GourmetRootBeer

Etna Brewing Company Root Beer

Mar 302016

Etna Brewing Company Root Beer Bottle The second root beer that I found way back in 2014 on my TMC Connect road trip. I’d actually known about this one for some time but they wouldn’t answer my emails when I requested info on how to order. So, it wasn’t until I was in Mount Shasta at the Tesla Supercharger on the way back that I finally crossed paths with it. I got it at the Rays Food Place a few minutes walk away. As an aside can I say that Rays Food Place has got to be up there with the greatest grocery store names of all time? Well I’m saying it. Anyways. I didn’t venture to it on the way down to TMC Connect because I was busy looking at other places for brew. So this place is brewed in Etna, CA, a mere hour’s drive from the Mount Shasta supercharger. The bottles has a lot of flavor text like “The Soda with the Good Ol’ Taste!” and “Bringing you a taste of what Root Beer used to be” as well as the predictable but always fun “Get Back to Your Roots”. Add in the whole bald eagle and they’re clearly going for some nostalgic ‘murica experience. Cracking open the bottle brings a wonderful spicy root beer aroma that promises an excellent brew.

The Body has a dominant wintergreen flavor mixed with anise. It’s also rather strange and medicinal tasting and not terribly strong. The Bite is smooth for the most part but sort of sour. The Head is short but frothy, though it does fizz down faster than it should. The Aftertaste is a bitter wintergreen and anise flavor that lingers too long and turns gross as it does.

Eww. I hope that this isn’t a “taste of what Root Beer used to be”. What happened to all of that goodness in the aroma? Maybe it all escaped. What a terrible letdown. I’m sure glad I didn’t mail order this or I would have felt that I paid way too much money for a rather miserable experience. Steer clear. See how it rates against other root beers.

Saint Arnold Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers 1 Response »

Mar 232016

St. Arnold Root Beer Bottle One day a fan emailed me and told me that I should try St. Arnold Root Beer. So I got on Google and went to find where it was made and learned about the St. Arnold Brewing Company and their root beer. It’s made using Imperial Cane Sugar which sounds like it should be used to make Empire Root Beer and not this. The label sports a picture of St. Arnold himself, a man who was a 6th century bishop and an ancestor of Charlemagne whose blessed remains caused beer to multiply in abundance to quench the thirst of fatigued pilgrims. I’m thinking that’s what inspired the owners to name the brewery after him. He is also not to be confused with Saint Amandus who is the patron saint of all who brew beer. This is the only second known root beer to be named after a religious leader (Brigham’s Brew being the first) and gives me great hopes that I’ll see more in the future (I’m looking at you Hare Krishnas, I want my Swami Prabhupada Root Beer).

It has a rich, dark, rooty Body that is at the same time very creamy. The Bite boldly hits you as soon as the brew enters your mouth and stays with you a bit. It is sharp and spicy. The Aftertaste is very creamy and lingers a long time, which is to be desired. The Head however, is weak, too weak. It is, however, frothy.

Another otherwise excellent brew ruined by the lack of a good Head. It always makes me sad when that happens. This is a delicious root beer but doesn’t excel quite enough for the Seal. See how it rates against other root beers.

The Grizzly Paw Soda Company Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Mar 162016

The Grizzly Paw Soda Company Root Beer Bottle About the time I was emailed about the Brewski another Canadian, dare I say my very favorite Canadian, informed me that he had found this and wanted to know if I needed to try it. I say my favorite Canadian because he was my longest and last mission companion in Madagascar so many years ago. Our root beer relationship went back to then, with me sending him some A&W as soon as I got back home (I got home first) to help end the root beer dearth that country suffers from. I even visited him in Alberta and found the FLM and Red Jammer along the way. Anyhow, I traded him some Steelhead and Hank’s for this. It comes in the standard Canadian 341 ml bottle which still makes no sense at all. The label makes me think of some nature park warning sign which is appropriate for the region. The coolest part about it is the whole “Racinette” because, Canada.

The Body is rich and sort of creamy with a rather generic root beer flavor. There’s nothing that really jumps out at you. The Bite has got a lot of carbonation fizz but not really much in the spice department. The Head is short and doesn’t last very long. The Aftertaste is a light caramel licorice with a bit of vanilla that doesn’t last long enough.

This is pretty meh but not unpleasant in any way. It’s just one of those generic, decent root beers that might as well have a white label with the words “Root Beer” in black text. I’d drink it again if I needed a brew to go with dinner, but only if it just happened to be laying around. See how it rates against other root beers.

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