Apr 072021
 

Whistler Lemon Root Beer BottleSeal of Approval For the first time in awhile I went out to Blue Sun Soda. I’ve been trying to avoid in-person shopping as much as possible what with the pandemic. Plus it’s sad to me to go up there and not play video games and enjoy a phosphate. Any how, I went back, hunting for a different root beer (review coming next month) and when I asked them if they said they had anything new, they remarked that they’d just started making a lemon root beer. That sounds like a terrible idea to me. If you’ve read this blog much (or my reviews in general) you know my opinion of sour, citrusy, fruity flavors in my root beer. I’ve also not had the best experience with Whistler despite my love for what they do. To set my expectations even lower, when I posted about the new root beer on Facebook, the owner of Whistler commented that he himself didn’t like it but people kept asking for it so he made it. That’s actually hilarious and I told him to not take it bad if I panned it in my review. After all, would you be excited to drink something its own creator has dismissed as weird? But so I found myself filling my mug with a lemon scented brew.

The Body has a rich creamy root beer flavor that is almost caramely and is sharpened by lemon accents which transition to a vanilla lemon flavor. Despite a strong lemon, it isn’t sour or even feel citrusy. The Bite is mostly from prickly carbonation but it finishes smooth. The Head is medium height and staying power, sufficient for a good brew. The Aftertaste is rich vanilla and lemon, like a lemon custard, but for some reason it feels completely natural to finish a root beer like this.

No. No no no no. This isn’t right … how? It’s amazing! But it shouldn’t be. Literally nothing I just wrote makes any sense to me. Finishing a root beer with lemon custard? What? But it’s delicious. I can’t stop drinking it. I want more. It seems like the most natural fantastic root beer despite contradiction of its flavors. What dark wizardry is this? A lemon root beer has no business being this good. But I’ll be back for more. Congratulations Whistler, I award you the Seal of Approval. See how it rates against other root beers.

4 kegs




Sep 252019
 

A frosty mug of The Drive-In Root BeerSeal of Approval This past weekend was my Birthday! To celebrate I wanted to go get root beer and since it was my Birthday, I could pick that for my party. So I piled the family in the car and we drove up to Taylor Falls to visit The Drive-In. It’s an old root beer stand that got its humble beginnings as a Frostop stand. While no longer affiliated with Frostop and with their own house recipe, they didn’t repaint the big Frostop mug eternally spinning in their sign. I think it’s kind of funny. But anyhow, they got car service and carhops in poodle skirts and serve that classic root beer drive-in fare with their brew served in nice frosty mugs. They also have a mini-golf course and they are a short walk from a beautiful state park with glacial potholes. But I was there first and foremost for root beer.

The Body is very sweet, and rich and creamy with some nice vanilla. It’s got that classic drive-in flavor which I love. The Bite has good spice and carbonation. The Head is very short and doesn’t last very long, sadly, which is its biggest flaw. The Aftertaste is a strong vanilla with a little sassafras.

Yum, yum. The classic creamy root beer stand brew. I love it. Though this doesn’t really stray from that classic formula in any way, the execution is near flawless so it’s a real treat. The biggest flaw is that tiny Head, which almost kept it from a Seal until I asked them to specifically make it foamy on my second mug, which they were able to. The food is great too. Locally sourced and fresh made. Their signature Drive-In Burger is much like their root beer. Classic, traditional, and very delicious. This place is well worth the visit and was a great birthday present.

4 kegs




The Drive-In

The Drive-In. A wonderful 1960’s style root beer stand.

The Drive-In Burger

The Drive-In Burger. Two 1/3 lb patties with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Best crinkle cut fries I can remember.

Nov 282018
 

Seal of Approval The second root beer of the Oak Creek Barrel Aged offering. This one’s a blonde root beer, one of the rarest forms of root beer I’ve ever encountered. Only two before this. Interestingly one of those also had a “creek” in the name, which surely can’t be a coincidence… This boasts on the label to be made with “25% brown sugar, 75% real sugar”. Now I think brown sugar is plenty real, especially since it’s just less refined. I get what they’re trying to say, but let’s not be calling brown sugar not real sugar. Saying regular or normal sugar also would seem a bit odd, so, they should change it to say “white sugar”. There I gave them some free marketing advice. Look at how kind I’m being. And why wouldn’t I be. This stuff is good.

The Body has a rich creamy vanilla flavor with a distinct woody flavor. It’s nice and sweet with a lot of complexity of flavors and spices beneath the initial contact. The Bite is sharp and spicy. The Head is as a proper root beer Head should be, tall and foamy. The Aftertaste is the woody, oaken vanilla that last just the right amount of time.

I like it. I like it a lot. I think the aged oaken flavor goes better in this blonde than it did in the regular. Mixes well with that fake sugar and all. So now I’ve reviewed three blonde root beers and given as many Seals, you could say that I’m partial to blonde root beers, but I would say that rather, the makers of such a unique take on root beer strive extra to craft a masterful product. And this is with out a doubt masterfully crafted. See how it rates against other root beers.

4 kegs