Saranac 1888 Root Beer (#55 rated - 10.1 out of 12)

This brew is from the Matt Brewing Company. Its origins are German ancestry, and it was migrated to the United States in 1880. Francis Xavier Matt, I worked for Charles Bier Bauer Brewing before reorganizing it into The West End Brewery. Like so many others, soft drinks became the way to keep the factory operational during prohibition.

The information found boasts, “Since 1888, we have honored our great-grandfather's commitment to tradition and quality.” That is right, as the sweater is Made from High-Fructose Corn Syrup. This is a way to keep tradition and quality in check (sarcasm intended). They say their family-owned brewery (New York state's oldest, located in Utica) has a long tradition of taking pride in what they create.

Click here for the rating criteria and a table of all the root beers tested.

Ingredients: Filtered Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Aspartame, Citric Acid, Gum Arabic, and Modified Food Starch.

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

180 Calories

55 mg Sodium.

46 g (15%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 2.1 out of 3 mugs

There was a hint of root beer aroma upon opening, yet the licorice was stronger. The first drink was enjoyable but not outstanding. I could not sense any vanilla, and the carbonation was like that of a highly commercial beer rather than a craft brew. I noted the high sodium count, which is not needed. Overall, this solid drink was docked 0.5 for HFCS use.

Head –3 out of 3 mugs

Now this is a head!  One of the best is being very foamy without dissipating quickly.  After a few minutes, it had not entirely dissipated. 

Zip – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

Solid carbonation and good flavor use gave this some zip. It was high on the carbonation scale for me.

Post Consumption Impression – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

Overall, it was a very enjoyable beverage.  The HFCS and sodium content make it less desirable, although very satisfying!

Would I recommend this at 10.1 out of 12 mugs?

Do you like Henry Weinhards? You would like this beverage. The score and enjoyment factor were the same. Add this to the list if you prefer to commercialize Barq’s, A&W, or Dad’s.

OTHER RATINGS

The Soda Jerks - A

Cosmo’s Root Beer Review – 8 out of 10

Root Beer Respect – 9 out of 10

Pragmatic Hepatic – 5.1 out of 10

Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer 4.5 of 5 barrels

Anthony’s Root Beer Barrel 94 out of 100
Fear No Root Beer - 5 of 5

Derek Janiak – 5.1 out of 10