Been
a while since I completed a review. In fact,
almost three months. There is a reason
for the delay. I was hospitalized with deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and anemia. Well, over a month since I
left the hospital, I still battle the issues with plodding progress.
Before the hospitalization, I
started to set up a Microsoft Word file long before the test. I get links to the brew in the file and type
basic information for each brew. This
makes my review the focus, as opposed to all the extraneous information I
like to add first. This brew was rated
10 out of 10 by many and high by all. So, that builds some anticipation?
The slogan is "Unleash the Taste,"
a bold statement. They also use
real bulldogs on the label, appropriately named Barley (male) and Hops (female).
The dogs live in Fresno, California. The website has some decent history.
So, it is time for the review. (Click here for information
on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beer tested or to be tested.)
Ingredients:
Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar,
Honey, Maltodextrin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate, Real
Vanilla, Phosphoric Acid, and Salt.
Nutrition 12
oz. serving (from the bottle)
160
Calories
45 mg Sodium.
41 g (14 %) of Daily
Carbohydrates
0 mg Caffeine
Aroma and flavor – 2.5 out
of 3 mugs
Before
opening the bottle, I noted that this was the first brew I had ever seen that used
three different sweeteners (Cane Sugar, Honey, and Maltodextrin) and listed "Salt"
as an ingredient. Upon opening the
bottle, I knew it was root beer dominated by
vanilla, which was also noted in the
first sip. Now, I love vanilla, so I
should love this brew. Yet the sweetness
factor was very high. This score is high
due to the vanilla flavor, which I love.
Head – 2.5 out of 3 mugs
The head is very tall with
very fine bubbles. It dissipates slowly
yet completely dissipates in about 90 seconds. An excellent head.
Zip – 2.25 out of 3 mugs
You
can taste the honey and vanilla, yet they are balanced and do not detract from
the brew. However, there is a sticky
sensation that I was okay with, but it may detract from the favorite mix for some. There
was medium carbonation, and the scores were slightly lower as the flavor was very fine,
just overpowering the sweetness.
Post Consumption Impression – 2.5 out of 3
mugs
The brew was a lot like Henry
Weinhardt's without the excessive foam. I really loved the flavor (strong vanilla), yet the salt and sugar
were also highly noticeable.
I recommend this at 9.25 out of 12 mugs.
Yes, it is a highly-rated brew, although it
scored slightly lower for me due to the sweetness. Then again, it scored high for the
vanilla. I would take
two points off in the full range if I disliked vanilla. I also
found it much more enjoyable when it was on cold ice and slightly watered down
from the ice.
OTHER REVIEWS
No comments:
Post a Comment