Druthers (#8 - Rated 9.9 out of 12)

This is an Illinois brew.  Timothy Iwaanicki is the owner of Drutherss Beverage Company in Oglesby, Illinois.  In June of 2013, he was interviewed and stated when he grew up, ‘Black Cow’ was a colloquialism for a root beer float.  He started the business in approximately 1998 to make a root beer with vanilla crème, creating the Black Cow Float in a bottle.   After securing trademark approval for Druthers Black Cow, he launched Druthers Red Cow, a red crème soda, and Druthers Orange Cow, an orange crème soda.

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Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate as a preservative.

Nutrition information from the label (Per 12 0z):  

• 195 Calories  (13.75 per oz)
• 7.5 mg Sodium.  (0.63 mg per oz)
• 43.5 g sugar  (10%) of Daily Carbohydrates (3.63 g per oz)

Aroma and Flavor - 2 out of 3 mugs - Docked the traditional 0.5 for the use of HFCS 

 I want to remind you having “Vanilla Cream” in the name means I would look forward to this beverage!  When I opened the bottle, it was a heavenly aroma of vanilla cream, yet it lacked the sassafras.

The flavor is my dream come true, and I desire more vanilla than usual.  The body is creamy and light.  It is refreshing that it is as close to a root beer float as any other beverage I have enjoyed.  While HFCS is its sweetener, it is not overly sweet and subtle.

Head - 2 out of 3 mugs

The head is tall but vanishes quickly.  If you get distracted for a very short moment, it is gone. 

Zip - 3 out of 3 mugs

The aroma is full, as I anticipated the first drink. It has a thicker sweetness, and I noted a touch of licorice after each swallow. While it is on the lower side of medium carbonation, it is free of the syrupy texture I would expect with HFCS as the main ingredient.

Post Consumption Impression - 2.4 out of 3 mugs

The beverage is smooth and has a great flavor combination that is hard to beat. This would easily be the highest-scoring root beer had it not received the traditional 0.5 education for using HFCS. The Aftertaste is vanilla cream, like store-brand vanilla ice cream, that lasts a while.  

Would I recommend this at 9.9 out of 12 mugs (7.9 out of 3 mugs without head)?

YES, YES, YES. Even though I try to avoid HFCS, this is not overly sweetened. I do not sense a syrup taste or aroma from the major commercial brands that use excess HFCS.  

Other reviews

• Anthony's Root Beer Barrel - 82 out of 100
• Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer – 3.5 of 5 barrels
• Steve’s Root Beer – 8 out of 10