So Duh! Rockin' Root Beer

So Duh! Rockin' Root Beer

This is an odd soda in front of me, so we’re going to start with the blurb on the label right off the bat.

“Duh” means many things to many people; an airport code in Ohio, a punk rock band.  To us, So Duh!, means - “Isn’t it painfully obvious this is a delicious craft soda made in small batches with quality ingredients and pure cane sugar.”

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Hosmer Mountain Sarsaparilla Root Beer

Hosmer Mountain Sarsaparilla Root Beer

You know what makes me excited?  If you said “soda” then you took the easy way out.  If you said “alternate sweeteners” then you’re in my mind right now.  What the fine folks at Hosmer Mountain have done in their Root Beer is use brown sugar in the formula.  That’s pretty dang exciting in my book.  They also use HFCS, but just the fact that brown sugar is incorporated makes me excited to taste it.

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Original New York Seltzer Root Beer Soda

Confused, I stare at a tiny bottle of clear “root beer soda”.  It’s made by Original New York Seltzer so I’m going to assume that it’s seltzer water flavored with root beer.  Even if that’s true I’m still looking at this bottle with a tilted head... because I’m confused and because the ingredients are written sideways.  Carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, and natural flavors are what make up this 10oz bottle of mystery.  

Original New York Orange Hippo

Flavored seltzer water is usually on the bitter side, but this one has 33 grams of sugar in it so I’m hoping it’ll be quite sweet.  The bottle cap states that “The choice is clear” and that’s enough for me to already love this beverage.

Ok, so Original New York Seltzer Root Beer Soda smells like a root beer, but it’s a thin aroma so I’m not sure how rich the taste is going to be.  I suppose I shouldn’t assume a rich taste because this isn’t a root beer… it’s root beer flavored seltzer.  New things are so much fun to try.

That’s so very odd.  The powerful fizz of seltzer paired with the taste of root beer barrel candy.  Each sip starts off crisp and refreshing before introducing the root beer flavoring and then eventually fading away somewhat.  As far as aftertaste goes it’s fairly honest to the original flavor, but holds on longer than I appreciate.

I’m not sure how to say this, but it’s definitely not root beer… yet it’s root beer flavored.  On the sugar front it’s quite the sweet soda.  Only a the smallest amount of bitter taste is created by the seltzer, but the crisp mouthfeel is still present.  

Such an odd combination yet it works.  It’s not going to replace root beer or anything crazy, but at least now I can look fancy whilest enjoying a tiny clear soda.  This coupled with a short ingredient list will assure I pick up another bottle or two next time I see them.

~A

This was purchased at World Market

Earp's Original Sarsaparilla

The bottle in front of me is sort of amazing.  First off it features an “actor” dressed us as Wyatt Earp.  How do you get that gig?  “Hey, we need someone for the role of Earp.”  “I’m an aspiring actor, I’ll fill your roll.  Where will this be broadcast?”  “Oh, no you aren’t performing… we’re just gonna take your picture and put it on a bottle.”

Hippo butt.

Speaking of the bottle again, this is called Earp’s ORIGINAL Sarsaparilla.  The capitalization is for emphasis, but “original” makes one believe there are other variations of Earp’s Sarsaparilla out there.  I’m not 100% sure they’re aren’t, but I’d put down $10 that says I’m right.

For real now, let’s get this review underway.  Earp’s Original Sarsaparilla is made with cane sugar and some artificial/natural flavors.  Nothing too crazy going on here.

The aroma has more of a licorice kick than I thought it would.  Root beer of course is another scent I’m experiencing, but that’s to be expected as sarsaparilla is its cousin.

That’s average.  On the bite/cream scale this seems to lean more towards bite, as there’s a good amount of burn and fizz, but the flavor itself is unmistakably average. 

Surprisingly the licorice taste isn’t very noticeable either which kind of disappoints me.  Well now that I said that my last sip had plenty of black licorice goodness.  So Wyatt Earp has made me a liar and I’m ok with that… because it’s still average.

So you have a bitey root beer with the taste of licorice.  This flavor is hanging out in my mouth for longer than I appreciate it to.  “Hanging out” is a fairly nice term as it just won’t leave due to it’s somewhat syrupy feel.  

