Frostop Root Beer

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Phosphoric Acid, and Sodium Benzoate to preserve freshness.

Smell: Something was kind of off about the scent, almost kind of a musty scent. Like old water or something. Otherwise, behind that it was a fairly normal Root Beer smell.

Head: Not shabby, very photogenic. I'm joking of course, but it did last for the duration of the review. Not super tall though.

Flavor: I'll say right away, this would have been a standard C grade brew. Nothing out of the ordinary, but not bad. But that... musty scent came back as an aftertaste, and was just not enjoyable. The drink itself wasn't bad though.

Overall: I've read other reviews for Frostop, and they aren't quite as negative as this one. Perhaps this bottle wasn't stored well originally or something else. But I have to assume it was as it should be, and that aftertaste really ruined it for me.

Purchased from: Rocket Fizz

Point Premium Root Beer (2016)

Description: "Made with 100% real sugar, Point Premium Root Beer is hand-crafted in small batches with the purest water, genuine Wisconsin honey and all-natural vanilla. This Gold Medal winning recipe is refreshingly delicious, rich, creamy and caffeine free - giving it a time honored traditional draft root beer taste."

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Honey, Caramel Color, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate, Phosphoric Acid, Citric Acid, and Vanilla Extract.

Smell: Nice and sweet, with hints of vanilla.

Head: Cannot be contained! Mostly joking here, but seeing as this is only one of a couple time that a head has overflown, it's actually quite impressive. Lasted the entire drink.

Flavor: Sweet Root Beer flavor, with a nice vanilla aftertaste.

Overall: This is another Root Beer has gone down the route of switching from high fructose corn syrup to just using sugar. Which is a benefit no matter what. Where as it made a significant difference in the IBC brew, it hasn't changed this one very dramatically at all. Which is a good thing, as Point Premium already had a wonderful flavor. I almost wanted to give it an A just for the simple fact it stopped using HFCS, but seeing as the change in flavor isn't very dramatic, it doesn't really warrant it.

Here's the original review for comparison: Point Premium Root Beer

Purchased from Mariano's

Rocky Mountain Root Beer

Ingredients: Triple Filtered Carbonated Water, Evaporated Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid.

Smell: Anise and Sassafras.

Head: Sad, dissipated quickly. Made me think that the Root Beer had gone flat.

Flavor: Not especially sweet. Good bite, but a bit overly carbonated as far as that goes, which also went to prove that it wasn't flat. The spices weren't really the kind I enjoyed, too much anise as the smell presented.

Overall: I've actually read a few different reviews for this, as I like to see what my peers have to say as well. The interesting thing about this brew is that it appears that each batch can be strikingly different from the next. Perhaps my batch wasn't one of the better ones.

Purchased from: Rocket Fizz

Virgil's Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg

Description: "Using natural ingredients, we brew a Root Beer so pure, so rich and creamy, you'll swear it's made in heaven."

Ingredients: Purified Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Herbs and Spices. No Preservatives or Artificial Anything! Gluten Free. GMO Free.

Smell: Strong anise just like normal Virgil's. Definitely some hints of mint, perhaps Wintergreen, and nutmeg on the back end.

Head: Again, similar to the classic Virgil's, no head.

Flavor: Complex is the word that automatically came to mind. It's not sweet, but there's a lot to taste in each sip. Anise and licorice are on full display, as is common with Virgil's, but you can taste wintergreen, and clove, and the nutmeg really kind of surrounds your tongue. There's even some sort of cinnamon in the aftertaste, which isn't very long lasting, but not bad.

Overall: Again, a lot of the complexity in Virgil's tends to outdo the flavors I enjoy the most. Vanilla, molasses, and even the cane sugar are outdone by mint and licorice. The nutmeg and cinnamon were a welcome addition, and made this an even better brew than classic Virgil's, but I was really hoping for something more special from this.

Purchased from: House of Jerky

IBC Root Beer (2016)

Ingreditents: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Quillaia Extract.

Smell: Back again, and still met with a surprising strong scent of anise. Made me wonder how much, if any, the formula had changed at all.

Head: Interestingly enough, not as tall as the old mix. But still as long lasting. I had a nice foam the entire drink.

