Mike Likes Root Beer

Root Beer: Virgil’s Micro Brewed Root Beer
Website: http://www.reedsinc.com/virgils/
Rating: **/*****

I never officially reviewed Virgil’s Micro Brewed Root Beer, but I have had it before. I didn’t care for it. However, I always see this root beer pop up on best of lists, so I had to try it again.

Pouring it into a frosty mug, it had a very large head and a lot of fizz. It overflowed a little from the mug, which hasn’t happened with other root beers.

After tasting it, I think I was right with my initial thoughts on Virgil’s. It was merely okay, but nothing special. I don’t get the hype surrounding this root beer.

It is gluten free, and uses real sugar, two things that are important to some people.

In closing, Virgil’s is an okay root beer that has a lot of fans. I’m not one of them.

Root Beer: deLISH Root Beer
Website: None found
Rating: **/*****

This may be a repost of this root beer. It’s the same bottle design, and sold by Walgreens, but with a different name. The rating remains the same.

deLISH Root Beer poured out with very little fizz, no head and a dark color.

It had a sharp taste, but overall was kind of flat.

Definitely a root beer that can be skipped.

Root Beer: Nice! Root Beer
Website: Could not find a website. The root beer is distributed through Walgreens stores.
Rating: ***/*****

This is another re-review. The original can be found here.

My review remains mostly unchanged. Nice! is a pretty solid root beer which is surprising for a no-name soda distributed at a Walgreens.

Nice! had a large head that slowly dissolved (last time the bottle sat around too long) and had a dark color.

The inclusion of corn syrup is disappointing, but not a deal breaker here.

Definitely a safe pick when you need a root beer and are near a Walgreens.

Read the old review here.

Root Beer: Frostie Root Beer
Website: http://www.frostie.biz/
Rating: **/*****

Note: Frostie is another root beer that I “reviewed” before I started doing more in depth reviews, so here is a do over (and a lower score!).

Frostie Root Beer is another root beer that I see in a lot of supermarkets and convince stores but it ranks a lot lower than the mainstream root beers.

Frostie has a decent flavor at first, but after that it is quite hallow and is missing something. It’s creamy, but empty. It just doesn’t have that punch to make it a good root beer (or a bad one).

Poured into a frosty mug, it has a medium color and a big head. There was also a lot of carbonation (not always a bad thing).

My first go-around I gave Frostie 3 stars, but I have bumped it down to 2 stars after this review.

Root Beer: Dad’s Old Fashioned Root Beer
Website: http://www.dadsrootbeer.com/
Rating: ***/***** 

Dad’s Root Beer is one of the “mainstream” root beers. I usually see bottles at the supermarket next to A&W and Barq’s (other mainstream selections).

Dad’s isn’t one of my favorites, but it is a solid middle ground root beer. It has a strong bite, licorice flavor, and not very creamy. (Edited to add) Although Dad’s has that slight licorice taste, this isn’t a deal breaker for me here. Very mild to me, but I have seen others think of Dad’s as too much like medicine.

When poured it had a dark color and medium head.

I’d definitely buy Dad’s again when I needed a root beer fix.

Root Beer: Red Arrow Root Beer
Website: None found
Rating: ****/***** 

When first poured Red Arrow Root Beer I noticed the dark color which made me think I may not like it. There was very little head, and what head was there disolved quickly. There was a strong wintergreen taste, very strong, but not too much which was very good.

Red Arrow had a very strong taste, but it wasn’t too overpowering or bold like a Barq’s. I’ve read some other reviews where they said that there was too much licorice flavor which I didn’t notice (I typically don’t care for heavy licorice flavored root beer).

I really love the bottle design, too.

Red Arrow Root Beer is a solid root beer, and if it was a little creamier (or creamy at all) it may have been a 5 star root beer.

Root Beer: Bulldog Root Beer
Website: http://www.bulldogrootbeer.com/
Rating: ****/*****

I’ve reviewed Bulldog Root Beer before, but it wasn’t as “in depth” as I go now.

I wouldn’t change my rating (though I am surprised I gave it four stars) but I would like to fill in some of the gaps.

It has a good full taste, although it’s not one that jumps out at you. The honey flavor is much more subtle than other root beers, which is good.

When poured into a glass it didn’t have a large head, but it was very fizzy.

I’m still happy with Bull Dog Root Beer and would gladly drink it again.

Root Beer: Americana Root Beer
Website: http://www.orcabeverage.com/storefront/proddetail.php?prod=1amrb (This is the best site I could find for this root beer.)
Rating: **/***** 

I bought this bottle of Americana in a sampler pack from Ocra Beverages at a World Market store.

When I first poured it out there was a large head that slowly disolved. It had a fizzy taste, which was good. There was some honey flavor added, which was noticeable to me as it is not my favorite. There was also a heavy licorice and sassafras root flavor, as well as some other fruity type flavor that I couldn’t place.

The taste and flavor was long lasting, I just wish it was a little creamier.

Not the worst I’ve had, but given a choice I’d probably not reach for one again.

Root Beer: Durango Soda Company Zuberfizz
Website: http://www.zuberfizz.com/
Rating: ***/*****

Durango Soda Company’s Zuberfizz root beer was another pickup from World Market, and another good contender.

There is a lot of fizz in this root beer, but not a lot of foam, though it did last quite a while.

Zuberfizz had a good, bold taste, however it dissipated quickly and does not linger.

As always, can sugar definitely adds here.

I would gladly buy another Zuberfizz root beer again.

I usually don’t comment on the bottle, but this bottle has a really cool design, and the logo has a retro feel to it that I really like.

floridapastoral:

Whenever my family went on roadtrips while I was young, we always ate at Cracker Barrel. I started making these when I was like 6.

The tradition obviously lives on.

Stewart’s Root Beer is fancy!