GourmetRootBeer

Triple AAA Root Beer

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.

Petition to Get Hires Root Beer in Glass Bottles

Root Beer News 4 Responses »

Nov 082012

Hires 8 pack ad
Every so often there comes a time when people need to band together to change the world, one of those times is now. For over 100 years Hires Root Beer, the original root beer, has been offered to the public for their root beer enjoyment. In recent years however, Hires has receded dramatically in distribution. Worse than that, however, is the fact that it is no longer offered in glass bottles.
The advantages of glass bottles are many, including:

Tradition
Infinitely Reusable
Infinitely Recyclable
Longer Shelf Life
Better Taste
Especially Better Taste

For some root beers, this is not a problem, for the Original Root Beer, the Father of all Root Beers, this is a disgraceful shame that must be changed. I, the Root Beer Gourmet, therefore have taken it upon myself to start a petition to correct this problem. Please follow the link below and tell Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, the owners of the Hires brand, that we, the root beer connoisseurs of the world, demand better, we demand Hires Root Beer in glass!

Petition Link, Please Click and Sign

Chuck Wagon Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers 2 Responses »

Nov 072012

Who doesn’t like a chuck wagon with a bunch of wooden soda kegs on it? It seems that the people at Chuck Wagon Old Fashioned Sodas decided to capitalize on that sentiment and thus they own and sell these wagons to people to set up stands at various county fairs and festivals. It is a pretty cool concept when you think about it and is doing it’s part in the Root Beer Revival. Though I’m curious, other than the cool old-fashioned wagon, what makes this an “OLD-FASHIONED SODA?” I’ve been wondering because there are so many root beers out there that claim old-fashioned, yet their flavors and ingredients vary widely. Unless, of course, root beer itself is an old-fashioned flavor which would mean all root beers would be old-fashioned. Hmm. This sounds like a great topic for the next IAGRB Standards Committee Meeting. Anyways, they also bottle their sodas as evidenced by the fact that I was able to procure two bottles to review, which makes them extra cool in my book.

This has a sweet medium Body with a pronounced caramel flavor that is nice and creamy. It has a nice mouth feel to it as well. I really love that flavor. There isn’t much Bite; it is nice and smooth with some subtle spice accents and fizz. The Head is medium height and froth, adequate. The Aftertaste is caramel with slight vanilla hints coming through. Delicious!

Wow! I love the taste of this brew. The creamy mouth feel is an added bonus as well. Good job! There’s nothing wrong with this root beer at all. There could be more right, like an even better Head and more spices for additional complexity, but they’ve essentially captured the proper root beer drinking experience and emphasized that amazing flavor. It is as the say, “SODA-LECIOUS”. I’m proud to give them my Seal of Approval, and look forward to drinking more of it in the future. See how it rates against other root beers.

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