Frostie Vanilla (#24 - Rated 3.0 out of 12)

Frostie was initially produced as a root beer in 1939. Over time, they expanded the varieties to 10, of which three are root beer-based. In 1979, Frostie was purchased by Monarch Beverage Company (Dad’s and Ramblin Root Beer). In 2000, after years of faltering sales, it was sold to Leading Edge Brands, which in 2009 sold it to Intrastate Distributors.

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

Ingredients: Carbonated water, High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or sugar, caramel color, Sodium benzoate, Citric Acid, and natural and artificial flavors

I assume they list more than one sugar option, so they can add the least expensive option when making the beverage and would not need to upgrade the bottle.

Nutrition (from the bottle)

180 Calories 

50 mg Sodium.

46g Sugar (17%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

Immediately upon opening, I realized frosty vanilla root beer is not a root beer. The first aroma is like opening a heavily fragranced aroma vanilla candle.  I compare it to what I would envision a cupcake stuffed up my nose would be like.  It took little knowledge to understand this was corn syrup-based as it gets the same aroma from opening a corn syrup bottle.  

Then came my first drink.  Crazy vanilla soaked in sugar cubes is my first thought.  It gave me an ill feeling after a few minutes.  This is not a beverage I will purchase again.  I only awarded this a 1 as it is intense, and they deserve some credit if that is the desire. They were trying to mimic a bad vanilla ice cream root beer float.

Head – 0.0 out of 3 mugs

The head was practically nonexistent. Even when I tried to make it using every technique I could, it was really visible.

Zip – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

This is flat.  At times, I almost thought I was drinking lightly carbonated corn syrup.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

I hate to give any beverage less than a 1.0, as I am sure there are some merits.  I can’t find anything I prefer in the Frostie Vanilla Root Beer beverage.  The sweetness and intensity are overwhelming!  In fact, I tossed the last portion as I could not continue drinking this liquid vanilla almond bark.

Would I recommend this at 3 out of 12 mugs?

I had some people try it in the house, and one of them said it's like putting excessively vanilla frosted birthday cake in a blender and taking a drink. It isn't good in a soda!  Looking at the ingredients, this is as artificial as one could get. It is obviously a heavy commercial drink. Made at the lowest cost to gain the highest consumer. With 50 mg of sodium, it is the highest I have ever encountered, and 46 g of carbs/sugar is excessive.  You will love this beverage if you liked Golden Maple (which I hated).  Otherwise, move to another option. 

As you can see below, only a few agree with me.

Other Reviews

Rob’s Root Beer Review 8 out of 10

Root Beer Respect 6 out of 10
Saw-Whet 5 of 10

Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Review 4 of 5 barrels

Anthony’s Root Beer Barrel 65 out of 100
One Bad Veggie Scored A
Cosmo's Root Beer  5 of 10

Ramblin Root Beer (#23 - Rated 7.5 out of 12)

According to my research, this is a major commercial root beer created in 1979 by Coca-Cola. Why introduce a root beer when Hire's, A & W, Mug, Dad's, Barq's, Shasta, Faygo, Nesbitt's, and various store brand knock-offs are available? I assume it was market share grab Coca-Cola already had Dad’s.  It was a memorable advertisement from my younger days with a young Sarah Jessica Parker.  I am not sure I ever consumed it, but must have, as I always loved Root Beer.

It was limited production after Coca-Cola purchased Barq’s Root Beer in 1995, with some saying it had been out of production for over a decade and had recently been reintroduced into the market (this year – 2015).    

One thing I noted is that it has Quillaia Extract in the ingredients. What is Quillaia Extract? After significant reading, I learned that it is a foaming agent—an artificial ingredient that makes foam in a drink. I thought that was reserved for detergents.

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

Ingredients: Carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, Potassium benzoate, natural and artificial flavors, gum Acacia, Quillaia Extract, and Phosphoric Acid.

Nutrition (from the bottle)

160 Calories 

0 mg Sodium

39g Sugar (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.8 out of 3 mugs

Upon the twist of the cap, it was just a root beer aroma.  At the first taste, I knew I was drinking root beer, although it had a slight medicinal taste.   There was no vanilla.  It seemed to have a slight sarsaparilla taste, yet it was very artificial taste. 

Head – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

This was so foamy, it was past ridiculous.  You need to be cautious when pouring!  It was the most significant I have ever seen, but it was foam, not bubble style foam, but thick foam, like the thickest Afro one could imagine.  I guess I should not be surprised as it has Quillaia Extract, which is intended to create foam!  It received a lower score as the foam impacted the enjoyment.  If I did like the advertisement and guzzled this, it may not matter!

Zip – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

The beverage is uneventful.  Then I found nothing that gave me a solid sensation of enjoyment yet nothing to stop me from wanting another sip.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.7 out of 3 mugs

This was an odd review to complete as I could see loving this like no other or hating it like no other.  It really depends on how I drink the beverage.

Would I recommend this at 7.5 out of 12 mugs?

I am not sure what the huge push to bring the beverage back was, unless it was to guzzle and move on to the next task at hand.   I would love this is I was really thirsty and wanted a quick sugar drink.  I think in the middle of an ultra-marathon it would do the trick.  Otherwise, I would look for another option, yet would not turn this beverage down.

