Better Living Through Thinking

Jackson Hole Soda Company Buckin' Rootbeer

Fri, 25 Jan 2008

Nothing remarkable. To be honest, I should have written the review a little closer to the time I drank this.

Scott's Score: 6 (out of 10)

Faygo Original Root Beer

Mon, 10 Dec 2007

Faygo Beverages, Inc. Detroit, MI 48207

I had to check the bottle twice to make sure there was some kind of flavoring at all in it. Astonishingly weak, but unoffensive.

Scott's Score: 3 (out of 10)

Teddy's Root Beer

Mon, 17 Sep 2007

Unique Beverage Company, LLC Everett, WA 98213

Nothing remarkable in this one. A bit too much wintergreen.

Scott's Score: 6 (out of 10)

Hank's Gourmet Philadelphia Recipe Root Beer

Mon, 09 Jul 2007

Hank's has the yucca like Boylan's, but it really lacks anything else but sugar (which is of good quality). The flavor is bland: no dark herbs lurking in this beautiful bottle. This might better pass as a cream soda easier than a root beer soda, in my opinion. I'd give it an 8 as a cream soda, but since these are the root beer rankings...

Scott's Score:

6 (out of 10)

Virgil's Root Beer

Mon, 21 May 2007

Sometimes, all-natural isn't better. There's a fine balance between making a good-tasting root beer and making one that uses natural ingredients, and in Virgil's case, the balance is too far on the natural side.

From the bottle:

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Americana vs. Sprecher

Tue, 24 Apr 2007

My friend Rus came into town and brought a half-dozen Americana root beer bottles (full) for me.

Judging between these two is like picking a favorite child. You may have one, but you'll never say anything. But I'm going to say something anyway.

I drank from each of the two brands while eating alternatively a ...

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Bulldog Root Beer

Wed, 28 Feb 2007

This is what Henry Weinhard's root beer wants to be.

Bulldog is a good brew: firm, sweet, subtle. Great flavor.

<www.bulldogrootbeer.com>

I'll be drinking this head-to-head against Sprecher's later this week and will possibly revise my score.

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Tommyknocker Root Beer

Thu, 09 Nov 2006

Sorry, but this isn't root beer. It's vanilla cream soda witha a root beer label.

If I were rating vanilla cream sodas, I'd give Tommyknocker an 8 (it's an excellent drink--very smooth). It's got a bit of butterscotch or maple in it.

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Moab Brewery Root Beer

Thu, 28 Sep 2006

I bought a couple of Growlers (half-gallon bottles) of the stuff, thinking I'd be getting something special. Well, I guess at roughly $2.50 a pint that's a special (high) price for an average root beer.

Nothing notable in the flavor, though it was perfectly adequate to drink. Root beer fresh off the tap was a better drinking experience than, say, chugging a 2-liter, however.

Scott's Score:

6 (out of 10)

Americana Root Beer

Mon, 11 Sep 2006

I don't often do this, in fact, this is the only 10 I've ever given on a root beer afaik. This is a beautifully blended drink; it has real sassafras and a smooth vanilla undertone. I've never had a more well-designed and perfectly flavored root beer.

I'd like to try this side-by-side with Sprecher's some time.

This was the best of the lot from my good friend Rus Berrett.

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