Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog – Page 53 – The blog of the gourmet root beer site.

Big Muddy Root Beer

Dec 122018

Big Muddy Root Beer Bottle This brew comes from Big Muddy Brewing in Murphysboro, Illinois. The brewery is named after the Big Muddy River which is, you guessed it, big and muddy. Or, at least it seems to be so if the Wikipedia article is to be trusted. I’ve never been there so I have to take their word for it. There’s a lot of questions I have for these guys without any real answers to be found. Like, why a Sasquatch? If you asked most people where they imagine big foots (feets?) to be found, I doubt Illinois would be near the top of their lists. The website is rather devoid of facts about the brewery leaving more questions then answers. It’s also devoid of mentioning this root beer, which is another question I have for them. The wonderful Vince sent this my way, proving once again why he is such an invaluable asset to the root beer community.

The Body is sweet and crisp with a rich honey flavor and some sarsaparilla undertones in a Barq’s-y sort of way. There’s an adequate Bite from spices that is accentuated by an interesting effervescent mouthfeel. The Head is tall but fizzes away too quickly. The Aftertaste is some nice honey.

Pretty good. I like that bubbly effervescent mouthfeel. Quite unique. But, it just doesn’t quite do it for me. There’s nothing really wrong with this. It just doesn’t impress me like a Seal of Approval brew should. See how it rates against other root beers.

Duffys’ Rowdy Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Dec 052018

Duffys' Rowdy Root Beer Bottle In 1929 the great depression began. A man by the name of Frank Duffy, who didn’t know how to use apostrophes correctly, began selling a root beer. His mascot was the Duffys’ Elf for no discernible reason. But he was not the only man to do so that year. So did the folks who made Brownie Caramel Cream Root Beer, though their brownie (elf, sprite, pixie, whatever, they look the same) wasn’t green. I wonder which came first or if they knew about each other when they started. Either way. When Frank died, his soda company ran dry … get it? … no? … moving on … since he didn’t tell anyone else the recipes to his various drinks. So they shuttered up and went home. Years later, a safe was found in an abandoned warehouse, that when opened, contained the original recipes. Or so the story goes. Either way, Duffys’, like it’s other pixie themed competitor from days of yore, has been resurrected for the world to enjoy.

The Body is moderately sweet with a light flavor profile. There’s an out of place herbal bit that comes in and is sort of bitter as well. It’s most unwelcome. Thankfully it soon is replaced by creamy vanilla. The Bite is very sharp from carbonation yet lacking in spice. The Head is very tall and also frothy and lingers, but not quite as long as the greats. The Aftertaste is vanilla with a hint of fruity.

This is okay. I like the vanilla and the Head, the herbal bit, not so much. I’m not sure what makes this rowdy, maybe the whole combo of good and bad switching up. I suppose, after thinking long and hard about it, that I would in fact drink this again, if there wasn’t anything else about. See how it rates against other root beers.

Oak Creek Barrel Aged Blonde Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Nov 282018

The second root beer of the Oak Creek Barrel Aged offering. This one’s a blonde root beer, one of the rarest forms of root beer I’ve ever encountered. Only two before this. Interestingly one of those also had a “creek” in the name, which surely can’t be a coincidence… This boasts on the label to be made with “25% brown sugar, 75% real sugar”. Now I think brown sugar is plenty real, especially since it’s just less refined. I get what they’re trying to say, but let’s not be calling brown sugar not real sugar. Saying regular or normal sugar also would seem a bit odd, so, they should change it to say “white sugar”. There I gave them some free marketing advice. Look at how kind I’m being. And why wouldn’t I be. This stuff is good.

The Body has a rich creamy vanilla flavor with a distinct woody flavor. It’s nice and sweet with a lot of complexity of flavors and spices beneath the initial contact. The Bite is sharp and spicy. The Head is as a proper root beer Head should be, tall and foamy. The Aftertaste is the woody, oaken vanilla that last just the right amount of time.

I like it. I like it a lot. I think the aged oaken flavor goes better in this blonde than it did in the regular. Mixes well with that fake sugar and all. So now I’ve reviewed three blonde root beers and given as many Seals, you could say that I’m partial to blonde root beers, but I would say that rather, the makers of such a unique take on root beer strive extra to craft a masterful product. And this is with out a doubt masterfully crafted. See how it rates against other root beers.

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