Flavor: It's hard to review this without constantly remembering how the previous mix tasted. The anise is way more downplayed now, and it's a much sweeter Root Beer. You can taste little hints of other flavors in the background, but really it falls more in line with standard sweet sassafras flavored Root Beer.

Overall: The bottle only touts that there was a switch from corn syrup to real sugar. Maybe I'm just being fooled by slick marketing, but this doesn't taste as much like licorice as it used to. And that's definitely a step up. This puts IBC back up from being and under performer to a standard bearer again.

Here's the original review for comparison: IBC Root Beer

Purchased from: Meijer

Dr. Brown's Root Beer

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Gum Acacia, Citric Acid.

Smell: Anise is the first thing that hit me. But there was a sweet undertone that gave me some hope.

Head: The size of it was actually pretty impressive, but it didn't linger for very long and shrunk away before I even began to drink.

Flavor: Okay bite, but a bit too much anise than what I prefer. Wasn't as overpowering as the scent made me believe it would be. The aftertaste was very much that anise flavor though.

Overall: There's a right mix for anise, sassafras, and the other additives that make a good Root Beer, and this one falls just a smidgen over the wrong side, but still not bad. There was enough sweetness to keep it from falling below average, but admittedly it was close.

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse

Waialua Soda Works Root Beer

Description: "finest Hawaiian quality."

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar Blend (Cane Sugar and Maui Natural White Cane Sugar), Natural Flavor, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, and Hawaiian Vanilla Extract.

Smell: I honestly got pretty excited for this one the scent had all the things I liked. Just a sweet smell with that hint of vanilla in the background.

Head: As I always say, I try to get the picture the moment after I stop pouring. So as you can see, the head decreased rapidly until it was gone. I actually had a second less blurry shot, but at that point there was no head, so there was no point it posting.

Flavor: Again at first it hit all the same places that I love, sweet and vanilla.Then I noticed this almost watery quality to it. Then there was almost zero aftertaste. Like the watery quality washes away any lingering flavors that you could enjoy. Made the whole thing a lot less enjoyable.

Overall: An interesting case where the scent, and even the first impression was all positive, but in the end the strange texture, and just the lack of anything worth noting after brought the score down dramatically. Maybe it was just the disappointment I felt after something that seemed like a sure hit.

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse

Swamp Pop Filé Root Beer

Description: "Jambalaya, Crawfish Filé... Root Beer? The Choctaw Indians introduced early Cajuns to Filé powder (ground sassafras leaves) to treat a variety of ailments and to thicken the soups and stews that would eventually become known as Gumbo. Sassafras is also a traditional brewing spice in root beer. Swamp Pop Filé Root Beer highlights this classic Louisiana flavor, creating an herbal profile reminiscent of early, traditional root beers. Enjoy ice cold or over vanilla ice cream!"

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, Quillaja Extract, Phosphoric Acid.

Smell: Right away I noticed this did not smell like a normal Root Beer. It actually gave off the scent of a cola.

Head: Long lasting if not a bit short. It did last through the entire drink, and because of the height it didn't really get in the way of the drink.

Flavor: Again, I bring up the fact that it's almost hard to call this a Root Beer since it's so much more like a cola than Root Beer. Actually it's almost more like a Sarsaparilla than a cola even. Which makes sense seeing as one of the selling points is that it's Filé Root Beer. Sweet with hints of vanilla, not bad.

Overall: Filé is in fact ground up Sassafras leaves, and Sassafras used to be a main ingredient in Root Beer, which in turn found its roots (ha) in Sarsaparilla. Most people call Sarsaparilla the grandfather of Root Beer. So what you have here is a very unique Root Beer that hearkens back to what a Root Beer originally tasted like. But at the same time it's very un-Root Beer like. However, it's not a bad drink at all, it's actually quite good. I'd say to anyone wanting something unique, go ahead and give this a try, but someone looking for a creamy Root Beer, maybe avoid this?

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse

After Dark Review: Not Your Father's Root Beer

So, this is probably the most well known of the Hard Root Beer family. I believe it's the only one I've ever seen on tap, so that's certainly a sign of its popularity.

