Jerking Around #11 - San Pellegrino Momenti Clementine & Peach
This is not the first San Pellegrino carbonated beverage that I've tried, though it is the first to get a review in this long-neglected series of soda reviews. One thing that I've noticed about all the San Pellegrino sodas I’ve tried is that - unlike most American brands - they don’t go for sweet-modified-by-flavor; rather, they pick a flavor, and let it stand on its own, sweetening not for the sake of sweet, but to bring out the flavor.
This one, Momenti Clementine & Peach, is very nice. The fruits are given in the correct order; this is very definitely citrus-with-peach-overtones, rather than the sweet peach dominating. I find it a refreshing change from both standard American citrus-flavored sodas; it is nowhere near as sweet as the almost cloying typical ORANGE soda (which, I swear, refers to the color more than the flavor), nor even as sweet as the not-quite-as-sweet typical clear citrus ‘lemon-lime’ flavor. The flavor is definitely that of the clementine, rather than the generic-orange-colored-citrus-fruit, and comes from 4% clementine juice. The peach overtones come from a similar 4% peach juice.
In the glass, it is slightly cloudy and pinkish in color, but transmits light readily. Carbonation bubbles are tiny and adhere to the glass; fizz is principally on the tongue, not in the glass.
Carbonation is mild, pleasantly so; it’s unlikely you’ll develop a burpable bubble. Nevertheless, this is not a soda for chugging; drinking it slowly is really the only way to get the benefit of the peach flavor - if you don’t let the peach flavor develop, you might as well just save your money and mix off-the-shelf seltzer with off-the-shelf orange juice.
This is best when served cooler than room temperature, but not quite fresh out of the refrigerator; at refrigerator temperatures, you don’t get as much of the peach overtones.
Two of these (one would not be enough) would be refreshing on a hot day. I can see it as an alternative to a sparkling water or sparkling mineral water at a nice restaurant, quite likely serving Northern Italian or French dishes.
I found this at my local Target in a boxed six pack of 11.15-oz (330ml) cans.
* As I have been diagnosed as diabetic since the last time I wrote a review, I’ve become very conscious of carb content in anything that goes into my digestive system. From this review on, I’ll be reporting carb counts in my reviews, for others who are counting carbs for whatever reason.
3.14 Cal/fl oz
10.62 kcal/100ml
7g carb per 11.15 fl oz can
Sweetened with sugar
San Pellegrino Fruit Beverages