Other Reviews

Brad’s Brew Review scored 8/10

Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer Review 3.5 of 5 barrels

Red Ribbon (#22 - Rated 6.25 out of 12)

Red Ribbon Home Brewed Root Beer is from Pennsylvania.  It is from the Natrona Bottling Company in Natrona, Pennsylvania.

The company was founded as the Natrona Bottling Works in 1904 by Ed Welsh and was purchased by the Bowser family in 1939, who changed the name to the Natrona Bottling Company. John Bowser hired his 15-year-old brother Paul, who worked at the company after school and on weekends. Paul operated and later owned the company – for a combined seventy years – until he died in 2008.  They have a YouTube video of the company.  Looks pretty vintage.

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

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid and Caramel Color.

Nutrition (from the bottle)

120Calories 

15 mg Sodium.

30g Sugar (10%) of Daily Carbohydrates

 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

My first impression is that this is an average root beer. It has a unique taste and carbonation, which is not common. It almost has a tonic water-based taste. It is watered down with a slight root beer flavor.

Head – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

Decent head.  Dissipated fast but not too frothy and with a medium-sized bubble.

Zip – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

They use CO2 from dry ice to create carbonation and supposedly help the flavor. I can only describe it as lightly flavored tonic water.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.25 out of 3 mugs

 This is not terrible, yet it is plain. It did not leave me wanting more. I compare it to mineral water with stevia root beer drops. That would be zero calories and close to what I felt from this beverage.

Would I recommend this at 6.25 out of 12 mugs?

I would not seek it out but would not turn it down if offered as a beverage, yet I would ask for other options before accepting. 

OTHER REVIEWS

Eric's 2.5 out of 5 barrels
Cosmo's 5 out of 10 IBCs

Barons Sarsaparilla (#21 - Rated 7.9 out of 12)

More information about this soda needs to be provided on the web.  I searched every possible search names to find some background and came up empty.  The bottle stated that the e-mail is baronsbeverages@icloud.com and distributed by Barons Beverages.  

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

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color, Citric Acid and Gum Arabic.

Nutrition (from the bottle)

Calories 140

15 mg Sodium

 36g sugars (12%) of Daily Carbohydrates

 0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 2.4 out of 3 mugs

This has a great root beer aroma.  I immediately had high hopes!  I was not let down.  While it is missing the heavy vanilla I generally like, this just had that homemade and simple root beer.  The level of sweetness is lower, with sugars being 3.17 g per ounce and sodium being 1.25 mg per ounce.  While not the lowest, it is notable.   If there would be a vanilla hint, it would be close to perfect. What was odd is it had a minor cherry taste as well. 

Head – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

The head was small and dissipated quickly.  Average at best.

Zip – 1.75 out of 3 mugs

 The low carbonation and minimal ingredients make this category more than average. Overall, it does have a solid taste, but not a root beer taste, but a gourmet soda with a slash of cherry.

Post Consumption Impression – 2.25 out of 3 mugs

It was enjoyable but more like a low-carbonated, cheery Coke than a solid root beer. I would not hesitate to drink it again. The first drink was enjoyable, yet the enjoyment decreased the more I consumed.

Would I recommend this at 7.9 out of 12 mugs?

It is worth a try. It has a mix of scores from other users. I understand that, as it is really an average-tasting yet enjoyable beverage.

Steve’s score 3 out of 10

Anthony’s score 88 out of 100

Root Beer Respect score 7 out of 10

Saw Whet Root Beers scored 9 out of 10

Judge Wapner (#20 - Rated 8.0 out of 12)

Rocket Fizz manufactures this and other sodas.  I have Rocket Fizz Root Beer Float and reviewed Gene Aurty’s Root Beer.  Rocket Fizz is predominately known for its diverse candy line (some say over 4,000 varieties), but unique sodas are also a niche.  A web search found that they have made over 500 varieties of soda throughout their history, not all directly under the Rocket Fizz parent company.  They even make a Sugar Ray Leonard Root Beer!

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

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial flavors, and Sodium Benzoate to preserve freshness.

Nutrition (from the bottle)

Calories 

65 mg Sodium.

40 g sugar (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 2.25 out of 3 mugs

Immediately upon opening, it had a minty root beer aroma.  The first sip found a light and mild flavor. Then, after a few seconds, there was a hint of vanilla and a strong wintergreen surface.  It is very smooth and sweet.  There are hints of cinnamon, which fade quickly.  It is a decent flavor mix, yet the minty is too dominating for my preference.  It lacks the sarsaparilla, caramel, and vanilla I prefer.  I did score this high as it is a solid and smooth beverage if you like the mint.

Head – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

The Head is medium height and frothy. The foam is smaller than I typically see for a root beer, yet it lasts surprisingly long.

Zip – 1.75 out of 3 mugs  (Docked 0.5 for excessive sodium)

 Carbonation is medium and provides a slight zip, yet I can’t overcome the excessive mint taste, which is hard to miss.  I wonder if the 65 mg of sodium is what I have falsely called Zip.   This is almost twice as much as any other root beer I review. 