Earp’s Original Sarsaparilla is alright, but nothing special.  If offered one take it.  If you want to try one do so, but don’t expect to be blown out of the water.

~A

This soda was purchased at a Shell Gas Station

O-So Butterscotch Root Beer

I will be amazed if I ever have a butterscotch root beer that I don’t like.  It’s butterscotch and root beer… how can that combo lose?  Well I suppose you could dislike either one of those flavors and it would lose quite handily.  For those poor at foreshadowing I’m reviewing a butterscotch root beer, O-So Butterscotch Root Beer to be exact.

O-So that's what he's looking at.

O-So starts off on a good foot because I think the labeling is fantastic.  It’s a very 1960’s looking label, if not a little older as the bottle even states that O-So has been around since the 40’s.  The artwork  really does a good job at making me feeling nostalgic for a time where I wasn’t even born.  There’s even a fun phrase at the bottom. “O-So Delicious!” GET IT?  THE SODA NAME IS USED IN THE SENTENCE!  So now that visually we’re starting off right, I hope the aroma is also a plus.

Hooray!  The aroma is a butterscotch root beer combo, just as it should be.  The butterscotch is the dominant scent, but not so much that you forget it’s a root beer.  Now that I know the smell is on point I feel comfortable saying the taste will be above average at the very least.

There’s that roasted marshmallow flavor I look forward too.  The flavor is both creamy and buttery at the start, but finishes up with a nice strong bite at the back of the throat.  This dichotomy really ups the enjoyment factor of the soda.  You can tell i’m serious about this because I used the word “dichotomy”.  I even chuckled to myself when I did because of how simultaneously ridiculous and smart I felt.

I guess the creamy/bite relationship is a lot like that of the salty/sweet.  Sure each one is good by their lonesome, but it’s easy to get burnt out on them.  Pair the two together and your “want” becomes a “crave”.  I’m not sure that I’ll be craving O-So Butterscotch Root Beer when I’m done with this, but I’ll certainly want additional bottles in my possession.

While sweet it’s not overly so, but I’m not sure I’d want to drink this with a meal.  I think I’m officially going to designate this as a dessert soda.  The lack of syrupy mouthfeel keeps the experience from building upon itself until it’s demise.  Each sip is its own reward.  “Each sip is its own reward”... man that was good!  Put that on a bottle then sell a million, then give me 15%.

So even though the review you just read is rather simplistic, in the case of O-So it works.  It’s two simple flavors that are paired and play well together.  Bottom line is that if you like butterscotch or root beer you’ll like this soda.

~A

This was purchased at a Shell Gas Station


Hippo Size Jumbo Root Beer

Hippo Size has proven to be quite the tasty beverage maker so I figured giving the root beer a try wouldn’t be the worst of ideas.  Jumbo Root Beer is the official name of the soda at hand and it sits in a stout little 12oz bottle.  Sweetened with cane sugar and flavored with artificial and natural goodness it awaits consumption.

With an aroma that makes me think “bite” more than “cream” I’m starting to get a feel for what Jumbo Root Beer will be about.  There is a definite wintergreen scent as well which makes sense as it’s listed within the ingredients.  

I don’t know if I’m right about this, but I’m guessing the mouthfeel will be foamy and fun.

In terms of mouthfeel it’s not foamy or fun, in fact it was kind of boring.  Fortunately the flavor is the primary focus of the beverage although a good mouthfeel get you extra points.

The aforementioned wintergreen plays a rather important part in this play as it’s quite dominate on my palate.  This level of wintergreen might be a bit too much for some, but all in all it works well in the root beer.  If you do end up trying it you might enjoy the rooty flavor that hides behind the wintergreen mask.  It’s strong enough to give the soda a mild personality.

While the flavor is smooth it’s lacking in any sort of cream taste that you might expect in some root beers.  It still goes down easily with little bite, but honestly I want to feel more emotion from this bottle.  Hippo Size Jumbo Root Beer is the equivalent of a polite “hi” that you reserve for people you don’t know, but they work in the same building as you.

Hippo Size Jumbo Root Beer is slightly above average in taste, but overwhelmingly average if not a little lower in many of the other drink arenas.  I’m left kind of empty, unlike the bottle in front of me, after drinking it.  Perhaps I hyped up the Hippo Size name a little too fast.

