial fruity aromas. Taste is of grain and metal up front with some of the artificial fruity flavors on the finish. There is a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer that doesn't offer much but was cheap enough at around $0.75 for a large can.

Serving type: can

05-02-2012 03:14:33 | More by UCLABrewN84

DoubleJ

California

1.73/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

"A Dutch style pilsener", but brewed in Germany. Comes in a plain 330 ml can, and cost a mere $0.79. bottom of the can, There is a best by date stamped on the bottom of the can, at 09.09.12. As usual, it's on to the beer:

More ups than downs with the appearance. The color is a lighter hue of gold, clean bodied, bursting with carbonation bubbles in the body. And the thick creamy head and its good retention make it convincing to grant a "4" score. But don't get too excited, it has the aroma of "the usual" macro pilsner. Steeley, DMS, sweet grain and a cooked cereal nose don't make a good omen.

Expecting something crisp and clean? Well, you're not to find it here. This is a strangely fruity pilsner, and despite the bubbles riding through the body, offers almost no crispness. Boring grain, metal, lingering steeley cooked grains, no thanks. Ah, no thank you.

I think it's best to say no to Peter's Brand. This is another reported case of a drain pour.

Serving type: can

05-01-2012 23:19:26 | More by DoubleJ

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured this 22 oz can into a pint glass. Poured a clear golden color, produced an average white head, average retention and average amount of lacing left on the glass. The aroma of this German Pilsener consisted of husky malted grain- fits the smell profile of a euro-lager. Light in body, this Pilsener features light pils malt, slightly bitter and finish's dry. Overall it was a decent Pilsener- nothing to seek out but I'm not disappointed that I gave it a try. Prost!

Serving type: can

03-11-2012 01:52:22 | More by GossageBrewery

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I'm pretty sure this is my last beer from my Trader Joe's mix a six... Glad to be done with em!

This is the best of the bunch. Hands down. The beer is entirely unimpressive, but it is at least an average attempt at a pils.

There is nothing offensive about the nose or flavor, which gives it a leg up on some other canned lagers available at TJ's!

Crisp dry finish is quite refreshing, and this is quite drinkable.
It looks pretty nice to boot- large three finger head left lots of lace and had great retention.

The ONLY complaint I have (aside from this being another boring flavorless attempt at an overproduced style) is the little musky note towards the finish. It doesn't sit very well with me. The light sweet grainy malt are ok, and the seeming lack of hops is forgivable, but why the musky cologne-like vibe?
Oh well.

Overall-- not bad for the price-- but there are MUCH better beers out there

Serving type: can

12-01-2011 03:58:09 | More by AleWatcher

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a very clear light straw color. Has a good 1 finger foamy white head.

Smells like beer. Some sweet cracker malt. Low hop profile.

Not much flavor. Some sweetness from the malt with a little bit of a noble hop presence. Pretty easy drinking but no discernable bright flavors.

Mouthfeel is a bit light and carbonation levels are good.

Better than drinking BMC, but nothing really good either.

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 23:10:16 | More by jmarsh123

McStagger

California

3.18/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another TJ specialty.

A: Pours a dark straw color. Clarity is excellent. Three fingers of white head. Medium dissipation, Pretty decent lacing. Carbonation is moderate, with large bubbles dancing to the surface at a fairly decent pace.

S: Tart, citric hoppiness, grassiness, graininess (barley and adjunct). Just kinda beerish.

T: Crisp, clean, refreshing. Nice dry finish. Starts off with very little malty sweetness. The mid palate is slightly doughy and bready, with a finish of moderate citric hops and a tad bit of the spicy hops. Some alcohol notes came through. No aftertaste. Very dry.

M: Goes down smoothly. Not overly carbonated, but nothing too viscous either. The carbonation seems pretty spot on.

O: Simple and easy. Definitely lawn mowing beer.

Serving type: can

10-13-2011 08:03:01 | More by McStagger

djeucalyptus

Oregon

2.88/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pours a decent, clear, slightly golden straw hue with a two-plus-finger shaving cream-like head that has surprisingly decent retention and leaves acceptable lace.

aroma is earthy, grassy, a bit vegetal. a bit of cooked cabbage, some fresh brussel sprouts and some grain. would be good if it were a cabbage roll, but alas, it ain't. I feel I'm open with many pils/lager/cheap cans, but this one just smells tepid. a hint of hops mix with some chem-metalic notes.

taste is a bit better, though not a huge improvement. grainy, bready, doughy with some herbal grassy hop notes that don't help to brighten it all that much.

mouth is fair. moderate body for the style, ample carbonation, a lingering slightly astringent bitterness is just shy of being pleasant.

all in all, this one is distinctly forgettable. not the worst, but not the best. distinctly canned euro lager, but not the better side of the spectrum. I'm all for giving canned euro stuff high scores, but this one just falls flat.

