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 embolisms
and anemia. Well over a month since I
left the hospital, I still battle the issues with very slow progress.
Before the hospitalization, I
started to set up a Microsoft Word file long in advance of the test. I get links to the brew in the file and type
basic information for each brew. This
makes my review as the focus as opposed to all the extraneous information I
like to add first. This brew was rated
10 of 10 by many and high by all. So, I
guess that builds some anticipation?
The slogan is “Unleash the Taste”
which is a bold statement. They also use
real bulldogs on the label, appropriately named Barley (male) and Hops (female).
The dogs live in Fresno, California. There is some decent history
on the website.
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 this the first brew I have ever seen that uses
three different sweeteners (Cane Sugar, Honey and Maltodextrin) and list “Salt”
as an ingredient. Upon opening the
bottle, I was fully aware it was root beer and it was dominated by
vanilla. This 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 full dissipation in about 90 seconds.
A very solid 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 did not mind, but may detract the favor mix for some. There
was medium carbonation and scores a little lower as the flavor are very fine,
just overpowering sweetness.
Post Consumption Impression – 2.5 out of 3
mugs
The brew was a lot like Henry
Weinhardts without the excessive foam.
I really loved the flavor (strong vanilla) yet the salt and the sugar
were also highly noticeable.
Would I recommend this at 9.25 out of 12 mugs?
Yes, I think 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. In the full range, I would take
two points off 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