First Criteria, does it taste like a Root Beer? This leans more of the Sprecher spectrum than the Best Damn spectrum. The malt is pretty strong, comparably. I will say it's definitely not as sweet as the Best Damn or Coney Island.

Second Criteria, is it good? This is probably going to get me some slack, but I'm speaking purely from the point of view of someone who's looking for the most "Root Beeriest" Hard Root Beer. It's simply not on par with Coney Island or Best Damn. It's not as totally undrinkable as Sprecher, not at all. In fact it's totally fine as a hard soda. It is however, the strongest of all four I've tried, at 5.9 abv. So if you really need to get a buzz from Hard Root Beer, maybe this is what you're looking for?

Purchased from: Meijer

Filbert's Draft Root Beer

Description: "Since 1926"

Ingredients: Carbonted Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative)

Smell: Definitely a hint of vanilla in the scent. A good sign of things to come.

Head: Nothing to see here. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the head is already almost past the handle on the mug, and I take these pictures nearly immediately after. By the time I started drinking, the head was gone, and never came back.

Flavor: This one got an audible "Mmmm!" out of me. I was definitely hit up top with the taste of vanilla, which is always going to make this a top choice to me. There wasn't really any bite to it, nor was it very creamy, and it had almost a sort of flat aftertaste. However, it was still very good, the mix of sweet flavors was really something I'd been missing and was happy to find again with this one.

Overall: If I was to say anything I'd say this was a "B-". It had most of the things I really enjoy out of a Root Beer, but was also missing something that's hard to put my finger on. The aftertaste wasn't great either, but it doesn't last and doesn't taste "bad".

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse

After Dark Review: Best Damn Root Beer

This one, at least for the Hard Root Beers, may actually live up to its name.

First Criteria, does it taste like Root Beer? Yes! More so than the other Hard Root Beers I've had, this one has the most Root Beer flavor up front with the malty Beer flavor pushed more to the back end.

Second Criteries, is it good? It was actually quite smooth, and sweet. It had more of a beer aftertaste than the Coney Island brew, but tasted more like Root Beer while drinking it. Just to point it out, but the head on this one negligible, and it being both a hard soda, and an alcoholic beverage, it just struck me as odd. Either way, out of the three I've had, I'd rank this the new top. It actually is the Best Damn (Hard) Root Beer.

Purchased from: Meijer

Sea Dog Root Beer

Ingredients: Water. Cane Sugar, Caramel Coloring, Natural & Artificial Flavors including Wintergreen Oil, Anise, and Vanilla Spices, Herbs, Citric Acid, and Sodium Benzoate as Preservative.

Smell: A good sassafras scent, nothing hidden or overpowering.

Head: Not bad, height wise, but it lasted the entire drink, so that's a plus.

Flavor: I've read other reviews of Sea Dog who claim the Anise taste is too strong, but that wasn't my experience at all. In fact nothing really hit me as a stand out flavor. It has a good mix of everything, so nothing tastes bad either. No bad aftertaste either, a good standard flavor.

Overall: While I know this isn't true, sometimes I do question whether most of these Root Beers are just coming from the same breweries with different labels slapped on them. And I don't necessarily mean it as an insult, because I'd put most of the C average Root Beers in that thought process. Although to stand out to me, you have to have something that stands out against other Root Beers, and that's a slippery slope that can either end up incredible or terrible. There's nothing wrong with being average.

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse

After Dark Review: Coney Island Brewing Co. Hard Root Beer

For the second in the "After Dark" series, we've got a much stronger contender.

First criteria, does it taste like a Root Beer? Kind of... As I was drinking this, I was almost thinking it tasted more like a Cola than an actual Root Beer. I don't necessarily want to be comparing them against each other, but it certainly tasted more like a Root Beer than Sprechers. It wasn't as smooth, definitely felt more like drinking a soda than a heavy beer.

Second criteria, was it good? Yes, actually. If you're looking for something that wants to taste like a Cola/Root Beer. In that case these are all going to fall under that umbrella, because obviously there's probably a limited audience for Hard Root Beers. But out of all the Hard Root Beers I've had in the past, I'd put this high on the list.

