There are plenty of questionable pairings when it comes to peanut butter, but none have ever been quite this intriguing.
Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey is exactly what it sounds like: a PB-flavored libation, and not, unfortunately, something you can smush between two pieces of bread with some jelly on top.
According to an email from the brand, the polarizing peanut-y beverage is made in a lab to “perfect the almost impossible peanut butter flavor,” which is “made from real, natural peanuts.” After launching the whiskey in San Diego in 2018, the beverage makers teamed up with a spirits company to expand distribution nationwide.
It’s great news for peanut butter lovers and terrible news for whiskey purists. But, before we judge a book by its nutty-sounding cover, whiskey and peanut butter enthusiasts alike at HuffPost thought it only proper to taste it for ourselves.
Some were surprised to find out they actually ― gasp ― liked it, some had trouble finding a peanut butter flavor at all, and more than one person pointed out that if nothing else, it would make for a pretty stellar ice cream pairing. The best assessment of all, though, was inspired by the smell alone.
“The scent is both attractive and repulsive at the same time,” one colleague said. “Isn’t that what a smell should be?”
Take a look at HuffPosters’ reviews below, and head to Skrewball to find out where you can purchase the whiskey if you’re feeling nutty enough to try it yourself.
“It tastes like caramel popcorn melted down into a drink.”
“I know this is supposed to be peanut butter. However, it tastes like caramel popcorn melted down into a drink ― in the best possible way. I loathe whiskey, so I was scared, but it makes it palatable.
Drinking this makes me feel like I’m in Harry Potter. Partially because it’s buttery, sweet and delicious, like how butterbeer would taste. Probably more so because I keep taking sips of it and it’s making me buzzed to the point where I’m about to convince myself I’m an actual wizard.”
“Appetizing and abrasive.”
“The smell is at once appetizing and abrasive — the peanut butter presumably supplying the former, and the alcohol the latter. It smells like peanut butter taffy! It tastes way too sweet, without the pleasant qualities present in its smell. I do not like it, and would prefer regular whiskey seven days a week.
Uhh, I’m struggling to say much more about the taste besides ‘too sweet’ and ‘not good!’ although, if Fireball took off, they should dare to dream?”
“Surprisingly full in the mouth.”
“It feels surprisingly full in the mouth, high-calorie, like I have just eaten something and am satiated. Also, if you mixed this with a raspberry liquor, would that make a PB&J cocktail? I kinda think MAYBE!”
[Ed note: Skrewball has a recipe for a PB&J Old-Fashioned.]
“Thick!”
“That was thick! On the nose, it has notes of a fro-yo toppings bar. And I wouldn’t have known it was whiskey unless you told me!”
“Like syrups that you put in coffee.”
“Someone brought up that it tastes like syrups that you put in coffee, and I related most to that when tasting this. As a big peanut butter fan, this was decidedly not peanut butter-y, but I also had no desire to drink peanut butter, so that’s OK.
Sweet alcohol kind of freaks me out, so I don’t know if I’ll be buying a whole bottle any time soon.”
“I’m a little embarrassed I like this so much.”
“This coats my tongue the way a Starbucks caramel syrup does, and though it’s wildly sweet for a whiskey, it’s warm and ... not unpleasant? I’m getting butterscotch, caramel corn and a little punch of coffee at the end ― but no peanut butter flavor, only aroma (which is a good thing).
There’s no doubt it’s a dessert whiskey ― I imagine it being the perfect melting place for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. As a major whiskey/bourbon drinker, I’m a little embarrassed I like this so much.”
“My whole tongue feels like it’s being coated with butter.”
“It smells amazing, first of all. A lot like peanut butter. But it tastes more like caramel corn to me than peanut butter. My whole tongue feels like it’s being coated with butter, and it’s super sweet. And honestly, I’m not mad about either of those things.
I don’t know if I would drink this regularly, but every once in a while when I have both a whiskey and a sugar craving, this could do the trick.”
“Diabetes.”
“It tastes like a big bowl of diabetes.”
