Sparky’s - #88, 5 out of 12

It all started in the 80s with a beer brewing kit in Pacific Grove, California. Kevin Knox got hooked on home brewing, and his beers won many local, state, and national awards.  He also wanted to make soda to give away to friends and family. After experimenting unsuccessfully with various soda flavors, he began developing a recipe for his boyhood favorite, root beer. It took many years and many five-gallon batches before the recipe became fine-tuned. Throughout that time, Sparky’s was hand bottled in the same type, 22 oz bottles used for his beer, and gave both away as gifts, especially at Christmas.  After much encouragement from friends and family to offer Sparky’s Root Beer to the public, on April 1, 2000, this brew was born and debuted in Pacific Grove, California, at the annual Good Old Days Celebration.

To make Sparky’s, a small commercial kitchen was rented and converted into a root beer brewery. The original plan was to produce Sparky’s on draft only, in 5-gallon kegs, for use in restaurants, private parties, and other special events.  Now, in bottles and distributed, I have this to review.

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

Ingredients:

Carbonated Filtered Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Honey, Caramel Color, Natural and Imitation Flavorings, Spices, Sodium Benzoate as a Preservative, Phosphoric Acid and Caramel Color.

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

 160 Calories

 45 mg Sodium.

 42g ( %) of Daily Carbohydrates

 0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1 out of 3 mugs

Immediately upon opening, the aroma was cough syrup or overly fermented. I have long questioned if soda can just go bad. I will need to try this again, just like Sassy Lil’lass, which I tried three times and found very disliked by me. The taste had a strong birch, wintergreen, and honey Flavor that really was not to my liking. I am not much of a birch flavor lover.

Head – 1 out of 3 mugs

The head was relatively small, and what appeared was gone just as quickly. 

Zip – 2 out of 3 mugs

The carbonation was on the lower side, and the Flavor was an interesting mix.  Although I was not pleased with the flavors, it scored high for the combination and zip.

Post Consumption Impression – 1 out of 3 mugs

I will try this again if I need a different bottle. However, I hesitated based on this experience, as it was not one I enjoyed at all.

Would I recommend this at 5 out of 12 mugs?

If you like birch flavor and high sweetness, try it. It should be a 4 total score, yet the zip was unique and prominent, just not to my liking.

OTHER REVIEWS

• Anthony’s Root Beer Barrel – 95 out of 100
• Brad’s Brew Review – 10 out of 10
• Cosmo’s Root Beer Review – 2 out of 10
• Eat Like No One Else – 4 of 5 stars
• Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer – 4 of 5 barrels
• Kyle’s Root Beer Galacticus C+
• Root Beer Respect – 6 of 10
• Reviews for the rest of us – B+
• Saw-Whet Root Beer – 9 out of 10
• Steve’s Root Beer – 8 out of 10
• The Root Beer Review – 1 of 10
• Thirsty Dudes – 5 out of 5
• 5 Star Soda – 4 of 5 stars

Death Valley - #87 - 7 out of 12

Death Valley Root Beer is brewed by Indian Wells Brewing Company, based in Inyokern, California, and is owned by Master Brewer Rick Lovett. The company and location have been in the same family for three generations, and this historic location of Indian Wells Spring has a rich history.

It began as a U.S. Army Cavalry outpost in the 1860s. Then, it became a freight and stage station until the turn of the last century. From 1900 to 1920, it was a healing water resort, a base for the CCC and WWW in the 1930s, and a doctor's office in the 1950s. In 1960, it became a restaurant: Indian Wells Lodge.

The Indian Wells Lodge Restaurant has slowly expanded from its small 1,000-square-foot building to its current 6,500-square-foot location. In 1995, Indian Wells Brewing Co. was born in one of the restaurant's rooms. By 1997, the company's beverages had gained popularity, requiring expansion into the 10,000-square-foot building.

All sodas at Indian Wells are produced using pure artisan spring water from the historic Indian Wells Spring (California Historical marker #457), and the brewery is proud to say the artisan spring water gives their sodas a clean--pure taste. An artisan spring contains water that naturally flows and bubbles to the surface. The company has access to a spring originating in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Geologists believe that melted waters from Mount Whitney snow packs journey by an underground river and follow through a fissure to form Indian Wells Spring. For Indian Wells Brewing, the water is captured below the surface and, because of its altitude, can flow to their brewing operation via gravity. No man-made power is used to transport the water.

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

Ingredients:

Indian Wells Artisan Spring Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Real Vanilla, and Citric Acid.

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

180 Calories

25 mg Sodium.

45 g (15%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 mg Caffeine

Aroma and Flavor – 1.75 out of 3 mugs

The aroma is medicinal, with dominant licorice and a hint of wintergreen. At first sip, the licorice intensified.  There is a rooty aftertaste I can't place.  Even though it read "Real Vanilla" on the ingredients, I found little or no vanilla flavor. 

Head – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

The head is frothy yet not overly foamy.  It took minutes to dissipate. 

Zip – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

The odd situation is that the flavors are simple, and the medium carbonation made it difficult for me to determine the rating for this category. It is complex yet simple. I could debate each way, so it is 1.5.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.75 out of 3 mugs

This is an odd but pleasing beverage.  I compare it to sucking on the old-fashioned root beer candy with a strange, bitter aftertaste.  Yes, that means good and bad at the same time.  

Would I recommend this at 7 out of 12 mugs?

This brew is a love-hate brew. The trouble is, I love the sip and hate the aftertaste. Try the brew, but only one bottle, before purchasing a six-pack. 

OTHER REVIEWS

Anthony's Root Beer Barrel – 77 out of 100

Cosmo's Root Beer Review – 4 out of 10

Eric's Gourmet Root Beer – 2.5 of 5 barrels

Root Beer Respect – 7 of 10

Reviews for the rest of us – C

Saw-Whet Root Beer – 9 out of 10

Steve's Root Beer – 7 out of 10

Thirsty Dudes – 4 out of 5

Bulldog - #86, 9.25 out of 12

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 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 instead of 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.

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

Would 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.  If I disliked vanilla, I would take two points off in the full range.  I also found it much more enjoyable when it was on cold ice and slightly watered down from the ice. 

OTHER REVIEWS

Anthony's Root Beer Barrel – 96 out of 100 

Brad's Brew Review – 10 out of 10

Cosmo's Root Beer Review – 4 out of 10

Eric's Gourmet Root Beer – 4.5 of 5 barrels

Root Beer Respect – 9 of 10

Root Beer Review.com – 5 of 10

Reviews for the rest of us – A

Saw-Whet Root Beer – 10 out of 10

Soda Jerks - Love 

Soda Pop Reviews – 9.55 of 10

Steve's Root Beer – 8 out of 10

Thirsty Dudes – 4 out of 5

Derek Janiak – 7.4 out of 10