Seal of Approval – Page 16 – Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog

Jones Soda Co. Root Beer

Sep 092015

Bottle of Jones Soda Co. Root Beer One of the first 10 root beers that I ever had. I found this at a gas station somewhere in southern Washington State. We were returning from the family trip to California where I found the Mendocino Taubold’s Private Reserve Root Beer. Jones is actually based in Seattle and I’ve walked past their headquarters near Safeco Field many times on the way to Mariners games. Jones is unique in that they always are changing the picture on their label. The pictures that they use are submitted by people and voted on. Sadly, no picture of mine has made it to the label, though they let you order custom labels as a consolation prize.

A sweet, pleasant Body though a little on the light side but not too weak. The flavor is what root beer should taste like. It has a strong carbonation Bite leaning a little on the harsh side but not too harsh. The Head is tall though a it dissipates faster than I would like but the liquid stays fizzy and therefore still desirable. The Aftertaste is good and of the original flavor and fades away gradually.

All in all, there is nothing really wrong with this and a lot right. I really enjoy it. At one point in 2005 or so, I reviewed it again to see if I really liked it as much as I had when I found it in the 1998. I did. I like it. It’s good. I’ll “Run with the little guy”. See how it rates against other root beers.

Dog n Suds Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Sep 022015

Dog n Suds Root Beer Bottle One from my BYU days, I ordered it in a variety pack online and when I got it one of my friends at the time told me how much she loved Dog n Suds. I didn’t actually ask for more info so I was completely lost as to what they were going for in their name. There’s a dog holding a hotdog and a mug of root beer so I assumed that the name came from a dog with a sudsy root beer, or maybe one is supposed to order a hotdog and the root beer supplies the suds. At the time it was an enigma but one I didn’t care to expend too much effort to solve (this was back before Percival C. McGillicuddy was on the scene). Finally someone emailed me at explained that it was a hotdog/root beer stand chain, hence ‘dog’ n ‘suds’. That would explain the whole “Drive In Style” on their bottle. I’ll just leave the original ratings table review the same so you can see the whole process of it back then.

The Body is creamy and good. The right type of flavor with nothing overly special but nothing wrong at all. It is all there. The Bite is a little on the weak side but I have said it before and I will iterate it, I like it SMOOTH! The Head is also nice and “sudsy?” though not as frothy as some of the others but definitely adequate. The Aftertaste also has got the right stuff.

I say that this root beer is just plain good. I understand the whole suds part of the name, it really is actually sudsy but in a good way. Though, unfortunately, it’s another brew to be tagged with ‘dog’ too much of that. Also, it’s a shame none of those drive-ins are remotely near me over here. Oh well. See how it rates against other root beers.

Indian Wells Brewing Company Special Reserve Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers No Responses »

Jul 112015

Indian Wells Brewing Company Special Reserve Root Beer bottle Premium gourmet root beer is now officially a thing. There’d been a few before, notably Virgil’s Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg Root Beer and Thunderbeast Black Label (blog posts coming soon). Miss Lady kind of qualifies as well. But this one finally makes it official in the way that butterscotch is no longer a unique variant of root beer. The Indian Wells Brewing Company also makes Death Valley Root Beer which, well, I’m not a fan of, to put it lightly. Despite that, when I contacted them about a mail order, they even offered to send a free sample. Now that’s some guts. The 22 ounce bottle is absolutely beautiful and wax sealed. The brew itself is aged in Iberian chestnut barrels and made with real birch, sarsaparilla, ginger, and other nice ingredients including pure cane sugar for those who care about that.

The Body is full and complex with a rich and creamy texture and an aged flavor. There’s a dark rooty core accented by a little licorice. There are notes of birch and wintergreen and some vanilla. There’s also a hint of bitterness but this gives way to more pleasant flavors. The Bite is solid and spicy at just the right amount. The Head is excellent. It’s very tall and foamy to the bottom of the mug. The Aftertaste is rich vanilla with caramel hints.

Wow. I wasn’t expecting that level of complexity and spiciness. It’s quite a bit different from the standard vanilla and honey brews I constantly rave about, but I love it all the same. This is one you can quaff, but is far better to drink slowly to savor all that is going on. I’m proud to give this one my Seal of Approval. Finally, a premium gourmet root beer that’s worth getting for more than just the awesome bottle. See how it rates against other root beers.

Older Entries Newer Entries