Caruso's Robusto

The rising sun shines to celebrate our 60th root beer, a milestone for this blog. This is so exciting I can hardly stand it, so let's get right to the review of Caruso's Legacy Robusto Root Beer!

John: For a "robusto" root beer, this stuff is actually pretty mild. Not overly sweet, it is a smooth, dignified root beer, suitable for sipping while listening to a Verdi opera on a Saturday night. However, towards the end it starts to get a little flat and watery, and the aftertaste is syrupy and lingers. **

FRED: STRONG FLAVORFUL WITH MANY FLAVORS. NOT A FAVORITE. **

Langer's

We all know and love Langer's juice... but who knew they also made root beer? Well, this Los Angeles-based juice empire claims they also produce a "premium" root beer with "Madagascar Vanilla Extract" and "a touch of honey." And, like their juice, they use absolutely no artifical colors or flavors. This could be interesting.

John: A scent of fresh, robust vanilla cream wafts from the tasting glass, and a smooth, creamy, mildly exotic brew greets the palate. This one is both pleasantly sweet, and refreshing, an unusual combo. The nose is really, really pleasing; I could just sit here and sniff it all day. I won't lie, this bottle went fast, it was that good. After almost 60 root beers, it takes a winner to stand out above the crowd, and this one does. ****

FRED: SWEET AND SMOOTH BUT NOT OVERPOWERING. GOOD ROOT BEER FLAVOR ****

Myers Avenue Red Root Beer

Uh oh. Every once in a while something like this manages to sneak through. A renegade "root beer". This one offers an amber tinge and a nose of Tree Top apple juice.

John: Mild sweetness of cinnamon apple juice, a splash of echinecia, and a drop of alka-seltzer. Maybe it will help a cold. Not bad, but not root beer as we would like to understand it. **

FRED: WHY THIS IS CALLED ROOT BEER I DON'T KNOW. IT DOES NOT SMELL OR TASTE OF ROOT BEER. THEREFORE NO COMMENT.

Saranac Root Beer

1888. Quite a year. Jack the Ripper was mutilating his victims in London, Vincent van Gogh was mutilating himself in France, the "Great Blizzard of '88" left more than 400 people dead along the east coast, and the National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C. In the midst of all this chaos, a brewery was founded in the foothills of the Adriondack mountains of New York. Today, Saranac (Iroquois for "cluster of stars") is a thriving beverage company that prides itself on all its beers...including root.

JOHN: Hits your palate with the flavor of a delicious vanilla ice cream soda. A gently frothy texture, and a pleasing, unobtrusive taste of vanilla and sassafras bark. It's been a while since we've enjoyed a root beer this good. No fancy ingredients on the label, and--get this-- they use high fructose corn syrup instead of pure cane sugar. Guess all that stuff doesn't really matter. ****

FRED: GOOD OLD FASHIONED ROOT BEER. GOOD FROTH AND GOOD SIMPLE TASTE ****

Squamscot

In 1863, while the Civil War was raging, and the 15th Regiment of New Hampshire was spilling their blood in the name of preserving the Union, Squamscot Beverages was founded in Newfields, NH. Still boasting their original recipe, Squamscot invites you to "experience the past...one sip at a time." So as we hoist our glass to the memories of the lost souls of the glorious 15th, we can share a taste in time, and know the same liquid refreshment as they did, all those years ago. But as their last breaths escaped them on the battlefield, did they whisper the name "Squamscot"?

John: Though the ingredients boast a dose of clove oil, that flavor is buried underneath what is yet another excessively sweet root beer. The sticky-sweetness coats your mouth and leaves a distinct sensation of sugar sticking to your teeth. The aftertaste is slightly bitter. **

FRED: HAS A TASTE LIKE DIET ROOT BEER. *

Empire

A simple label. An imposing name. Rhode Island's Empire root beer may be from the smallest state, but that doesn't mean it can't be tremendous in scope and massive in taste!

John: Nothing fancy here. No unusual flavors, no strong spice, no honey, mint, or vanilla. Just tastes like root beer--but an extremely sweet root beer. Not rich, just sweet. Sugary sweet. It's good, but you gotta have a sweet tooth. ***

FRED: GOOD BASIC ROOT BEER. TOO SWEET AND SYRUPY. LINGERING AFTERTASTE **

Bedford's

With a stately coat of arms adorning their label, Washington state's very own Bedford's Root Beer may be a root beer fit for a king!

