Judge’s Seltzer Review: 73 Rating – NÜTRL Cranberry Apple Vodka Seltzer by Anheuser-Busch

Fruited Seltzer | Year-Round | Canada

By Alex Sheftel

Judges Rating: 73
Aroma: 14
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 30
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 15

NÜTRL Cranberry Apple Vodka Seltzer by Anheuser-Busch is being evaluated as per The Beer Connoisseur Hard Seltzer Definitions & Judging Guidelines (2022) as a Fruit Seltzer. Dominated by fruit character, this is a clean seltzer, slightly on the sweet side, with a lingering unnatural, sweet character. Note that this is listed as a “vodka seltzer,” in contrast to seltzers from breweries that ferment their seltzers and do not include a distilling process.
The aroma is of sweet apples with pear accents and a smidgeon of cranberry. No fermentation byproducts are apparent as can be present in non-distilled seltzers. The clean aroma is utterly dominated by the fruit character
Crystal clear, salmon color in the glass that does not form any notable head, but generates large “soda bubbles” that rapidly disappear to leave a mostly still-looking drink.
Watery and sweet flavor with a synthetic, sweet accent blended with apples and pears. Cranberry, if present at all, is extremely weak. Again, clean; no fermentation character.
Medium-to-low carbonation with a medium-to-light body. Clean but not crisp and definitely not biting in feel.
Overall, a not quite refreshing seltzer, moderately sweet, fruity and clean, with gentle chemically sweet accents. To improve this, the brewer would either have to rename it to remove “cranberry” or substantially increase the cranberry character. The unnatural sweetness also detracts from the drink.