Root Beer Reviews – Page 145 – Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog

Zippy’s Giant Root Beer

Dec 192012

First of all, the label is slightly terrifying. I don’t know the style that they are going for, but the guy/girl … person with the enormous eyes, huge lips, and long tongue with a burger in one hand and a root beer in the other is frightening. Secondly, for a ‘giant’ root beer, it is the SAME FREAKING SIZE AS EVERY OTHER ROOT BEER! Though after following the website on the bottle (which actually works to their credit) I learned that this is a burger joint in West Seattle called Zippy’s Giant Burgers, so that’s where the Giant Root Beer comes from. For a single burger joint with only one location to have their own brand of bottled root beer is really cool (and local at that), so they are forgiven for name, and even the terrifying bottle. However, they also claim “a classic since 2008”. Now normally such a claim would require several decades to pass before you can claim you have a classic product, even though technically it is a correct usage of the word, so I’m going to say they’re jumping the gun a bit.

The Body has a medium sassafras flavor with some vanilla and honey that gives way to a slightly sour fruity flavor after several seconds. Though there is vanilla it isn’t very creamy. There is a strong carbonation bite that gives it a harsh mouth feel but there aren’t any spices. So it has a lot of the bad Bite and not much of the good. The Head bubbles up high, but isn’t frothy and fizzes away quickly. The Aftertaste is vanilla fruitiness with a dash of honey that doesn’t last too long.

It’s not bad, but the sour fruity flavor really detracts from the Body, and the Bite and Head could use some work. It’s kind of sad because they use some quality ingredients. I think a major flaw is putting in more citric acid than vanilla extract, but what do I know. I don’t think I’d make a trek all the way back to Seattle just for this. Though, they seem to make some pretty epic burgers and have an ever revolving line of retro sodas in glass bottles (including other root beers) served at their restaurant, so I’ll probably drop by next time I’m in the neighborhood. See how it rates against other root beers.

Grand Teton Brewing Company Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Dec 122012

What better way to celebrate 12/12/12 than with a root beer review! Up and out of the blue one day, I got an email from Cosmo asking if I’d tried Grand Teton Brewing Company Root Beer and if I was willing to trade for it. At the time I was in the midst of acquiring around 10 different brands and though my root beer budget was stretched, I couldn’t resist. Two days after I agreed and he said he’d ship it, my sister who lives in ID calls me up and asks if I’d tried Grand Teton Root Beer because they sell it at the super market near Boise. Some context, when I got the call, I knew I’d see my sister in two weeks time. Oh well, I’d already committed to Cosmo. I really like the label of this, being an outdoors man myself. “Kettle Brewed” conjures up images of a large, sweet looking brass kettle for some reason over a fire in a brewery. I’m not sure why I think of brass, but you have to admit it would look really cool. So up in the Grand Tetons, some brewers are mixing root beer ingredients in large brass kettles, heating them over fires, and pouring in pure spring water that they’ve tapped near their brewery. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. They also relabel this as Old Faithful Root Beer to sell in Yellowstone National Park which is good that Yellowstone has got such a good root beer, but sad that they didn’t add some little extra goodness, like a dash of cinnamon or cloves, so I could have two different root beers to review.

This has a very rich and creamy Body. It has a strong sassafras flavor with hints of vanilla and wintergreen. It has a solid Bite from carbonation and a little spice, but nothing that really jumps out and demands attention. It goes down very smooth on account of the maltodextrin. The Aftertaste is creamy and minty and lasts the right amount of time.

Yum. It’s very rich and strong. Stronger than I usually prefer, but they’ve somehow pulled it off in a way that it comes across as bold without being overbearing. After the first bottle I was really on the fence about where to rate it, but the second bottle reinforced that this is top notch. It’s good when quaffed, but really, it’s more excellent to sip slowly, enjoying every bit of that rich sassafras flavor washing creamily over your tongue. When I’m in the mood for a bolder, darker root beer flavor, I’m comin’ for this. See how it rates against other root beers.

Bluebird Brewing Batch 001 Root Beer

Draft and Keg Root Beers No Responses »

Dec 052012

Bluebird Batch 001 Root Beer So Bluebird Microcreamery in Seattle just decided to get into the nano-brewing business and had a grand opening just a few weeks ago, officially becoming Bluebird Microcreamery & Brewery. When I heard they were brewing root beer as well I headed over as quickly as I could to get the scoop (pun intended) on the new brew and the new entrant into the gourmet root beer world. My first impression of the place is that it is truly a nano-brewery. They are on a 2 bbl system that seems to only hold about 100 gallons at most per vat. The whole operation, brewery, creamery, bar, and sitting area occupy about as much space as a corner Starbucks. The decor is very rustic with tables built on old fashioned milk cans and pints of root beer served in frosted mason jars. They try to be all natural local and organic as well. They have three different root beers that they brew but only one at any given time. This one is imaginatively called Batch 001 because it is obviously their 10th try … I had hoped that by announcing myself as the internet root beer guru that I am there would be much excitement but I was kind of overshadowed by Chef Gordon Ramsay who was shooting an episode of Kitchen Nightmares just next store. Oh well.

The Body is very sweet and complex. It is almost dark but not quite. It is mildly creamy with wintergreen, cinnamon, and licorice hints. All of these flavors are perfectly proportioned so that at first sip it tastes just like you’d expect from a root beer but then the subtler flavors surface enhancing it considerably. The slightly caramel flavor of brewed cane sugar shines through as well. The Bite is mild but present from the cinnamon and is just about at my favorite level. It has a very clean mouth feel from the lack of preservatives. The Head is amazingly tall and very frothy. I’ve seen better but they definitely earn full points and then some for it. The Aftertaste is sweet hints of cinnamon and licorice with just a tad of wintergreen coming though.

This is a pleasure to drink. It’s different than my standard favorites to be sure but I really enjoy it. It is great to sip, to chug, and I’m sure would go great in a float with some of their ice cream. Though it’s really good, it didn’t move me like some of the greats, but I would never pass this up if I were in a root beer mood and it was the closest available. I am proud to give it my Seal of Approval and I look forward to trying their other root beers in the future.

The Bluebird Brewery bar and the lovely bartender.

Me on a tour of the Bluebird Brewery, which consisted of everything you see. That is the entire brewery.

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