Earp’s Original Sarsaparilla
I really enjoyed this brew . . . but mostly because of the name and label. I simply love the nostalgia and of course the connection to Wyatt Earp (although I really didn’t know much about him until reading the Wikipedia article – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Earp).
I must say that Wyatt Earp seemed like a simply fascinating individual. This one line in the Wikipedia article sums up his life in a rather fortrite but interesting manner. It says,
Earp lived a restless life. He was at different times in his life a constable, city policeman, county sheriff, teamster, buffalo hunter, bouncer, saloon-keeper, gambler, brothel owner, pimp, miner, and boxing referee.
But as interesting as Wyatt Earp really was, this sarsaparilla was not quite as interesting. This would be the perfect brew for a party . . . it is an interesting conversation starter . . . but it isn’t in the top group of brews. The taste is not offensive by any means, it is just more of an average sarsaparilla – bland actually.
The Professor’s Grade: C +
Baron’s Natural Sassparilla
I found this at the brand new Rocket Fizz that just opened in my local area. I have 3-4 different speciality shops, which all sell unique root beers in my local area. In a sense, I live in a mecca of sorts for root beer lovers like myself. It’s important for me to take advantage of it while I can, since I’m moving to a place . . . that as far as I know . . . have no root beers available whatsoever. But be that as it may . . .
Surprisingly, Baron’s is the absolute first sarsaparilla I’ve reviewed on this web-site, and it’s spelled “sassparilla” on the bottle . . . exactly like it sounds. It also is devoid of the famous “boothill” that used to be on the front of every bottle. The bottle also has “The Natural Way” written on the front and has pure cane sugar as one of the ingredients. This leads me to believe that this is an entirely different brew than the “high-fructose” corn syrup stuff that is reviewed on other root beer blogs. If anyone has information on whether their are two separate Baron’s brews, or if they changed their receipe, please let me know.
Saraparilla’s (similar to birch beers), tend to have a simpler flavor profile than the average root beer, and Baron’s is no different. The wintergreen/medicinal quality flavor gives a little punch, and that’s about it. But interestingly enough, it really works in this sarsaparilla.
The light carbonation, creaminess and punch or wintergreen makes this a sarsaparilla worth a cowboy riding a few miles to get a hold of.
The Professor’s Grade: B +
