Hard
to believe this soda originated from two kids, Sebastián and Alejandro Caamaño, aged 12
and 13, who wanted to try to make soda pop. Their father,
Christopher Caamaño, a chef , experienced home brewed carbonated water and
decided to make his own. Story
goes the kids realized decided adding sugar and flavoring to their homemade
carbonated water would provide soda.
In
2010, Caamaño Bros Soda was born. The father had a love for sarsaparilla
and the brewing effort resulted in a root beer stand at a local nursery. The word spread and soon they were in
demand by the local farmer’s markets. It has grown today to a large 100% a family operation.
Now for the official root beer review. (Click here for information
on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beer tested or to be tested.)
Ingredients: water, cane sugar, organic and natural flavorings, caramel
color, and organic Acadia gum, Citric Acid.
Nutrition 12 oz serving (from the bottle)
170 Calories
20 mg Sodium.
40g (15%) of Daily Carbohydrates
0 mg Caffeine
Aroma and Flavor – 1.75 out of 3 mugs
Upon opening the bottle, I had high expectations. The aroma was light with a good balance
of vanilla and sassafras. The
first drink was mixed, as there was a slight medicinal taste. It was muck like I felt about Capone’s,
but there was an aftertaste that was not to my liking. It could be one of my best or one of
the least favorites, depending on the mood. On thing I noted, it was better directly from the bottle as
opposed to over ice. I could not
tell if this was a root beer as it had a hint of cherry. It was not a cherry
coke, but had that same slight Cherry taste. The vanilla is faint with no caramel flavor, which I prefer.
The sarsaparilla is noted, but also
slight. This taste was interesting
and overall enjoyable, for a soda.
Head – 1.25 out of 3 mugs
Very foamy and dissipated in less than 20 seconds. There was not even a rim on the edge of
the glass.
Zip – 1.75 out of 3 mugs
While there
is a tantalizing mix of flavors, it was average overall for creating a
memory. Noting really stood out
yet nothing bland about the spice mix either.
Post Consumption Impression – 1.75 out of 3 mugs
I
liked the brew. Not sure I would
seek it out on purpose but would not hesitate to purchase each 6 pack for
consumption, with a good meal.
Would I recommend this at 6.5 out of 12
mugs?
This
was average at best. With the history
I was hoping for a GREAT drink, but did not get one. I would not shy away from this like several others I have
tested, but there are others I would suggest first.
Steve’s
Root Beer Journal 8 out of 10
Saw-Whet
Root Beer 4 out of 10
Anthony’s
Root Beer Barrel 91 out of 100