Faygo Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  No Responses »
Jul 312013
 

Faygo Root Beer BottleSeal of Approval You can’t really mention Faygo without mentioning the Insane Clown Posse and their … fans, the Juggalos. Why? Because a love of Faygo is one of their defining characteristics, though they’d just as soon spray it on themselves and each other as they would drink it. Don’t ask why, they’re the Insane Clown Posse and Juggalos, logic and reason can’t be applied. This is also the reason my sister bought me a 6-pack of this about five years back for Christmas, because she thought those Juggalos were “hilarious” and wanted to see if the brew they were drinking/spraying was any good. Which I must say is the best thing for anyone to do when confronted by a new gourmet root beer, send it to me first, I’ll tell you if drinking said brew is worth it.

A rich, full Body is the highlight of this brew. It is crisp and creamy without a single unpleasant flavor. Then surfaces a little Bite with hints of wintergreen which stays largely on the smooth side. The Head is average, but fizzes away quickly so as to be rather disappointing. It doesn’t go flat however. The Aftertaste is a wonderful creamy minty flavor that lingers but not too long. This is a good one.

So pretty yummy. I liked it then, I still like it now. I wish the Head was better but it’s good enough. Now I’m actually depressed. Those Juggalos are out there spraying their Faygo and wasting a quality soda, the root beer anyways. Maybe I should go to one of those concerts and carry a funnel so I can save as much of it as possible to enjoy later. Probably not though. See how it rates against other root beers.

4 kegs




Brigham’s Brew Root Beer

 Bottled Root Beers  15 Responses »
Jul 102013
 

Brigham's Brew Root Beer BottleSeal of ApprovalThe final brew from my journey to UT and the only one in a bottle. I snagged four bottles of it on my way to the Salt Lake airport making 4 new root beers in a three day trip. I must say this was the most successful trip yet as far as root beer is concerned. Brigham’s Brew is brewed by Wasatch Brewery and to my knowledge is the only root beer to be named after religious leader (unless there’s some Innocent XII brew I’ve heretofore missed), taking the celebrity root beer names to a whole new level. I find it ironic that a root beer named after the second Mormon Prophet, Brigham Young, would be made by non-Mormons (this is, of course, assuming that owning a brewery precludes one from also being in full fellowship with the church) but then again he was also the first Governor of Deseret (Utah before it was a state) so they’re probably just tipping their hats to Utah’s founder. Plus, if their brewery had been around then, the root beer would have been the only one that Brigham Young would have drank. That’s actually a really good marketing strategy. Maybe we’ll see founders’ brews from other major religions that forbid alcohol in their holy cities someday.

The Body is rich and creamy. A delicious honey flavor greats your tongue and then introduces it to luscious vanilla. A little wintergreen surfaces later to accent the rest of the standard root beer flavors making the perfect soiree in your mouth. There’s a solid bite from spice and carbonation, but the maltodextrin ensures that it is a very smooth affair. The Head is excellent. It almost fizzed over the top of my mug with each pouring. It dissipates faster than some of the other greats though, and is probably the only drawback. The Aftertaste is creamy vanilla and wintergreen with honey accents showing up just as the other two flavors exit.

Wow! I was expecting good but not such a superb brew! I wish I had purchased more bottles. This is hands down one of the best root beers I’ve ever had. So nice to have my trip end with the best. Truly, this is the highest compliment a brewer could pay to Brother Brigham. See how it rates against other root beers.

4.5 Kegs




Squatters Brewhouse Root Beer

 Draft and Keg Root Beers  No Responses »
Jul 032013
 

A pint of Squatters Brewhouse Root BeerSeal of Approval Another serendipitous discovery on my trip to Utah. I had just landed and was heading towards baggage claim when I saw Squatters Pub Brewery. I’ve normally not had good luck with airport breweries having root beer (Old Dominion in DC being the only exception) but figured that since it was Utah, where the majority of the population would rather have a root beer than a beer, I might as well try. I asked the waitress and she proudly told me that they served their own root beer, tapped from a keg, and then insisted that I try some, even though I was en route to the Hires Big H for dinner. She brought back about a quarter pint with ice, and I respectfully declined, citing the ice and said I had to be on my way. But, she was more insistent then ever at this point and returned with another quarter pint sans ice. Not wanting to be rude I gave it a quick gulp and was very impressed by sweet creamy goodness. I told her I’d return in two days for a proper review and then headed off. Two days (and root beers) later, true to my word, I returned to finish the final root beer quest of my trip. I barely made it due to the tight schedule of meetings I had before.

The Body is nice and full. It’s very sweet and it tastes like there’s some honey in it but I can’t be 100% sure. There’s a creamy vanilla hint to it as well. There’s a small Bite too it, though it is more on the smooth side. The Head is medium height and frothy, though it doesn’t last as long as I prefer. The Aftertaste is sweet vanilla with a honey or caramely tilt. It’s really good.

A very delicious brew. The best I’d had so far on the trip. This is definitely one I’m going back for every time I connect through SLC. The food is amazing as well. I grabbed a Pub Reuben to eat on the flight and it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. This place is so worth the visit if you’re ever in Salt Lake International Airport. Head to terminal C, gate 2. You won’t regret it.

4 kegs




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