Big Ben's (#27 - Rated 4.0 out of 12)

This is a brew bottled by the Catawissa Bottling Company in the rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. They say they have been making Big Bens since 1926. They appear to stay true to simplicity, as the website looks like it was built in the 1990s, early Netscape Navigator. That is about all the information I could find on them. Unfortunately, there is little history, as I like to have a full background.

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

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Citric Acid, Yucca Extractives, and Acacia.

I had never seen Acacia before and am still trying to understand why it was added. Then I tried to see what Yucca Extractive was. Web MD explained it best at this link.

Nutrition 12 oz (from the bottle)

180 Calories 

30 mg Sodium.

44g (15%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

Upon opening the bottle, either I had a bad cold or the water was in the bottle.  It was nothing extraordinary.  At first drink, I was delighted. (The reason it scored that high!)  As I continued, the pleasure waned.  It has a very soft and sugary taste.  The sodium content is high.  

Head – 0.5 out of 3 mugs

What, there is a head?  Where is it?  It was nearly non-existent.  The little foam appearance ring around the outside of the class remained, but not much to be proud of in a head.

Zip - 1 out of 3 mugs

The beverage was average in zip. It had low carbonation and a slightly creamy taste, but it could have left a lasting impression.

Post Consumption Impression – 1 out of 3 mugs

While it was not considered bad, the more I drank, the less I appreciated the beverage.  There is more of a slight root beer taste with an excessive sugar taste.  It reminds me of a moderately flat Barq’s.

Would I recommend this at 4 out of 12 mugs?

If you were to have several friends who wanted to try this, go ahead but limit the brew to 2 ounces.  As the first taste was tolerable, finishing the bottle was the issue.

Other Reviews

Darek Janiak - 1.7 out of 10

Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer  3 of 5

Cosmo’s 2 of 10 

Route 66 Root Beer (#26 - Rated 7.0 out of 12)

The beverage is new on the market compared to others. It originated in 1996 and is bottled in Mokena, Illinois. It is hard to find much history at all!  Underlined text is updated text!

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

Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, natural and artificial flavorings, citric acid, and sodium benzoate.

Nutrition (12 oz from the bottle)

Calories  160

41 mg Sodium.

28g Sugar (12%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.00 out of 3 mugs

Is it possible to get a bad bottle of root beer?  Well, based on my second try, yes.  The second bottle is different from the first.  While it is still not GREAT, it is slightly above average.  Enough to up the score from the original 1 to a 2 for this category.  The second bottle lacked the aroma and had a pleasing mix of spice.  It still lacked a little e in the Sarsaparilla, but the caramel was noted.  The aroma is slight.  My first thought was this was going to have a medicinal taste.  I was right!  My first sip made me realize that root beer has no memorable qualities and little enjoyment.  It is almost tolerable at first sip, and then some unknown aftertaste arrives.  I can’t place it, but I do not like it.  I sense a slight vanilla taste with a caramel splash.  Still, the unknown aftertaste is a little more than I enjoyed.  Almost a rancid aftertaste.  Can root beer go bad/sour?

Head – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

The head is a decent height but fizzes away too quickly.

Zip – 1.25 out of 3 mugs

The zip tingles the tongue, and the carbonation and spices are very odd. The aftertaste is a sweet, creamy vanilla.  The second bottle was much better in the Zip category.  It was even carbonation with no odd twang to it at all.  The score increased from 1.25 to 2.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.00 out of 3 mugs

This brew is just not to my liking.  I am still trying to figure out the almost rancid aftertaste. The second brew was actually enjoyable.  While it had a commercial style carbonation, it lacked in the preferred vanilla flavor, I was impressed by the second bottle to go from a 1 to a 2.

Would I recommend this at Second try a 7 - initial 4.25 out of 12 mugs?

If you like Dad's Root Beer, you will also like this brew. Again, the first bottle must have been fermented, as the second bottle's score almost doubled. Sure, I wish we had freshness dates on some of these bottles! I would not recommend this beverage unless it is free and you want to try it. While the sugar was relatively low, the sodium was very high. The aftertaste was not pleasing at all, confirmed by two others in the household.   

Other Reviews

Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer  3.5 out of 5

Cosmos Root Beer Review  1 out of 10

Root Beer Respect  8 out of 10

Columbia Soda Works (#25 - Rated 10.6 out of 12

Columbia Soda Works is a mystery.  I tried to find information on the history, but the website went nowhere.  The bottle states it was established in 1996 in the gold-mining town of Columbia, California. The label reads, “The flavor will take you back to the days of yesteryear when miners and settlers enjoyed the rich tastes of these early refreshments.  A taste as rich as the Mother Load.”  It even boasts greater by saying Columbia Soda Works Sarsaparilla is “A VERY PRECIOUS LIQUID.”   That is all the information I could gather.

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

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

Nutrition (from the bottle)

170 Calories 

20 mg Sodium.

45g (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 2.8 out of 3 mugs

This soda definitely tastes more like a sarsaparilla.  The carbonation left a nice fizz in my mouth. The hints of caramel and light wintergreen were quite impressive.  The only thing that kept this from a perfect score was I prefer a hint of vanilla. 

Head – 2.2 out of 3 mugs

The head is not strong and dissipates quickly. It varies depending on the glass's temperature and the pour method.

Zip – 2.7 out of 3 mugs

This dark root beer has a unique flavor.  The mix is not harsh with a faint wintergreen taste.

Post Consumption Impression – 2.9 out of 3 mugs 

This was enjoyed from the start and left me wanting another.  No HFCS (I think, as it just states sugar), so that is a plus.  Super flavor balance with the right mix of carbonation.  You can’t go wrong with this beverage!

Would I recommend this at 10.6 out of 12 mugs?

Yes, I would, without a second guess.  When I visit the store next year, this is currently my first root beer to choose from.   As you can see from other reviews below, I am not the only one giving the beverage high marks.

Other Reviews

Thirsty Dudes - 4 of 5
Eat Like No-one else - 4 of 5

Root Beer Respect 9 out of 10 

Saw-Whet Root Beers 9 out of 10 
Steve’s Root Beer Journal - 7.5 of 10 
Anthony's Root Beer Reviews  88 out of 100