~A

This was purchased at a Shell Gas Station

SiouxCity Root Beer

I’m on a time crunch and only have 23 minutes to write this review.  It may be a suprise to you that it normally takes me around 30 minutes to write one… sometimes longer if I interact with people.  I’ll count the number of people I talk to while writing this to give you an idea.

One.

Drink enough of anything and you'll start to see tiny, orange, wheeled hippos.

Today’s review is Sioux City Root Beer and looks to be an ok product.  It has a cowboy on the label enjoying a frosty mug of whoknowswhat.  It’s made with cane sugar and sits in a fairly stout bottle that might remind some of years past.  A nice simple brown bottle cap sits atop the beverage and in…

Two.

..vites me to open it.

If you know what IBC Root Beer smells like you already know what Sioux City Root Beer smells like.  For those who aren’t in the know it’s a rooty aroma with some cream to it’s name.  Not overly sweet by any means, but I’m sure it’ll taste just fine.

Three.

Four.

As an aside, this is one of the heaviest bottles I’ve drank from to date.  It feels nice and sturdy.  Reliable.  Safe.  Great crash test ratings.

Five.

Again, for those of you who’ve had IBC Root Beer this tastes like a cleaner version of that.  Once again, for those of you who hav...

Six.

...en’t I’ll describe is as usual.

Sioux City Root Beer favors the “bite” category rather than the “cream”.

Seven.

So those of you who are into a smooth mouth feel might be a little disappointed in this soda.  The rooty aroma I mentioned earlier translates easily into the taste and is especially noticed in the aftertaste.  Obviously there is carbonation, but other than backing up the “bite” every now and again it’s not really a huge part of the experience.  All in all it’s a good root beer, but doesn’t do a lot to push itself ahead of the pack and get noticed… aside from the heavy bottle.  

Eight.

Nine.

So if you like root beer give it a go, if you love root beer then you’ve probably already had it and...

Ten.

… have developed your own opinions of it.

There you have it, I’m done with the review and talked to ten people.  That’s pretty good for me, but then again this is probably a fairly generic review from me.  

It’s a lot of fun being able to drink a soda and tell people about it as they pass you by.  Not that 5% of them will buy it, but at least they know that there’s more out there than what BIGSODA tells them about.

So thanks to all that stopped by, your existence has been reduced to a number between 1-10.

This was given to me by STUN3R

HEB Old Fashioned Root Beer

So after the last HEB soda SNAFU I’ve checked and double checked to make sure I haven’t reviewed HEB Old Fashioned Root Beer.  Guess what?  I haven’t!  This means I can continue this review with a clear conscience.  

HEB Old Fashioned Root Beer is sweetened with pure cane sugar and I’m guessing has a pop cap which I will now have to remove.  Do you think this will be a “bite” root beer or a “cream” root beer?  My guess is cream.

Judging by the smell it’s more of a “bite” root beer than a “cream”.  Don’t you just love how I’ve now created two sub-categories of root beer.  Let’s go ahead and make these the standard.

I'm not quite sure what's happening in this picture.

I'm not quite sure what's happening in this picture.

Hurray, this is a “bite”!  Hurray, this is… a fairly average root beer.  Eh, now that I say that the aftertaste is really shining through as a positive.  HEB Old Fashioned Root Beer has a good amount of flavor with minimal syrupy mouth feel.  The carbonation levels are fizzy and fun.  A barrage of larger bubbles flowing over my tongue and teeth, bursting into a smaller more intense fizz.

As I said prior, this is a “bite” root beer where the initial taste sizzles in your mouth just a little.  Let’s you know you’re alive.  As the journey progresses the soda attempts to transform into a “cream” or at least tries to be somewhat smooth.  This transition isn’t exactly flawless as the bite never fully allows for it.

All in all though, HEB Old Fashioned Root Beer is still average by my count.  I like that it’s sugar sweetened and I like that it’s in a glass bottle.  I don’t like that it’s called “Old Fashioned” yet has potassium benzoate and artificial flavors.  That said it’s still worth picking up a bottle to try for yourself.