Post Consumption Impression – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

 This is smooth yet has an odd, sticky, minty aftertaste. I think I recently brushed my teeth. 

Would I recommend this at 8 out of 12 mugs?

I would not recommend the root beer. It has some superb qualities for those who want a mint beverage with a splash of traditional root beer. They do not use HFCS. This is not my preference, so the score is lower than that of other reviewers who might rate the beverage. However, of the minty root beers I tasted, this is one of the best!

OTHER REVIEWS 

Eric's 2 of 5 barrels
Anthony's 84 out of 100
Rob's 7 out of 10
Steve's 6.5 out of 10
Cosmo's 8 out of 10 IBCs

Doc Brown (#19 - Rated 4.5 out of 12)

Dr. Brown’s soda originated in 1869 by J&R Bottling.  Former marketing director, Harry Gold, said a New York doctor used celery seeds and sugar to invent the cream soda and celery tonic now known as Cel-Ray.  Rumor has it that this was a preferred Jewish soda, and root beer followed.  It is an East Coast brand sold primarily in New York and South Florida.  In 2013, J & R Bottling transferred the bottling rights to LA Bottleworks.  Pepsi currently bottles it so I bet the premium 1869 aspects are no longer part of the mix.

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

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial flavors, Gum Acadia and Citric Acid.

Nutrition (from the 12 oz bottle)

Calories 170

0 mg Sodium.

42 g Sugar (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

(Docked 0.5 for HFCS)

Immediately upon opening, the bottle released a heavy spearmint/wintergreen aroma, which carried right over to the first drink. There was little vanilla, sarsaparilla, or caramel taste. It was like drinking a liquefied tic-tac. It was surprisingly low on sweetness, although it was packed with 42 g of sugar.

Head – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

The head was very low and almost non-existent.  I was really disappointed, and for me, one is pretty poor.

Zip – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

This is a very low-carbonated beverage with the taste of liquid breath mints. I could equate that to zip if I was drinking a beverage other than root beer. The typical sarsaparilla taste is not apparent. I gave it 1.5 as it had some impacting flavors, although not to my liking.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.0 out of 3 mugs (0.5 docked for HFCS)

This is a beverage that I would not run away from although it would be enjoyed with food.  Imagine how food would taste if before every bite you brushed your teeth with wintergreen toothpaste. 

Would I recommend this at 4.5 out of 12 mugs?

I'm not really sure if I would recommend this root beer. It wasn't memorable and would pass for any old root beer. I would not refuse it if offered to me as a last choice, but I might ask for other options to verify that it is the last choice.

OTHER REVIEWS

Root Beer Review 4 out of 10
Eric's 3 out of 5 barrels
Root Beer Respect 6 out of 10
Cosmo's 5 out of 10 IBCs

Spring Grove (#18 - Rated 8.5 out of 12)

The website states Spring Grove started making soda in 1895.  It was started by G.G. Risty, who they say was a Pharmacist who developed soda for his store.  Some say he was just an entrepreneur with a great idea.  Either way, it was a long time ago.  The website states that the formula for Spring Grove Pop has remained basically the same since the business was founded. However, this can’t be true as they use HFCS now, which was first marketed in the 1970s. 

They say the soda was bottled in returnable glass bottles in the early years.  But by 1980, most sodas were bottled in plastic and aluminum cans, so people were not accustomed to returning the returnable bottles.  Therefore, there was an acute returnable bottle shortage.  Since returnable bottles were cost-prohibitive to purchase new, the owners then purchased the necessary equipment to bottle in non-returnable glass bottles.  It is the same equipment that is still used today.

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

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavoring, and Artificial Color - Yellow no. 5, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, preserved with less than .1% Sodium Benzoate.

Nutrition (from the 12 oz bottle)

Calories 170

 45 mg Sodium.

 42 g  Sugar (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

The strong vanilla and honey aroma was strong. The first sip was as expected, with a unique caramel aftertaste. It is very smooth yet a little too sweet. There is a complex and spicy flavor, with too much licorice and not enough sarsaparilla, and the flavor fades.

Head – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

This is the largest and longest-lasting head of any root beer I have tested.  It was excessive for my preference.   See the picture, which evolved after my first two sips.

Zip -- 2 out of 3 mugs

There is a decent spice with middle-level carbonation. It goes down nice and smooth, yet it has a high sodium and syrupy taste.

Post Consumption Impression – 2 out of 3 mugs (0.5 docked for HFCS)

While I appreciate the full head and creaminess, this is just too sweet for me. It has a sticky, sweet, and spicy aftertaste with a hint of licorice. It also has a high amount of sodium, impacting overall enjoyment. My top 5 root beers have zero to 0.63 mg per ounce, whereas Spring Grove has 3.75 mg per ounce.

Would I recommend this at 8 out of 12 mugs?

It's better than average, but I would still pass it up if I were looking for a nice sipping brew.  However, I would not have avoided this if it had been on the shelf.

Other Reviews

Cosmo's Root Beer Reviews 5 of 10 IBC's
Rob's Root Beer Review  7 out of 10
Steve's Root Beer 9 out of 10