Serving type: can

09-04-2011 05:23:59 | More by djeucalyptus

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Bright, clear gold color. Poured a 3 finger foamy white head that dissipated to an even skim. Decanted continually; very active. Laced in wide broken rings.

S: Light crackery malt. Green apple and grass. Faint skunky aroma.

T: Light, slightly sweet malt. Transitions quickly to a light, lingering hop character. Crisp and slightly dry.

M: Light body. Ample carbonation. Active on the palate; very crisp. Light lingering bitter that turns dry.

O: Some malt and hop character in a light, drinkable beer. But for the slight skunky smell, far better than many are giving it credit for.

Serving type: can

08-18-2011 19:10:09 | More by Haybeerman

slammo

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I wanted to get excited about this one based on price and packaging in the can. It turns out to be a decent if not memorable euro import the likes of so many others.

Appearance is adequate yet unassuming. The smell is also average mowed grass with nothing exceptional to note.

Taste is refreshing with a nice balance of malt and hop. Believe me, it is a huge improvement over any American macro brew and I don't want to knock it too much. There are better beers out there and there are worse. It sure beats a Bud IMO.

Serving type: can

07-04-2011 18:13:02 | More by slammo

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

2.2/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours out cough-drop yellow with a fairly impressive and fluffy two finger, pure white head. Not much carbonation to speak of. Beer is supposed to be carbonated, right?

S: Creamed corn, dry grass, iron. This is what Heineken would smell like if I had a cold.

T: White rice and water. Chinese prison food.

M: Light, light, light and quenching – look, there’s one positive thing,

O: After a run, hmm…Gatorade? Nah, this will do it.

Serving type: can

06-20-2011 23:47:54 | More by phantomwyse

ithacabaron

California

2.25/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

In a can!

Pours a lovely, well...pilsner color. Big puffy head starts out nice, but unfortunately fades to an anemic film. Eh.

Aroma is flat, dull, and pervasive; metal, DME, skunk. You know that feeling you get when you accidentally bite down on a piece of aluminum foil? Yeah. Basically, it's that in aroma form. Not pleasant.

Taste is again, fairly uninspiring - some chemical-like hops, occasional bursts of grain husk. It's certainly a Dutch-style pils, but it's probably the worst one I've ever had.

Mouthfeel is unpleasant. There's a slick, almost greasy coating over the tongue and teeth, and carbonation is far too low. Sits in your stomach like a lead-laden, gaseous nebula.

Pretty awful. There are plenty of decent cheap beers. This is not one of them.

Serving type: can

06-19-2011 01:04:55 | More by ithacabaron

o19

California

3/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Chico "U-Bar" pint glass.

A: Probably the best attribute of this beer. Medium gold color.
S: Smells like a mix between a wet dog and bath tub cleaner.
T: Despite the terrible smell, it tastes like a basic American lager with a hint of "Heineken taste". Really not that bad.
M: Light fizzy feel.
O: I have had much worse. This beer is cheap and not as bad as some "Ice" brews.

You get what you pay for.

Serving type: can

06-16-2011 00:57:28 | More by o19

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Why can't every store be like Trader Joe's, with really low prices and the ability to break any sixer? I mean, that's how this can came into my presence. It pours a clear pale golden straw topped by a finger or so of white foam. The nose comprises wheat, grass, and flowers. The taste has a slightly citric bent, but the rest of these elements come back in spades. Somehow, the citrus and the flowers meld very nicely, creating a pleasant flavor. The body is pretty light, with a moderate carbonation and a smoothly fluid feel. Overall, a nice little pils. Nowhere near the best, but an eminently drinkable brew, indeed.

Serving type: can

06-09-2011 04:51:15 | More by TMoney2591

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

16oz can into Pilsener style tasting glass.
A: A very lively carbonation is shown in the clear straw colored body. The white head pours a good formation, but does not last to long and retreats to a very thin layer.

S: A very light bready aroma of pilsen malts is found, but very one dimensional and somewhat bland.

