Seal of Approval – Page 27 – Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Blog

Bluebird Brewing Batch 001 Root Beer

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.

D-n-A Old Fashioned Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers 4 Responses »

Nov 212012

The other root beer I snagged on my San Diego trip. It’s made by Old Town Root Beer Co. but the label seems to say that it’s D-n-A Root Beer. I don’t know. Once again I lament the lack of standards. It seems like ‘D’ and ‘A’ are the initials of the two kids on the label, and evidently this private root beer brand goes to pay for their college. Not sure what their real names are though, so I’ll assume they’re the most awesome names possible, like Demetrius and Alfonse. The most interesting thing about the black and white photo is that the root beer bottle labels in it are colored. Very strange. Sadly, they aren’t the recursive labels which would have upped the coolness factor of this by about e^pi.

The Body has a nice honey with creamy vanilla and spices. The sassafras flavor is pretty light, and it almost borders being watered down. There is a very good Bite, with the main spice cinnamon I think. There’s a good kick but not too much. The Head is solid. It is several inches tall and very frothy. The Aftertaste is very nice cinnamon and honey, with the slightest hint of vanilla. Yet, it is light and vanishes quickly.

Yum! I love that spicy, creamy, honey flavor. I wish the core were a bit stronger, but it is still a pleasure to drink and that Bite is amazing as is the Head. It was really close, but this one barely squeaked in to the upper echelon of root beer goodness. Congrats Old Town Root Beer Company, you’ve got 1 out of 3 that made it for me. The bottle is correct, “It is not your average Root beer.” See how it rates against other root beers.

Chuck Wagon Root Beer

Bottled Root Beers 2 Responses »

Nov 072012

Who doesn’t like a chuck wagon with a bunch of wooden soda kegs on it? It seems that the people at Chuck Wagon Old Fashioned Sodas decided to capitalize on that sentiment and thus they own and sell these wagons to people to set up stands at various county fairs and festivals. It is a pretty cool concept when you think about it and is doing it’s part in the Root Beer Revival. Though I’m curious, other than the cool old-fashioned wagon, what makes this an “OLD-FASHIONED SODA?” I’ve been wondering because there are so many root beers out there that claim old-fashioned, yet their flavors and ingredients vary widely. Unless, of course, root beer itself is an old-fashioned flavor which would mean all root beers would be old-fashioned. Hmm. This sounds like a great topic for the next IAGRB Standards Committee Meeting. Anyways, they also bottle their sodas as evidenced by the fact that I was able to procure two bottles to review, which makes them extra cool in my book.

This has a sweet medium Body with a pronounced caramel flavor that is nice and creamy. It has a nice mouth feel to it as well. I really love that flavor. There isn’t much Bite; it is nice and smooth with some subtle spice accents and fizz. The Head is medium height and froth, adequate. The Aftertaste is caramel with slight vanilla hints coming through. Delicious!

Wow! I love the taste of this brew. The creamy mouth feel is an added bonus as well. Good job! There’s nothing wrong with this root beer at all. There could be more right, like an even better Head and more spices for additional complexity, but they’ve essentially captured the proper root beer drinking experience and emphasized that amazing flavor. It is as the say, “SODA-LECIOUS”. I’m proud to give them my Seal of Approval, and look forward to drinking more of it in the future. See how it rates against other root beers.

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