Dec 102014
 

Bottle of Angus O'Neil's Root BeerAussie brew number 2! It’s made by Slade’s Soft Drinks which is located in Victoria Australia and was started over a hundred years ago by the O’Neil brothers. This drink supposedly dates back to the founding and it uses a “secret recipe”. Angus was the son of one of the two brothers. The company was originally called O’Neil Brother’s Soft Drinks but they changed to Slade’s because they deemed it “appropriate” whatever that’s supposed to mean. This one took me forever to get a hold of. It was always frustrating because it was just out of reach. First Slade’s Soft Drinks ‘liked’ my Facebook page, but never responded to any messages about me getting any of their root beer. Then I found a case on Ebay and asked the seller if they’d ship to the US. They said they would but it would be over $100. If they only shipped two bottles, shipping would be only $50 but they’d still charge me for the full case of root beer. I balked and the item expired. I searched high and low and found markets in India that sold it but nobody shipped to the US. Throughout this time I’d tried to contact the company directly but they never responded. Then one day, out of the blue, they did. After a month of negotiations I finally got it shipped to me. It wasn’t cheap. And then they didn’t even bubble wrap the bottles and so one leaked due to damage (is it just me or does the post like to damage fragile packages?). At least I had one pristine bottle to review. It comes in a 375 ml bottle like Bundaberg, though it’s a screw cap.

The Body is sour and fruity with a sarsaparilla flavor. The sour fruity, though, is by far the strongest profile. The Bite is acidic and with a hint of spice burn, not much. The Head is tall, but it fizzes down quickly. The Aftertaste is a light licorice flavor that gives way to ginger and vanilla. That part is rather nice actually.

The sour is really overpowering, but the aftertaste is quite nice. It reminds me of Francis Hartridge’s but better. I’d say that this is the best foreign brew (excluding Canada) so far, though that really isn’t saying much. I’d still pass on it though, if I were offered it again. See how it rates against other root beers.

2.5/5 Root Beer Kegs




Jul 182012
 

So awhile ago, when I reviewed Bundaberg Root Beer, I quipped that it didn’t taste enough like root beer to merit a higher rating, even though I didn’t think it was tasted bad as far as a soda goes. The fine anthony responded that he would probably rate a root beer that had a flavor he enjoyed high, even if it were a lime soda with a root beer label slapped on it. Well, being the joker that I am, I decided that the next time I sent him some root beers to review, I’d include my own “special” root beer. I bought a Stewart’s Key Lime, removed the label, scratched the paint off of the cap, and added my own label. It was “Eric’s Not-so-Gourmet Root Beer.” The label was made in the post office using a discarded receipt. In addition to the a new Seal of Disapproval, I added the standard marketing stuff, “The Original” “No Anthrax” and made sure that it was made with “totally legit root beer extract” We both shared a good laugh and it made for a funny review. So what does that have to do with Vermont Sweetwater Rugged Mountain Root Beer you ask? Well, when I poured it out, it was almost clear, a light golden color.

The Body is sweet and light and really tastes nothing like root beer. There is a crisp cane sugar flavor, some ginger and a little creamy vanilla. The Bite is also very light with a little prickle from the ginger and carbonation. The Head is tall but fizzes away very quickly. The Aftertaste is ginger and vanilla.

So it doesn’t taste like root beer at all. It tastes like … ginger ale! I do know what ginger ale tastes like. I drink it whenever I fly, and only when I fly (another story for another time) and I have Premier Gold status on United (I fly a lot). It also looks like ginger ale. They use only natural flavorings and no artificial colorings, so if they used proper root beer ingredients it should at least be brownish (licorice, molasses, brown sugar, sassafras root, etc. are all dark). What the heck? It’s like these guys did exactly what I did, except with ginger ale, and with an actual product that they advertise and sell. Don’t ask me why. Maybe they’re just trolling the root beer community. Maybe it started as an inside joke that spiraled out of control. Maybe their “refreshing taste like Grandpa used to make” is because their grandpa was trolling them, telling them that they were getting root beer when he was making ginger ale. Maybe little Timmy was deathly allergic to sassafras but wanted to drink root beer like the other kids so grandpa made him a “special root beer” recipe. I mean ginger is a root, and ale is a type of beer, but ultimately a root beer ginger ale is not. Whatever the reason for this deception, I am not amused! See how it rates against other root beers.




Apr 182012
 

A British made root beer! That’s right folks, the chaps across the pond thought they’d give root beer brewing a try. And not just any chaps, but the Hartridges (whose coat of arms features prominently on the neck of the bottle). Francis Hartidge himself, the distinguished gentleman on the label, allegedly brought this recipe back from the Americas. Luckily for me my project manager (a tosser really) hails from Hampshire and actually likes to visit home for some reason rather frequently. I found the nearest stockist to his house and to my joy he returned after Christmas vacation with a kingly gift indeed, two bottles of the Celebrated Root Beer. I must say that I was certainly celebrating. However, he said he tried a bottle himself and it tasted like washing up liquid, then again, he says all root beers taste like that and other bullocks along those lines.

The Body is fruity with a noticeable sarsaparilla flavor on the initial contact but then quickly fades to a watery sour flavor. There really isn’t much root beer flavor but there is a lot of sour fruity. Perhaps that’s due to there being more citric acid in this than flavor (as per the ingredients). There is a strong acidic Bite, both from the sour and carbonation, not the best. The Head’s pretty decent. It’s very tall but quickly fizzes down, kind of like the Head on Barq’s. The Aftertaste is a faint fruity sarsaparilla but rather empty.

So yeah, really sweet and fruity, not really root beer. What rubbish! He was right, if you want a good root beer this is like washing up liquid. I suppose the trainspotters with nothing better to do would think drinking this to be quite diverting. But really, Francis Hartridge dropped a bullock on this one. It reminds me a lot like Bundaberg but not even that good. Those Brits seem to have the same affliction of the Aussies when it comes to root beer. Shame indeed. See how it rates against other root beers.