Capt'n Eli's root beer

Background information: (from the website) "In the early 1920's, the Forsley family started a fun tradition of making homemade root beer.  As a boy, young Eli Forsley pilfered root beer from his father's basement supply, gave some to some close friends and sold the rest around the neighborhood.  An entrepreneur was born!"

(see rest of story here)

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured by Shipyard Brewing Co, LLC, Portland, ME.  165 calories, 40g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top. www.captneli.com


Ingredients: Water, cane sugar, caramel coloring, natural & artificial flavors including wintergreen oil, anise, vanilla, spices, herbs, citric acid, sodium benzoate as a preservative.


My thoughts: (please read in your best pirate voice) Shiver me timbers!  This here root beer is a fine, sea-faring ol' scalawag!  Like the fresh salt air, it arrives with a zing and a dash o' flair.  Once ye have drunk it down ye hatch, the other flavors linger along, some of 'em landlubbers and some of 'em true pirates.  On the piratin' side are ye spices o' vanilla and win'ergreen, pleasant folks as they arrrrrrr.  But some landlubberin' flavor that reminds me o' sterilized surgical instruments also stays behind.  I ain't sure what it be, but good it certainly arrrrren't.  It may be from the carrrrr-bonation, which be running a bit like high tide; too much that is, givin' 'er the slight aftertaste o' soda water.  She go down pretty smooth, but worth walking the plank?  No, I say to thee.  But if I were to be stuck on a desert island with me treasure and a fair maiden or two, I'd be satisfied with this here beverage.  Arrrrrr, matey.


Rating: B
flavor: B+
aftertaste: C
sweetness: A-
smoothness: B
carbonation: B