T/M: The overall taste is light and low, with underling flavors of noble hops and a stale malt backbone. Lingering flavors a minimal at best.

D: The drinkablity of this beer is fairly high, but the overall character is not too impressive.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 17:19:44 | More by GDBEERMAN

smcolw

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

two finger pure white head. Dies to a thin layer of bubbles that leave no lace. The liquid is dark straw/light gold and crystal clear.

Finally, a super pale lager from Europe that hasn't begun. To skunk. Thank God for the can. All that said, this isn't very interesting, mostly raw barley aroma and the faintest touch of mild hop.

Mostly raw grain flavor, probably from some sort of adjunct. Spritzy mouthfeel, thin bodied. The swallow has a better hop presence than the smell suggests. This might be a better than average lawn mower beer.

Serving type: can

04-10-2011 21:22:06 | More by smcolw

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased a can at Trader Joe's for a buck, just to throw in the fridge to drink one night, which turned out to be tonight. Poured into a pilsener glass. Very clear yellow body, almost see through. Lots of carbonation and bubbles clinging to the glass. Fizzy head disappears quickly. Smell was a bit grassy and musty. Taste was pretty standard pilsener flavors. Hints of corn and earthy malt. Actually, a bit better tasting than some other nasty Euro lagers I've had in the past. Mouthfeel was on the crisp side, and the 5% abv was more prevalent than I thought. Maybe that was due to the 16 oz can. Not a bad pils, as I have had worse. A decent choice for $6 a pack at TJ.

Serving type: can

04-06-2011 03:28:36 | More by morebeergood

AdamMY

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

If you want to sit back, relax, and sip something cool and refreshing this might be the beer, as it looks exceptional with a clear crisp golden color, and a nice thick and foamy head. But that is just about the only think it has going for it, besides a decently creamy mouth feel.

The Smell and the taste are slightly better than Bud, Miller and Coors, in the sense that it is still watery but it lacks some of the funk those beers call "flavor".

Serving type: can

03-19-2011 22:56:06 | More by AdamMY

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.35/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

"I have conquered an empire, but I have not been able to conquer myself."

--Peter The Great

Straw yellow with sun-faded lemon highlights and a wonderful looking chunk of eggshell colored foam occupying the upper half of the glass. Small scraplets of sea foam lace are beginning to stick. Whatever else this lager has in store, it looks good.

The nose is roughly equal parts untoasted grain and grassy-musky hops. Gotta be Saaz. It's a little low on power, but more boldness might not have been a positive. Given the style, it's pretty much right-down-the-middle average.

Too bad the flavor doesn't even make it over that low bar. It tastes like this Dutch Style Pilsener (that is brewed in Germany) uses inferior ingredients. That's probably because UEB wants to keep the price down: a whopping $1 at Trader Joe's. Yeah, well, it tastes more like fidy cent beer.

Peter's Brand is reminiscent of BMC lager mixed 50:50 with less than well-brewed Euro pale lager. It has the nasty graininess of the former and the musky-grassy-skunky hop quality of the latter. Since warming is doing this stuff no favors, it's time to either drink faster or take just one more mouthful to assess mouthfeel. One more mouthful it is.

Not too bad, all things considered. It isn't watery in the least and the bubbles inject an acceptable (though low end) amount of energy. Nothing to get too excited over.

The can speaks the truth ('Imported Lager Beer') and it lies ('Superior Quality'). Here's hoping that Trader Joe's shoppers don't give up trying something other than Budweiser, Miller and Coors products based on this terrible excuse for beer. Then again, given what their taste buds are used to, they might think it's the cat's pajamas.

Serving type: can

03-10-2011 13:16:02 | More by BuckeyeNation

mpyle

Maryland

2.93/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Labeled as

Pours a huge white head, somewhat creamy. Decent retention. Colors is a slightly pale gold, and brilliantly clear.

Aroma is pretty minimal. At least when cold, don't really smell a hop aroma.

Flavor is inoffensive, but a bit muted. Almost halfway between a great German Pilsner and a US Macro-brew. Maltiness is relatively absent, but some noticeable if not distinct hop bitterness from midmouth onward. Finishes bland and slightly bitter.

MF - Light body and light-med carbonation.

D'ability - At $1/16oz can at TJ, definitely a cheap import. But cheapness has a price.

Serving type: can

01-24-2011 00:58:34 | More by mpyle