Purchased from: Meijer

Ramblin' Root Beer

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Potassium Benzoate (as a preservative), Natural & Artificial Flavor, Gum Acaia, Quillaia Extract, Phosphoric Acid.

Smell: A good, not overly sweet Sassafras scent. Not real hints of anything hidden.

Head: Tell me that that doesn't look great. Nice and tall, lasted the entire drink.

Flavor: This is a good example of nothing wrong, but nothing great. It is a solid flavor, no hints of vanilla, not strong anise flavors. Not bitter, not overly sweet. Just a simple solid Root Beer.

Overall: I did like it, I'm going to give it a C, because it really was basically an average Root Beer, but I'd call it a high C. If you're going for something standard, you can't go wrong with this. Apparently this used to be a Coca-Cola brand Root Beer before they bought Barqs. They've since expanded to include more diverse flavors as well, and I can't wait to try them.

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse

After Dark Review: Sprecher Fire Brewed Hard Root Beer

So, these "After Dark" reviews will be a little different. Hard Root Beer isn't actually Root Beer in the strict sense. For the most part they're usually malt liquor with spices to  make the flavor resemble a real Root Beer. Because of this, I didn't think it would be fair to grade them on the same scale as a normal Root Beer. So, these reviews will be a bit simpler.

The first of two criteria's I'm going to look at is; does it actually taste similar to a Root Beer. In the case of Sprecher it definitely does not. It feels more like an actual beer that's been candied? It's sort of hard to explain. It has more akin to a Guiness than any Root Beer I've ever had. It is very smooth, but sort of heavy. Almost feels like a meal just to finish a single bottle.

The second criteria is; is it good? And I have to say, no. Every drink left me with a sour look on my face. I really could not stand this stuff, and had to toss out half the glass. Perhaps in another state of mind, I'd actually find this good, but when looking for a Hard Root Beer that actually simulates the flavor of Root Beer, avoid this.

Purchased from: Mariano's

Boom Chugga Lugga Cherry Root Bear

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Beet Sugar, Cherry Juice Concentrate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, and Sodium Benzoate as Preservative.

Smell: Honestly, I was hoping to maybe be a hit a little bit harder by the smell of cherry, but all I really got was the sweet smell of a creamy Root Beer.

Head: Usually I don't bring up the color of the Root Beer, because for the most part it's always that same brown color. But this one had a deep red color to it. As for the head itself, it barely existed.

Flavor: This is a solid Root Beer, in my opinion. The head had me worried that perhaps I'd gotten a flat bottle, but luckily it was not. The thing is, that the more I drank, the more I was disappointed by the lack of cherry flavor. I moved it around, really trying to see if I could coax it out, but nothing. I actually wonder if the cherry is what gives it its very delicious sweetness. But then as I was cleaning my glass, I noticed that the aftertaste was almost completely cherry. It was actually a nice surprise.

Overall: I was prepared to give this one a B. It had a lot of the things I liked, but it wasn't necessarily anything special either. But that hint of cherry that hits a bit after you're done with the drink really put it over the top for me.

Purchased from: Gift from family.

Cicero Beverage Co. Salted Caramel Root Beer

Indredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Salt (Sodium Chloride), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), and Citric Acid.

Smell: At first you just get a pretty normal sweet Root Beer scent, but there is this after-scent of the almost smokey caramel that hits just a bit later.

Head: Comparable to the regular Cicero Breveage Co. Root Beer. Nothing exceptional, but not bad either.

Flavor: This is another one of those situations where "it sounds good on paper". I gave the other brew from this company an "A", so of course I'm thinking that adding the delicious flavor of caramel would only make it better. But instead of the caramel, you get a much bigger hit of the salt. The caramel is more like the aftertaste, but the salt hits you first, and the Root Beer itself is almost completely lost other than the sweetness it gives the drink.

Overall: The description of the flavor should really say it all. I was disappointed. It's not bad, but it's even hard to call it a Root Beer. It's actually very unique. It's one of the few drinks I've ever had that I can honestly describe as "smokey".

Purchased from Alsip Home & Nurse