Big K Root Beer does indeed smell somewhat like a root beer… so… that’s a plus, although there is also something odd about this aroma.  After smelling the somewhat obvious root beer scent the smell just kind of vanishes.  The fragrance (I’m running out of words for ‘smell’) doesn’t seem to be strong enough to maintain a simple inhalation thus frightening me just a bit as to what this will taste like.

Not terrible, not good.  Big K Root Beer is most similar to Barq’s, but without the bite that makes Barq’s slogan so memorable.  The initial mouth fell is very watery and a bit off putting.  As you might expect this is a very generic tasting root beer.  It does have a bit of a licorice flavor to it and just a whisper of wintergreen as well.  Did they actually use these ingredients?  No idea, but the artificial/natural flavors they used somewhat replicate them.  There’s not much else to be said about Big K Root Beer except this.  If you have an extra dollar just buy the Barq’s instead.  While there are better root beers out there than Barq’s at least you’re not rewarding a grocery store for making a less than stellar product… instead you are rewarding the Coca Cola company.  If you want to take a few steps up from that then look no further than these two.

Verdict – Buy a Bottle

~A

This is Twist's "meh" face

 “When all else fails, read the instructions”.

 So I looked at the label and found it is is flavored with cinnamon and ginger. It’s a unique taste and probably not going to suit everyone’s palate. Available in selected parts of the USA.

 http://www.galegand.com/booksandproducts.asp#grb

 Verdict:  Buy a bottle – caveat emptor!

 The root beer recipe dates back 140 years and is made with pure cane sugar. It’s a nice grog, good creamy head, rich vanilla flavor and decent carbonation. It’s one of the better root beers I’ve tasted. It’s only available in southern Wisconsin as far as I know, so a road trip might be in order.  Definitely worth a trip to the brewery and the tied house in Verona, WI.

 Verdict: Buy a pallet

 www.graybrewing.com

That is a sugar filled scent attaching itself to the inner workings of my nose.  The scent itself is smooth, buttery, and very enticing.  Maybe, just maybe, today will be the day I become passionate about the taste of my cream sodas.  If today is indeed that day please believe me when I tell you that the first paragraph was not a “lead in” for the rest of this review that I wrote after consuming this beverage.  All of my reviews are consumed in the same order the reviews are written, from staring at the label, to opening, to consumption.  I’m over explaining a lot today, hopefully I just need a good cream soda to shut me up. 

This, my friends, is a good cream soda.  It doesn’t invoke passion in me, but that bridge may never be crossed.  That said, Grand Teton Cream Soda is a solid entry into the cream soda market.  The aroma inhaled earlier is an honest representation of the taste I’m experiencing now.  It has a very smooth, creamy mouth feel that any cream soda enthusiast would enjoy.  The carbonation adds a fleeting bite to the back of my throat upon each gulp which is something I’m not quite used to in a cream soda, but it’s only worth noting not complaint.  One small thing irks me though, the finish.  Completing each sip I’m left with an aftertaste that starts off just fine but ends on an artificial note.  It’d be like having a delicious sundae in front of you, but instead of a cherry on top you have a cherry made of wax.  Sure you can take it off, but you aren’t going to be as happy as you would be with an actual cherry.  With that said, Grand Teton Cream Soda is good enough to purchase multiples and my rating will say the same.

Verdict-  Buy a Pack!

~A

Twist was just spotted peeping over the fence. Stay cool, stay cool.

Now with a chilled can in hand I scavenge the stark white and gold label to see how much of a shallow sales pitch I can find.  I certainly didn’t have to go far. “Bigger. Better. Faster.  Stronger.  The world’s most powerful energy drink is now sugar free and contains zero carbs!”  Credibility can be a fragile commodity, and that statement eroded what little this drink had.  Another admonishment is located in small letters on the back of the can and reads “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”  Why does that statement even need to be on the label? Who would have thought Rockstar Energy drink could cure them of anything? How could a beverage diagnose a disease? Hypothetical If I were sick, would I really need to be told Rockstar Energy Drink is not a viable option for relief?  These are questions that may never have an answer.  I also wonder what kind of liability the company that produces Rockstar is trying to avoid.  Eager to hasten the conclusion of my Rockstar Energy Drink Sugar Free experience I decide to stop reading the label and just drink some.

So with pronounced trepidation I crack the top and take the plunge.  A bubblegum taste that is a cross between unfortunate and horrid strikes my taste buds with anvil force.  An after taste lingers in my mouth and resembles the all too common metallic flavor frequently found in sugar free drinks. I take another sip hoping I was mistaken.  I was not mistaken at all; the bubble gum taste hasn’t improved and still tastes like something even carnival workers wouldn’t sell.  So with two gulps down I set the oversized can down and decide not to return.  Now one more question will go unanswered, why does this stuff even exist?

Final review:  Do not buy!  Folks if you need energy please find something different than Rockstar Sugar Free!  Old coffee, flat soda, even warm Zima would be better than this stuff!

C.W.

My soda smells like a blueberry muffin.  This makes some sense because the listed berries on the front are huckleberry, blueberry, and blackberry.  Apparently the blueberry wins the aroma battle in that particular cage match; let’s find out if he wins the flavor battle royale.

I chugged a fairly large portion of the bottle wanting to quench my thirst.  Immediately I was greeted by the blueberry flavoring quickly followed by blackberry and what I assume is huckleberry.  I’ve never had a huckleberry before.  I’ve read Huckleberry Finn.  I’ve watched Huckleberry Hound.  Heck, I’m your Huckleberry, but I’ve never eaten one.  It’s probably about time I get around to that.  The carbonation is sharp, but dissipates quickly allowing for the robust flavor of the berries to emanate in your mouth.  Grant Teton Mountain Berry is a bit on the sweet side (but most berry sodas are actually sweeter), and your mouth is left with a syrupy feel, but overall I’m pleased with it.  It’s a different kind of berry soda that I would be happy consuming at most any occasion.  My apologies for the short review, but I do believe it’s time for a nap.

Verdict – Buy a Pack

~A

The top of a dog house is the closest thing to a mountain for nearly 700 miles.

The one we liked the best was Jo Jo, which came in 7 oz returnables in a wood crate. It was dirt cheap and the only flavor really drinkable was the orange, some were well and truly bad. With clowns and balloons on the bottles, I think it was aimed at kid’s birthday parties, where cheap was the order of the day.  We used to joke the secret formula was crayons, water and a bag of sugar.

Unfortunately, they are all gone now, put under by the marketing machines of Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper / 7up. The only local bottler remaining is Black Bear of Oak Creek, which is doing remarkably well. Until recently, they also did the returnables in a wood case, but now have come into the 21^st century with throw-a-way plastic bottles.

OK, so I’m not going to be 100% objective here. But it is a nice root beer, sweet with a whole bunch of vanilla. My bottle didn’t seem to be full, maybe they should check their QC (!). Black Bear also have a great pink lemonade for the summer which I recommend! Still family owned since 1920, not run by Harvard MBAs.  One of the minority shareholders is Junior Bridgeman, a former Milwaukee Buck.

Verdict – Buy a pallet!

http://www.blackbearbottling.com/