~A

This was purchased at an HEB grocery store

Old Red Eye Root Beer

As I’ve stated before, a quick way to make me excited about a soda is to give it a snazzy western theme.  Old Red Eye Root Beer (Since 1948 for those who care) does a pretty great job in western theming in the name alone.  The label looks like it would feel more at home as restaurant signage, but that’s fantastic in its own right.  

Just like the cowboys were, Old Red Eye is sweetened with cane sugar and include a dash of chemicals.  You’re correct in thinking that comparison to cowboys didn’t make any sense, however I’m betting you’ll forget about that by the end of the review.

That's not Twist in the background that's potential copyright infringement. I think I'm gonna reach out to the photographer now.

Smells like root beer.  I even had a random passer by smell the bottle and those were his exact words.  It does have a little hint of wintergreen to it, but it took a couple of huffs to sniff that one out.

Wow, that has quite a bit of wintergreen in it.  While a bit too powerful for my liking the strength of the wintergreen thankfully does not mask the actual root beer I set out to enjoy.  Each time I raise the bottle to my lips it’s like a punch in the mouth.  First with the wintergreen left and then with the root beer right.  A carbonated uppercut is what follows to try and knock me out and it probably could if the flavor was richer.  

Other than the wintergreen taste my only complain is that the flavor seems thin.  Please don’t take this to mean it’s not flavorful.  I’d compare it to a wall that needs a second coat of paint.  Sure the wall is painted and bright, but it could be so much richer and vibrant.

All in all (as I seem to type more and more at this point of the review) Old Red Eye Root Beer is serviceable and would be a decent grab if you found it at a gas station.

~A

This soda was purchased at a Shell Gasoline Station

OH WAIT THERE'S TOTALLY A STORY ABOUT A BULL ON THE LABEL!

"Legend has it, there was a craggy old bull named Red Eye - with a glint and a gnarly attitude, he could only be coaxed from his pen to do his daily duties when a brave soul would pop open a bottle of his favorite root beer, pour it in his tin bowl, then run like heck before being stomped.  Red Eye preferred his root beer frosty cold."

Ok, there you have it.  I couldn't finish the review without including the story.

Dang! That’s Good Butterscotch Root Beer

I’m pretty sure I love butterscotch root beer.  I haven’t had many of them, but the ones I have had were delightful.  A smooth creamy texture that would put most any cream soda to shame, the mouthfeel of these tasty beverages is one of the biggest selling points in my book.  So of course I picked up a bottle of Dang! That’s Good Butterscotch Root Beer when I saw it.  I mean Dang! who wouldn’t?  

Twist has a Dang! Shirt, but he won't let me wear it.

A buttery scotchy aroma moves easily from the mouth of the bottle.  In terms of odor it seems that the root beer takes the back seat while your grandpa’s butterscotch has taken the wheel.  I kind of hope that’s how the flavor plays out as well.

Don’t you love it when you drink from the bottle and the bubbles create that unique bass beat as they move toward the back?  I’m not sure I described that well enough to convey what I’m trying to get across, but I think it’s a pretty great event.

The initial sip tastes of butterscotch and root beer equally.  There is no fighting for first, they just both showed up at the same time and smiled.  As the seconds pass by my gaze shifts to root beer as he tries to get noticed, but it’s not too long that butterscotch eventually pushes root beer to the side and stands there like nothing happened.  While I can hear root beer crying, he’s now out of view so I’m not as affected.  Then as butterscotch stands there smiling he eventually throws up on my shoes.

Ok, so that comparison went a little haywire at the end.  I’ll just say it the boring way.  The beverage creates an initial root beer butterscotch taste which isn’t amazing but works.  The root beer taste becomes a bit more noticeable as time passes, but eventually the richness of the butterscotch overpowers it.  The longer the butterscotch lingers the more it tastes of chemicals until I have to follow up with another swig to reset the process.  See, that wasn’t so confusing.

