Old Town Root Beer
Sampling a new root beer that you’ve had your eye on and just couldn’t get a hold of is priceless! This was a Christmas present from all my assistant reviewers . . . and it just also happens to be the very last root beer in my fridge . . . for the moment anyway. Thankfully I’ve got some local stores with plenty of new brews to try.
This brew is very smooth, clean, fresh, crisp and well boring. With the combination of cane sugar and honey I was sure that I would like it, but the exact nature of the combination is just got wrong. And maybe it’s not even that they got it wrong as much as they needed something else. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve had too many root beers that have a similar flavor combination that it doesn’t seem like anything special.
It’s not a gross root beer, it’s certainly one that I would give to someone, but it’s probably not one that I would spend any money on in the future.
The Professor’s Grade: C +
Red Arrow Root Beer
Uh oh . . . I admit, I’m going through root beer blogging writers block. Admittedly, I’ve still been sampling the brews, I’ve simply not been telling. But I’m willing to face the pain, the uncomfortability and the sense of general unsatisfaction with this brew . . . actually Red Arrow was quite satisfying . . . but point made.
As I tipped the old boot mug back, I couldn’t help notice the classic root beer flavor. In fact everything is classic about this soda, from the licorice to the wintergreen, to the root beer lettering and to the red arrow which is actually white – go figure.
And as you probably figured out long ago, I prefer brews that are lightly to moderately carbonated. When a beverage is overcarbonated I begin to wonder what grotesque flavors are being hidden. This soda is perfectly carbonated, not to much and not to little.
I do get a little bit of a kick out of lines like, “Folklore says the brand was a tribute to the Red Arrow Brigade.” I would go out on a limb to say that a better tribute would be to make the arrow on the side of the bottle red rather than white – but again that’s just me and my crazy opinion.
Despite the white arrow, I am pretty happy with this root beer. There is not really that new with this brew, but a good solid classic nonetheless.
The Professor’s Grade: A –
Anchor Ginger Root Beer
It’s a bit ironic that I would take a picture of this bottle on land, when the whole premise of this root beer is somehow associated with the sea. In fact there is some phraseology on the side of this bottle that says, “As a tribute to all the Sea Dogs and Scallywags looking for adventure on the high seas . . . blah, blah, blah, blah.”
Frankly, this is a very good root beer and it doesn’t need any catchy statements about pirates and oceans and sea anemones in small print on the side of the bottle. Even though the “sea junk” is pretty corny, the bottle design itself (the anchor) is pretty darn cool.
When I sipped this root beer, I sensed that a ginger beer and a root beer had collided to create this wonderful brew. Admittedly, this could have been an all out disaster, but this turned about to be an all out success. This is simply a pleasant brew which has a slightly different flavor than the average root beer.
I really, really liked the root beer and I wish I had another. And yet . . . I can’t help but think how much better this would be with a little honey sweetener . . . ahhh honey, ginger and natural root beer flavor . . . now that would be good.
The Professor’s Grade: A –
Dublin Dr. Pepper vs. Regular Dr. Pepper
Let’s get this out of the way . . . Dr. Pepper is a root beer, albeit an inferior brand (as is Moxie, but we’ll get to that in another review). So, I’m going to classify this as an “other”, but it’s a root beer knock-off . . . plain and simple. Dublin Dr.Pepper is no longer made, and because of that simple fact I recently bought two cases of this dying soda. I wanted to own a little piece of history, and maybe pass along some of my good luck to people desparate to have the last of this special bottle.
Let’s get to the review – I didn’t want to simply sip the Dublin out of the bottle and get all caught up in the hype and nostalgia (as my 10 year old son did). I wanted to be fair and square and drink the modern version and the Dublin side by side out of plastic cups.
My co-professor and I both did this, and to be completely frank, the taste was very similar. I’d be equally happy drinking an occassional Dr. Pepper whether it be of the Dublin or the Snapple variety. But although they were similar, there was a difference. The Dublin was smoother, creamier and had much less of a bite. I actually felt like the Snapple version had a bit more “in your face” Dr. Pepper flavor. The modern version kind of out “Dr. Peppered” the original.
But to be honest, my co-professor and I got uttlerly confused during our blind taste test. She ultimately guessed wrong, and then based on her wrong conclusion, my conclusion went even futher down the toilet hole. Sort of like what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden. All the women’s fault . . . of course. But the truth be told, we couldn’t really determine which was the Dublin.
If I wasn’t tasting this blind, I would undoubtedly choose the Dublin – pure cane sugar always beats out high fructose corn syrup. And it’s just cool to drink out of an 8oz. glass bottle from Dublin, Texas. But honestly as far as taste goes, I don’t think the Dublin blows the regular out of the water. Both were pretty good.
The Professor’s Decision: A Draw
Duffy’s Rowdy Root Beer
It’s been a long time since the last review . . . about 18 months in fact. My love for root beer hasn’t changed, but I just can’t drink it like I used too. I didn’t even drink the full bottle of this brew – I split it with my lovely assistant.
On to the beer. I picked this because it said it’s a Colorado legend. Plain and simple, legends are cool. It was originally created when a man was canned by a large soft-drink company. Out of spite, jealousy or maybe it was just because he loved soda, he created a line of his own soft-drinks. Fast-forward a couple of decades and somehow this soda was lost and forgotten, which isn’t that hard to believe (more on that later). And what was once old and forgotten was found in a locked safe and brought back to life in 1995 (there are some who feel it should have remained dead and buried).
