Rootbeer Tastes

So we decided to see how different one rootbeer recipe can vary from another ... and you'd be surprised. Indeed there is a difference and this is what we came up with to share with you.

We tasted six different versions. See them all in the attached images. Here follows some notes and links to our tasting experience. In short rootbeer has many robust forms and sweet tastes. The following group retells our exploration in the order of preference with Arbita; Jackson Hole Sasparilla; Captain Eli's; Thomas Kempers; Virgil's; and Hansens.

Most favored was the deep rich robust lingeriing of the Abita Rootbeer. Abita brews its root beer with spring water, herbs, vanilla and yucca (which creates foam). Unlike most soft drink manufacturers, Abita sweetens its root beer with the pure Louisiana cane sugar. The resulting taste is reminiscent of soft drinks made in the 1940's and 1950's before bottlers turned to corn sugar and fructose. Like earlier root beers, Abita is also caffeine-free see more at http://www.abita.com/brew/rootbeer.html.




Next best was Jackson Hole Sarsparilla of JACKSON HOLE SODA CO. SNAKE RIVER SARSAPARILLA. The mild flavor was subtle and not strong if you like rootbeer but want a milder version of the strong stuff. See more at
http://jhsodaco.com/.

C loved the Capt’n Eli's Root Beer. It's a full-bodied, hand-crafted, traditional root beer with the essence of wintergreen oil, anise, and vanilla. It's sweetened with natural cane and brown sugars, not corn syrup. It reminded me of real kiddie sugary sweet version of rootbeer that is deep and dark with that extra zap of sugar to really knock your undies off. C said it felt like having his boyhood version with vanilla scooped over the top. See more at http://www.shipyard.com/taste/

Fourth in line of our most favored was the batch-brewed Thomas Kemper. This was the least sweet of all the rootbeers tasters. In comparison it was the most diluted and mildly watered down taste. It was the least sweet.Its still taste like rootbeer, just not as potent and strong with sugary robust vavoom power. Sometimes this is all one needs without sugar overkill. Personally it could go really nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for me. See more at http://www.tksoda.com/sodas.php

Fifth in line was the mouth shocking gourmet micro brewed Virgils rootbeer. It was so different in flavor reminiscent of a mouth washy anticeptic like afterbite. Definitely not as sweet as the others and very fizzy. It was kinda medicine like. Check out the ingredients list.. this crew is obsessed with what goes into their drink. I kinda like them for this obsessiveness. See http://www.virgils.com/about.shtml



Virgil's Microbrewed Root Beer contains these key all-natural ingredients:
carbonated water
unbleached cane sugar
Along with these natural herbs and spices (including point of origin):
anise from Spain
licorice from France
vanilla (bourbon) from Madagascar
cinnamon from Ceylon
clove from Indonesia
wintergreen from China
sweet birch from the southern US
molasses from the US
nutmeg from Indonesia
pimento berry oil from Jamaica
balsam oil from Peru
cassia oil from China

Hansens was our sixth favorite taste and quite a fizz indeed. This is the rootbeer that takes the award for greatest fizz power and strong aftertaste of wintergreen and birch. See more at http://www.hansens.com/