All in all Dang! That’s Good Butterscotch Root Beer is indeed that...good.  It’s not stellar or amazing, it’s good and it has some weak points as mentioned above.  If you see one, grab one and try it for yourself.  I doubt you’ll be sorry.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Cicero Beverage Company Salted Caramel Root Beer

Whenever I review a beverage with a particularly lengthy name I always make mention of it.  Today will be no different as I review Cicero Beverage Company’s Salted Caramel Root Beer which will from hereon be called CBCSCRB which will from here on be called SCRB or Scrub.  Now I don’t mean to be a Creep, but I just don’t feel like typing all that out over and over again.  Scrub’s label has that “burnt western paper” look to it, but also includes a picture of a fully realized city on it.  Kind of a mixed message if you ask me, but you didn’t.  This fully realized city has a river of caramel running through it which eventually flows out onto the singed western paper.  

Now it seems to me that salted caramel is seeing a rise in popularity.  Hands Up if you’ve noticed this too.  I’ve personally seen it in a few different food locations with my favorite being salted caramel peanuts.  If you haven’t tried said peanuts you need to.  This peanut experience has taught me that I enjoy salted caramel.  Coupled with the fact that I enjoy root beer tells me I should also enjoy Scrub.

Looking at the ingredients I see that Scrub is sweetened with sugar and also has a bit of salt in it as well.  Seeing salt makes me think three things.  That’s Crazy.  That’s Sexy.  That’s Cool.  Crazy because who puts salt in a soda.  Sexy because they put salt in a soda and that shows they’re willing to take risks.  Cool because...well mostly the same reasons for Sexy.  Enough Girl Talk, let me just open this already while it’s still Chilli.

The aroma received isn’t all that strong a smell.  I had to sharply inhale to even get the root beer scent to register.  Waaaaay in the back of the club you can kind of see Salted Caramel through all the smoke.  At least I think that’s him.  Perhaps I’d better take a close look.  

Wow, Scrub has an incredibly light mouth feel.  That’s insane how foamy each sip is.  It’s not to the point of being Unpretty, but it’s a little off putting.  What’s odd is that the beverage doesn’t create much of a head within the bottle.  

Twist has chased a lot of Waterfalls, but thinks a caramel one would be pretty easy to run down.

As for the salted caramel taste, well it’s very light and I’m somewhat disappointed in that.  I’d rather the disgusting in your face (literally) taste of an overly done salted caramel than something so subtle it hardly even registers.  Now as you know, I Ain’t too Proud to Beg so PLEASE someone make a salted caramel root beer where the salt just walks in with a swagger and sits on your tongue daring you to not like it.  I would send so much Fanmail if someone could pull that off.

Even with that complaint, Scrub still tastes pretty dang good.  The root beer that’s used is a solid foundation on what could have been a knock it out of the park kind of drink.  Here is where the incredibly foamy mouth feel helps set it apart from other root beers.  Even though it does a great job at being a root beer I will lower the ranking some because I don’t believe the listed taste is represented well enough in the product.

So, what is a Scrub.  A Scrub is a soda that gets some love from me...due to the reasons listed above.  Should you pick up a pack?  Only if you find it during some Red Light Special.  Personally I think you’d be fine… (elipses for suspense)

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market

Dang! That’s Good Root Beer

I don’t even know what Dang! That’s Good Root Beer (henceforth called DTGRB) even tastes like, but I don’t care.  I want shirt with this logo on it regardless of how the review turns out.  Looking at the ingredients I already see one more reason to like it.  DTGRB is sweetened with sugar; what a novel concept.  It’s a fairly simple bottle, so let’s make this a fairly simple review.

Wow! That's a Handsome Iguana

After removing the snazzy cap I’m greeted with a creamy root beer aroma that has a sharpness to it.  Perhaps some licorice was used in the making of DTGRB.  Either way, the scent says the taste will be more complex than I initially thought.

Here’s a slightly most honest name for root beer at hand.  Hey! That Root Beer is Pretty Good.  Seriously though, it’s a fairly tasty beverage.  The beginning of each sip includes a quick shock of fizz and bite.  This transforms swiftly into a sweet, silky root beer that reminds my tastebuds of melted caramel.

The aftertaste lingers for quite a while as DTGRB seems to sit a bit heavy on the tongue.  It’s a pleasant flavor though so I have no complaints regarding it.  All in all DTGRB is an above average root beer, but nothing more than that.    What makes it stand out is the name.  The flavor, while enjoyable, will get lost in a sea of other root beers that I’ve tried.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it though.  You should buy multiples of this and see for yourself.

~A

This soda was purchased at World Market