The low sugar content was another reason I decided to pick this up. Many root beers can get close to 45g of sugar in a 12oz. bottle, but Duffy’s tops out at a meager 25g – and pure cane sugar no less! For this reason alone I’d probably drink this again . . . and it’s pretty darn philanthropic to support local businesses.
Other than the low sugar and the local part there’s not much going for this root beer. It’s alright . . . it’s not offensive . . . it’s pretty smooth . . . but that’s about it. The most exciting part of the soda was that my assistant and I had a spirited argument over whether there was any mint flavor present. Sadly, the web-site doesn’t provide any further info. on the mint or any of the natural flavors.
In a sea of root beer choices, this one sits squarely in the middle of the pack and sadly this brew probably won’t be added to the new curriculum for “Root Beer 101.”
The Professor’s Grade: B –
Polar Classics Premium Root Beer
On a recent trip to Virginia I stopped in a Jewish market and I asked for some kosher root beer – they sort of looked at me like I had two heads.
But at a regular supermarket I did find some kosher root beer – Polar classics Premium Root Beer. I won’t say much about this root beer, but I really liked the look of the bottle and the packaging. The flavor profile of this brew is actually pretty simple, but really good. The pure cane sugar, licorice and/or anise really shines.
Hmmm . . . “Religious Root Beers 101”???
The Professor’s Grade: B +
Natural Brew Draft Root Beer
When I began reviewing root beers about ten years ago this was one of the first root beers I officially reviewed. At the time, I had accepted a professorship at a small school in Virginia. Looking back it was really only the beginning of the root beer revolution. Although a “Professor of Root Beer” sounds prestigious, it was originally met with much derision and skepticism. As a society, we have certainly come a long way.
Enough with the trip down memory lane . . . for now anyway.
When I think of an all-natural root beer, Natural Brew is the gold standard! This has been a part of the root beer curriculum for quite some time now – “Natural Root Beers – 101.” Too many root beers end up tasting the same, but this has a unique flavor that sets it apart. I know that some people think it is nasty, but I could drink a lot of this brew. It is a very creamy beer which stems from the bourbon vanilla extract – and to me the wintergreen and the birch oil really stand out – but not in offensive “in your face” kind of way.
Other special ingredients include anise, sarsaparilla, and licorice root. It has a light root beer color, a small head, and a really (I mean really) light carbonation. It also keeps below the 40 g of sugar threshold (it weighs in at 39 g of sugar).
My youngest little professor said that she loves it and that it tastes super!! And I have to agree. I really don’t know why I don’t rate this a little higher because I really like this brew.
The Professor’s Grade: B
Lost Trail Root Beer
Lost Trail gets the dubious distinction of being the first root beer reviewed since the long haitus. This is actually one root beer that I have never tried before. Got this at a really cool diner in Cambridge, MA that has a few different root beers that are not local. Can’t remember the name of the diner for this post, but it will come to me at some point.
I am really thirst right now and I practically have this 12 oz. brew drunk in about 2 gulps – so I will try my best. The head was real small and the carbonation was real light. I’m not sure if it is supposed to be this way or if the bottle was old. I actually prefer a lighter carbonation anyway. A very, very creamy root beer indeed.
Overall, this is a real enjoyable brew. Not really anything spectacular, but definitely something that I would drink again. There is one distinct flavor that comes through – I think it might be licorice or anise. Other than this flavor it is certainly not a complex root beer.
It is made with pure cane sugar which is always a plus and it only has 37 g of sugar for the whole bottle.
I do love the label and the root beer story from the journal of Joe Marshall back in 1848. I’ll give it a few extra points for that.
The Professor’s Grade: B
Blue Sky All Natural Root Beer
Have I ever said how much I like these root beer reviews? Even when I’m reviewing the bad brews, it’s still a lot of fun! Thankfully, this isn’t one of the bad brews. Granted, it’s not going to break into the ranks of the really good brews, but it’s not a bad all-natural root beer option.
Blue Sky Root Beer is a pretty light soda with an almost fruity, minty taste . . . but not in a bad way at all. The fizz was just right even for a canned soda. And it was pretty darned creamy to boot! Real cane sugar . . . all-natural . . . sunny blue skies . . . life is good.
I’m acutally not sure if this brew is good or if I’m just in a good mood. But either way . . .
The Professor’s Grade: C+
Thomas Kemper Root Beer
I wish I liked it . . . I wish I liked it . . . hold on I’m going to click my heels three times . . . I wish I liked it. Ahhh, to no avail, I don’t like it. It’s not that this is a terrible brew, but it’s all about the expectations. First of all, the bottle is pretty darn cool. The name and the label are hip. The ingredients proclaim the heavenly sweeteners of honey and and pure cane sugar. But unfortunately, all of these promising elements don’t add up to a winner.
It is a really creamy beverage, but the flavors don’t really blend that well. It’s almost as if each flavor jumps out and bites your tongue. Now don’t get me wrong, if I had a 6 pack in the fridge I’d probably drink them, but I wouldn’t buy anymore on the internet.
The Professor’s Grade: D +
