Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Stobborn Root Beer (#52 tested rated 4.5 out of 12)

This brew is a craft beverage from Pepsi Co., and my first thought was overcommercialized processing. It was introduced in late 2015, so there are very few reviews on it. 

To spread its tagline, "IT'S GOOD TO BE STUBBORN™," the brand has partnered with Robert Kirkman, the creator and executive producer of "The Walking Dead," "Outcast," and Skybound Entertainment to bring a new campaign to life.

STUBBORN root beer is made with Fair Trade Certified Cane Sugar and Stevia. Therefore, it is a lower-calorie beverage at 100 calories. It is made with natural flavors and without High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), artificial sweeteners, or Azo Dyes.


Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Phosphoric Acid, Purified Stevia Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Flavor)

Nutrition 12 oz serving (from the bottle)

100 Calories
85 mg Sodium.
27 g (9%) of Daily Carbohydrates
0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

My first impression was that HOLY COW has 85 mg of sodium.  This would not surprise me, coming from Pepsi.  Anything to increase cravings to drink more. 

The opening was a pleasure.  It had an authentic rooty aroma, actually really pronounced.  At first drink, I understood why.  For some reason, birch beer has a stronger aroma.  This has more characteristics of a birch beer than root beer.  Typically, Birch beer is made from oil distilled from the sap of birch trees, making for a dry taste.

The first drink solidified my thoughts of mild carbonation, dryness, and a low sweetener flavor. It left my mouth quite dry, possibly from the higher amount of sodium or some other ingredient. The more I consumed the beverage, the more my mouth grew increasingly dry. This scored slightly higher than it would deserve, but it is a blend in the middle of the road.

Head – 0.5 out of 3 mugs

What, there is foam here?  Sorry, I blinked, so I tried a second time.  There it was, but like magic, it was gone.      

Zip – 1.25 out of 3 mugs

This was rather dry and uneventful.  I could taste the stevia, which I am familiar with as I occasionally use stevia in mineral water.  This is close to that taste if the carbonation was lower.  This beverage is on the lower side of carbonation.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.25 out of 3 mugs

This is worth a try if you like a dry, lower-calorie beverage with stevia.  This is not overall to my liking.  I would not turn it down for a free bottle, but I would spend money for so many other brews.
 
Would I recommend this at 4.5 out of 12 mugs?

May, at best.  If you like a dry beverage that is more like a birch beer, give it a try.

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