John: It pours light with no froth whatsoever, and has a distinctive nose of blueberry syrup. A crisp zing of cherry juice dominates the flavor of this root beer, with a slightly acrid aftertaste. It's not bad, and certainly different from your run of the mill root beer, but somehow, just not good enough to join the 3-star club. The aftertaste is a bit sticky and lingers. **

FRED: VERY DIFFERENT FLAVOR. EXOTIC. NO FROTH. GUMMY. **

Maine Root Beer

The only root beer we've encountered so far to be labeled "Fair Trade Certified," and with a bare bones handcrafted ingredient list that reads: carbonated pure water, Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice, and spices, let's hope this hippie tonic strikes us as more than just "Fair."

John: A nice frothy head and robust nose leads to a spicy root beer with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. These Christmas-like spice cake flavors give way to a slightly medicinal sweetness and lingering aftertaste that taints the finish and knocks it from four stars down to three. ***

FRED: GOOD FROTHY ROOT BEER. SLIGHT MEDICINAL FLAVOR AND AFTERTASTE ***

Kutztown

Holy Moly! Founded in 1851 in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this eponymously named soda company promises to deliver antebellum-era root beer taste in a 21st century bottle! Can't wait to try this stuff.

John: Dark on the pour and rich on the nose. This is not a sweet root beer, but one whose strengths lie in its spicy, minty, rooty characteristics. And there are many shades to this hue: one detects vibrant, fresh wintergreen, earthy sassafras root, bitter black licorice, and sweetly mild after-dinner mints. A surprisingly complex blend of these pointed flavors balances out into a complex taste profile--sharp on the attack, yet mellow and subtle on the tongue, leaving one the enjoyment of unwrapping its mysteries. Until I drink more, I just cannot reward this singular beverage with anything less than ****.

FRED: DARK RICH AND COMPLEX. NOT TOO PLEASANT AFTERTASTE. NOT TOO REFRESHING. ***

Pop Shoppe!

The first root beer to come to us from America's Hat, The Pop Shoppe is the crown jewel of Canadian soda pop companies. Dating from the 60s, this Burlington, Ontario pop maker has been satisfying thirsty Canucks for half a century. But will it do the same for us Yanks south of the border?

John: Frothy with a silky, smooth texture. Dry, with a subtle "vanilla mint" flavor that tastes a little like the melted leftovers of a bowl of ice cream. Crisp and refreshing like the northern wind through wild peppermint groves, with a pronounced--but not overdone--sweetness. Delicious and superb. *****

FRED: SIMPLE EXCELLENT REFRESHING ROOT BEER. *****

So Duh!

Here we have another modern root beer wrapped up in a gimmicky ad campaign. Proclaiming to be "soda with an attitude," So Duh! features a ditzy blonde on their bottle and the hip label of "Rockin' Root Beer." The ingredients feature cane sugar, natural vanilla, and the star of the show, "alfalfa honey," whatever that may be. But here, we judge on taste, not cuteness, so let's get going.

John: Wow, this is a bold root beer. That alfalfa honey is no joke: the sweet honey taste is prominent and adds a depth to the texture that murders the other honey root beers (e.g. Sprecher's, Point). Rich, creamy, thick in body, deep in flavor, and very sweet, this is a sumptuous, delightful root beer. The vanilla flavor is barely present, and no mints or herbs at all--honeycombs rule the day. The aftertaste is almost sweeter than the liquid, yet not unpleasant. I hate to hand out four star ratings to just anything, but So Duh! is definitely high quality. ****

FRED: A GOOD FLAVORFULL ROOT BEER. SLIGHTLY SWEET AND UNIQUE. ****

Point

I'll get right to the point and review the most recent root beer I've had the pleasure of sampling for this blog: Stevens Point Brewery Point Gourmet Root Beer. The founder and head brewer, Steven Point, can be seen sampling his creation here. It took a long time to create it, but a short time to name it, is how the slogan goes. Was the brew worth the wait?

John: This is a Wisconsin root beer, which--like Sprecher's--boasts a commanding prevelance of honey in the nose and body of the brew. In addition to the honey, Point has a mild caramel sweetness that does little to enhance the overall character. Three stars but I'll likely never drink it again. ***

Killebrew

Batter up! Here's a hall-of-fame root beer named after one of the Minnesota Twins' most beloved ballers! I had occasion to sample it while watching Casey Blake of the Dodgers drop a pop fly and send the Twins on the path to victory, 6-4. Will the Twins' signature root beer be a grand slam, or will I be like another Casey, the one at the bat, waiting for a good drink to slide down my throat?

