Feb 272019
 

Dad's Root Beer Barrel

Time to write a post about the most iconic root beer candy there is, the root beer barrel. I’m sure that’s what you first thought of back when I said I would write about candy and stuff. Because honestly, while other candies may have a root beer flavor, there is no other barrel candy. The root beer barrel is as synonymous with old fashioned candies as lemon drops and those ribbon candy things that your grandma used to give you. There’s a lot of types, and I aim to write about them all, but to start I’m going with Dad’s, since it’s also a rather iconic root beer brand with national distribution.

They’re nice and sweet with flavor that is not unlike Dad’s Root Beer, unsurprisingly. This means that there isn’t a strong licorice or mint flavor, and there’s a hint of spice. It also isn’t too sticky for hard candy, if that makes any sense. And gives a fine root beer like experience.

Yum. I can honestly say I really enjoy sucking these things. Being of a lighter flavor profile than some of the other root beer hard candies, you can pop quite a few in a row and they don’t get old. I can’t wait to see what they other root beer barrel candies are like. Until then, I highly recommend these.




Apr 202016
 

Mom's Root Beer Bottle I find it a happy coincidence that after doing my old post on Dad’s Root Beer the next brew for me to review was Mom’s. It’s clear from the label that they are going for exactly the same thing like some cheap knockoff. The logo is in the same angle and while the letters themselves are different colors, the whole logo sports the same blue, red, and yellow scheme. Also there’s the “The Better Half” quote on the bottle, as if to say that it’s the better half of the Mom and Dad parentage. And why not? We’re all for feminism and equality these days. Why should the fathers be the only ones with their own root beer? We’re about empowerment and #yesallwomen and whatnot now so of course we need a Mom’s Root Beer if we have a Dad’s. They even have their own website, which at the time of this writing, is one of those Godaddy free one-page sites. Talk about a missed opportunity to really support the cause there Mom’s. It is, of course, is still better than the non-existent websites of some companies so there’s that.

The Body is sweet and rich and a little creamy. It has a generic creamy root beer taste that could be a little stronger. The Bite is okay. There’s a bit of spice and fizz. It’s on the smooth side. The Head is average; nothing special but not bad. The Aftertaste is a light caramel vanilla flavor.

This is quite pleasant but nothing special, much like Dad’s root beer. I think that this has a more premium root beer feel (though I didn’t drink them side-by-side) whereas Dad’s is more mass market. Which means … Mom’s rates a little higher. “The Better Half” indeed. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three and a half kegs




Apr 132016
 

Dad's Root Beer BottleAnother iconic brand that is seldom found it glass bottles though commonly found in cans and plastic two-liter bottles. This was one that I had enjoyed as better than the average back in my pre-connoisseur days during the occasional pizza night or barbecue. And by average I mean Cragmont, the precursor to Safeway Select which was the precursor to whatever they have now, Refreshe or something like that. Who cares, they don’t properly bottle it. Anyways. I was traveling up in the Mystic Land of the North on a quest to see The Arrogant Worms, the same quest in which I found the Pirate’s Keg Root Beer. I can’t remember the store where I found this, probably a gas station, but I do remember finding it there. It is the exact same as in the US except with the Racinette on the label. I got three bottles and waited until I had returned to give it a proper review.

This is alright. The Body is good. The Bite is a little harsh for me, I like it smooth. The Head is nothing special. The Aftertaste is not displeasing.

So as we’ve covered before, I was a little, shall we say, less than descriptive in my earlier writings. Whereas before I had thought of it as above average, I’d say it is only an average gourmet root beer, though my standards are much higher than they had been when I quaffed Cragmont “Brown” from the can. It’s still good enough for those pizza parties if you get it in glass. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three kegs