Sunday, January 8, 2017

Boots Sarsaparilla (#62 Rated 4.0 out of 12)

NOTE:  I suspect I had an old spoiled (fermented) bottle and will try again as time permits.

I found less history about the brew than I thought would be available. The label says that at age 18, Ambrose Kristen voyaged from Germany to Galveston, Texas. His father perished on the journey. He was a wheelwright who cared for his family, eventually purchasing Bellville Bottling Works.

Boots Beverages was created by Mark Kristen’s father, Boots Kristen when Kristen Distributing was little more than a bottling company.  They bottled things like Dr. Pepper, Nesbitt, 7Up, and Frosty Root Beer. Boots Beverages featured seasonal flavors similar to craft beers today.  People didn’t have much in those days. Getting a Dreamlike or going to the Picture Show were highlights of your day, which you talked about for weeks. In honor of his father and the family's sacrifices to keep the family business afloat, Mark reintroduced the brand, featuring flavors popular during the 1940s and 1950s. A small way to remember the things that add the greatest flavor to our lives is often simple.


Ingredients: Filtered Water, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Quillaja Extract, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Potassium Sorbate.

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

170 Calories
25 mg (1%) Sodium.
43 g (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates
0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

The aroma could have been more pleasing?  It was almost a bitter medicinal aroma.  I did not have a solid impression of the beverage.  The first sip could have been more eventful.  It took a lot of work to place what this was trying to be for a flavor.  There was no deep sarsaparilla flavor and very little bite.  It was almost like a bitter and flat mix of Coke with a little grape Neha mixed into the brew.  Just hard to place.  It earned 1.25, higher than my preference, but the oddity earned a few points.

I have wondered if soda gets old and if it goes bad.  This tasted fermented?

Head –1.0 out of 3 mugs  

The head is very light in build and color.  While smooth, it was minimal froth. Is it enhanced as a float?

Zip – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

There is nothing unique about this beverage. It is dry and has a slight aftertaste. I have had beverages with Quillaja in them before and thought they were dry as well. Could that be what I taste?

Post Consumption Impression – 1.0 out of 3 mugs

This was an odd soda.  One I would not venture to purchase for myself in the future.

Would I recommend this at 4.00 out of 12 mugs?

I am sure there are people who have acquired a taste for this beverage. I am not one of them. I love a smooth, rooty soda with vanilla and caramel, and this had none of those desired qualities.  

OTHER RATINGS

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