John: Refreshing and pops in your mouth like the crack of a hickory bat! A dash of peppermint spices things up with a refreshing kick, with a touch of anise only sweet enough to leave you wanting another swig. I'm calling my shot like the Bambino, and predicting this root beer could win the World Series of smooth ballgame brew! ****

Virgil's Bavarian Well Water Edition

This special edition bottle of Virgil's makes use of the entire spice cupboard in their recipe--but that's nothing new. What is new is the inclusion of "Bavarian Well Water" as the base liquid. Water is, of course, the most important single ingredient in any beer, root or otherwise. Here Virgil's ups the ante by going for the highest possible quality water they can find. But how does it taste?

John: Tastes like Virgil's, but watered down. ***

FRED: GOOD FLAVORFUL BUT BIT TOO MUCH AFTERTASTE. BIT SWEET. ***

Natural Brew

If you're the kind of root beer drinker that likes goat cheese on your salad, shops at co-ops, and shampoos your hair with dandelion extract, have we found the root beer for you! Natural Brew is an all natural root beer that may change the way you look at root beer!

John: The color is lighter than most root beers, with a maple-caramel translucsent tinge. The taste is light, sweet, and a bit vanilla-like. As you can see, the frothy head is a plus, too. ***

FRED: GOOD ROOT BEER. SMOOTH FROTHY MILD GOOD TASTE REFRESHING ****

101

First we had Route 66 Beer. Now it's Highway 101 root beer. Both fit in nicely with the name of this website. So will this 101 root beer keep us on track, or will we merge onto Highway 46 and meet James Dean's end?

John: Amazingly, we continue to find root beers with their own distinct quality. You'd think after 45 root beers they'd all start to taste the same. 101's scent assaults your nostrils like candy gasoline fumes, letting you know you're in for one sweet ride! This one tastes like cake frosting, and is very creamy. A little vanilla too. If you like birthday cake, this is your root beer. ****

FRED: GOOD ROOT BEER. SMOOTH AND CREAMY. SLIGHT VANILLA. ****

Teddy's

Well, this is our first review that features root beer out of a plastic bottle! It had to happen sometime, so today we look at Teddy's and see if it can live up to our high standards.

John: Teddy's came like a meteor out of BevMo and exceeded the low expectations I had for it. A distinct flavor profile with with cinnamon, clove, and wintergreen, it's a refreshing root beer and not too sweet. ****

FRED: A SIMPLE ROOT BEER. REFRESHING. NOT TOO SWEET. LITTLE AFTERTASTE. ****

Bulldog

Who let the dogs out? Another root beer brewed with honey and real vanilla, let's see if we can run with the dogs, or call the dog catcher to take this brew back to the kennel!

John: This is a sweet and tasty root beer. Unlike some inferior brews, the sweetness is pleasing and not overbearing, on account of a distinctive and complex flavor profile. The honey and vanilla aspects are apparent, but the hallmark of this root beer is the distinctive licorice flavor, which tastes like those candy-coated fennel seed treats you find at Indian restaurants. All this combines to make a really delicious treat. Very enjoyable. No question that it earned its four stars. ****

FRED: GOOD ROOT BEER. BIT TOO SWEET AND LINGERING AFTERTASTE. ***

Cool Mountain

John: Uninspired, and uninspiring. Not terribly objectionable, but thoroughly mediocre. If you don't have the energy or interest to drink a real root beer, this generic soda will do fine. I'm putting about as much effort into this review as they do into their root beer. **

FRED: BELOW AVERAGE WITH LITTLE TASTE AND A BIT SWEET. **

Virgil's

HAPPY NEW YEAR! To ring in the new year, we've decided to sample one of the most talked about root beers on the market! Unfortunately, most of the talking is done on the root beer's own label, but that's okay. Virgil's gets five stars for self promotion: with rambling stories about collecting various spices from all over the world, ancient root beer recipies (that pre-date the beverage's invention), and an endless quest for perfection in brewing, they talk up such a good game that you're destined to either love or hate the actual contents of the bottle before you even take a sip. And let's face it, you've got to have some serious hubris if your label features a picture of a Lumberjack Jesus serving you root beer in heaven. That's why we're here to cut through the P.R. hoopla, and set the record straight.

John: Yes, you actually can taste all the spices and extracts they brag about: vanilla, nutmeg, clove, wintergreen--they're all here plus more. The mint seems to assert itself slightly more prominently than the other spices, but the richness of the blend is what makes an impression. That, and the fact that the aftertaste is a little too sugary sweet. They describe their brew as "creamy," but I wouldn't use that word--the texture is not exceptional. Very good, but narrowly misses Greatness. ****

Jo: Definitely a **** for me too.  I was really impressed. 

FRED: AN EXCELLENT EXOTIC ROOT BEER. MANY FLAVORS AND NOT OVEWHELMING. ****1/2