All Natural – Page 2 – Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog

Henri Sodas Root Beer

Oct 042017

Henri Sodas Root Beer Bottle One week into my new job and I was already flying on business into the Mystic Land of the North. Talk about hitting the ground running. This particular time I was off to Montreal. I didn’t have a lot of spare time, and there weren’t any breweries that had any racinette. I stumbled across some hard root beer in a convenience store which was just simply infuriating. Then I found Henri Sodas on Facebook. Henri makes several flavors of all natural, artisan sodas, brewed in small batches in the Montreal area. I reached out them on Facebook and told them where I was staying and asked if there was a store nearby that sold their brew. I was in luck, and they quickly replied that Mandy’s Salads, a quick walk from my hotel, carried their brew. I was able to get some that very next night after dinner. There were only 6 bottles in stock and I bought them all. Thankfully I got free checked bags so I could transport it home for free. The taped seal on the bottle is a nice unique touch. Makes the bottles feel slightly more premium.

The Body is complex and herbal with a prominent sarsaparilla flavor accented by licorice, spice, and a bit of vanilla. It’s more of a sharp sarsaparilla than a fruity which is good. There is a solid Bite from the spices, though it isn’t smooth and creamy. The Head is tall, very tall. Pour with caution. The Aftertaste is an herbal sarsaparilla that finishes in a faint fennel seed, like those things you eat at the end of your meal at Indian restaurants.

Wow, this is unique and yummy, and not too far outside of the typical root beer spectrum to get a Seal. I’m quite impressed with those Quebecers. Hopefully I’ll travel back their on business soon so I can get some more. See how it rates against other root beers.

Ginseng UP American Classics Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Sep 272017

Ginseng UP American Classics Root Beer Bottle I am going to take some credit for the existence of this root beer. I know it sounds presumptuous, but that could be said for most of this website. You see, after I reviewed the Ginseng Up Private Label, I sent them an email congratulating them on the Seal of Approval. I also mentioned that it was strange that their Ginseng UP brand line didn’t have a root beer, especially since their tagline is “The Root of All Power” which could be a double entendre with root beer, and hoped that they’d make something equally good with ginseng. As you can see, they make one now, but it’s different from the Private Label in more than just added ginseng. This is all natural with cane sugar and no preservatives, which makes people like my lovely wife very happy.

The Body is sweet and full and creamy with a pronounced ginseng flavor and notes of caramel and a hint of wintergreen. The Bite is nice with clove the dominant spice though it finishes smooth. The Head is tall with decent staying power, not the best by any means, but nice. The Aftertaste is vanilla with a little ginseng.

Yum. They’ve made a nice creamy root beer with some additional complexity from the wintergreen and cloves. They make the ginseng work perfectly with it too, adding a nifty little twist without detracting in the least. I expected nothing less from the shadowy root beer overlords of the private label industry. Predictably, this is also sold in different bottles with different labels with the American Classics more prevalent. But it’s the same recipe. See how it rates against other root beers.

Sunshine Bottle Works Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Jun 142017

Sunshine Bottle Works Root Beer Bottle So a few weeks ago I was contacted by the people at the Sunshine Bottle Works asking if I’d like to try their root beer. It is all natural, but they assured me it wasn’t like some of the nasty ones I’d try. And I said … of course I said yes. I’d say yes if they said they’d made the worst root beer in the world and wanted confirmation, or if they said it was the most generic thing out there. I always say yes to trying root beer. Sunshine Bottle Works started making craft sodas in 2014, with a desire to make sodas to match the modern lifestyle of the Central Coast. In talking with the owner, he thought that all natural root beers should be judged in their own category, since they it isn’t fair competing against artificial ingredients. I disagree. With the exception of safrole, all ingredients of root beer can be natural, and sassafras root extracts with the safrole removed are fine to use. It’s just more expensive. I’ve had plenty of amazing all natural root beers and plenty of artificial garbage. What you do with the ingredients and how you proportion them is far more important then whether they are all natural or not. And, if you do it right, the all natural ones should end up better. Real vanilla, honey, and spices can taste much better than the fake, if mixed at the proper ratios. So no, it’s perfectly fair to compare the natural to the not all naturals. And how did they do? You already saw the Seal up top, they nailed it.

It’s got a nice sweet, creamy body with wintergreen and birch notes. The Bite is a little sharp with spices but doesn’t finish as smooth as I prefer. The Head is nice and tall and foamy, just how I like it. The Aftertaste is a nice vanilla with some minty hints.

This is quite a fine brew, even when compared against those with the “unfair” advantage. They had nothing to worry about. Let this continue to be the lesson to you all. Great brews need more than just great ingredients, they need those ingredients to be expertly prepared, such preparation is in adequate supply at the Sunshine Bottle Works. Good job. See how it rates against other root beers.

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