Triple XXX Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  No Responses »
Apr 162014
 

Triple XXX Root Beer Bottle After reading my XXX Root Beer review and my Triple AAA Root Beer review I knew you were wondering what things I had to say about Triple XXX, the root beer that started all of this mess. It was awhile ago that I came across a six pack of this. The first thing that got me hung up about this brew was the name. Did they mean Triple X, but wanted to make sure you really got it so they called it Triple XXX? It seemed redundant but yes, it really was called Triple XXX and not Triple X. So does Triple XXX = 9X, X^9, or 3X^3? Does it mean this root beer has some connection to the adult entertainment industry (as an aside I’ve really thought about registering www.gourmetrootbeer.xxx and having it redirect to this post)? According to their website, XXX used to mean good, so the owners thought that Triple XXX is three times as good, or something. Who knows. The label makes me happy, simple, metallic, and retro. Though they changed it since I drank this.

I drank more bottles of this root beer than normal and every time I got something different. The Body was sometimes sweet and full, sometimes watery and lacking. The Bite was sometimes harsh, sometimes smooth. The Head was never very frothy but ranged between nonexistent and not bad. It always fizzed away quickly though. The Aftertaste was sometimes (see a pattern here?) very nice and of vanilla, and sometimes very weak.

Ok, what’s up with that? Whatever happened to quality control and process consistency? I have strict standards and try to recreate the exact same drinking situation with each review but this one was all over the place throughout the whole six pack. The inconsistency of it all was appalling. “Tastes like root beer used to taste”? Really, it seems like they can’t remember and tried several things. Though sometimes the root beer was really good, I just can’t in good faith call the brew drinkable when I’m not sure what it’ll be. So sorry Triple XXX, you get a two and a half. See how it rates against other root beers.

2.5/5 Root Beer Kegs




Triple AAA Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  No Responses »
Nov 142012
 

When I first heard about this I jokingly thought that they were trying to one up Triple XXX since ‘A’ is arguably a better letter than ‘X’. Then I learned that indeed, Triple AAA was an offshoot of by some ex-Triple XXX employees (quadruple XXX?) who wanted to make their own root beer, and better than that Triple XXX stuff they had so previously been affiliated with. To drive the point home, they called it Triple AAA, because ‘A’ is better than ‘X’. They went on to have Triple AAA thirst stations (root beer stands) and generally mimic everything else Triple XXX did. Wow! Who would have thought my joke would have been spot on. Unfortunately, about 38 years ago, Triple AAA finally kicked the can and was thus outlasted by their rivals, who still managed to hold on to one final root beer stand and one offshoot unaffiliated stand that still kind of was a Triple XXX stand. However, since the Root Beer Revival is underway, the fine people at Bricktown Candy Co. decided it was time to resurrect their favorite childhood beverage as best they could considering the original recipe died with the founder. They claim they’ve got it tasting exactly like they remember and I can only guess that it’s right. They did have help from a relative of the founder so inside secrets were surely shared. According to the label, this is “Sweetened With Pure Cane Sugar” until you look at the ingredients on the side of the label which list high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient (and no cane sugar I might add). I’m not sure which of the two I’m to believe but since I don’t really care about that anyways, I’ll let it go for now.

The Body has a solid sassafras flavor with some creamy vanilla. Other than that though, it is rather simple, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There is a nice little spice Bite that comes in after the initial contact but it is still very smooth. The Head is very tall, but it fizzes down very quickly, so it loses some points for that. The Aftertaste is more sassafras and vanilla that lasts awhile and has some bitter hints at the end.

Not bad. Not bad at all. It does have a old-fashioned root beer stand flavor to it. I like it, but not really enough. It just doesn’t quite do it for me and the lack of frothy Head sealed its fate. I wouldn’t mind having it again, but I wouldn’t specifically seek it out. I will say though, that I feel the root beer world is better off with it, and it did rate better than Triple XXX. See how it rates against other root beers.




Triple AAA Root Beer Relaunches after 38 Years

 Root Beer News  5 Responses »
Jul 302012
 

After being lost to the world for 38 years, Triple AAA Root Beer has been relaunched recently by the Bricktown Candy Co. in Oklahoma City, OK. This is the fruition of a goal owner Justin Thomas had when he first opened his candy store. ” I wanted to have a soda line that I could sell in the off season….I had an off season at the beggining when I opened the candy store. The first week in business I had a newspaper guy come in to do a store. He suggested I not open my own branded soda company but open the old Oklahoma Brand that I had on the wall behind me. So I did. … I had to pull my hair out to get it to open but we finally put all the pieces together.”

A large part of the reason that it was so difficult is that the original owner is deceased and took his secret recipe with him. Justin was able to track down the descendants and working with them, was able to bring back the flavor they know and love. As for now, Triple AAA Root Beer is only available at the Bricktwon Candy Co. but Justin hopes to expand in the future. Here’s wishing him the best of luck with his root beer endeavor.