Apr 112018
 

Batch Brown Sugar Root Beer Bottle I’ve had many different “flavored” root beers. Vanilla root beers, butterscotch root beers, maple root beers, birch, sarsaparilla, honey, caramel, and even cherry root beers. But I’ve not yet had one that calls itself a “brown sugar” root beer. Not that there hasn’t been brown sugar in other root beers I’ve drank before, it’s just no one has ever decided to make that their main selling point. Interestingly, brown sugar isn’t listed on the ingredients, just “pure cane sugar”. This could include brown sugar but it’s kind of odd to not list it separately. Batch is a relatively new soda company. It was established in 2013 with the goal of evoking a connection to authenticity and inspiring the creation of new memories through their soda recipes. They list the batch number on the label, in this case, 714, but I’m not sure if they change that every run. A quick google image search does not reveal any labels with numbers other than 714, but there’s also not many pictures period, so I can’t make a definitive conclusion. Anyways, on to the review.

The Body is mild and generic with fruity overtones and some vanilla. It’s got the kind of fruity that you get if you put too much brown sugar in your oatmeal. There isn’t much Bite and, unfortunately, it isn’t very smooth. The Head is nice and tall with medium staying power, so it’s pretty good. The Aftertaste is more fruity vanilla flavor.

I said it already, but the flavor really reminds me of the times I’ve put ridiculous amounts of brown sugar in my oatmeal and it has an kind of fruity flavor. And you know how I feel about a lot of fruity in my root beer. It’s a shame really, I could have seen this being much better. See how it rates against other root beers.

2.5/5 Root Beer Kegs




Mar 282018
 

Zia Root Beer Bottle Imagine a root beer that’s more than just a root beer. It’s a root beer with a mission. A mission to enrich the state of New Mexico, through local economic support. A mission to achieve a sustainable earth for the next seven generations. And a mission to benefit the Native Tribe of Zia Pueblo. Congratulations, you’ve imagined ZIA Root Beer. The company name, ZIA Energia means sun energy. And the symbol on the bottle is the sun, with rays in four directions, symbolizing many sets of four things like North, South, East, and West; Earth, Water, Air, Fire; and even Clear Mind, Strong Body, Pure Spirit, and Devotion to the Well-Being of Others. The design and the font are all very Pueblo-y, if that’s a style. I think it’s a style. I’m saying it’s a style. Feel free to correct me in the comments about what the real style is. My rudimentary Googling fell short. My only comment on their mission is what about the poor eighth generation?

The Body is rich and complex with lots of spice and some licorice. There’s also a hint of malted barley. The Bite is strong and spicy with a lot of clove. The Head is decent. It’s tall and frothy enough but I’ve seen much better. The Aftertaste is wintergreen and vanilla with clove accents and licorice.

This is a solid and complex brew, but there’s just a little too much licorice in it for my tastes. I was on the fence of where to put this one and thankfully I had more than two bottles so I could try it again. Ultimately it didn’t quite make the Seal cut, but it’s still worth trying as it is pretty unique. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three and a half kegs




Mar 212018
 

Old Bottle Brewery Root Beer Bottle The Old Bottle Brewery is a small home brewery founded in 2014 in Ruston, Louisiana. It’s just a small part time operation though they have big, professional aspirations for the future. Even though they are small, they make their own root beer and were even kind enough to send me some. Their brew is made with all natural ingredients like molasses, wintergreen, vanilla, and nutmeg. All the ingredients are listed on the “label” which is tied around the bottle neck. Unfortunately if you brew all natural, you don’t get to use sassafras, and that can be bad for the total flavor. Apart from that tied on tag, the bottle is entirely plain, but all that really matters is how it tastes.

The Body is complex with a lot of different flavors; vanilla, molasses, some wintergreen, and spices, but it lacks a solid core to pull it all together. Nevertheless, it is still pleasant. The Bite is nice from all of the spices and still finishes a bit smooth. The Head is excellent, so full points there. The Aftertaste is also very pleasant, with vanilla and light molasses and spices.

This isn’t bad, but doesn’t excel. It’s got all of the wonderful peripheral flavors but really lacks the sassafras core. There are other brews that suffer from this same problem, but this is among the better ones. See how it rates against other root beers.

Three kegs