Monday, November 18, 2013

GuS (Grown-up Soda) Dry root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Founded in early 2003 by Steve Hersh and Jeannette Luoh, GuS was what the founders and their friends were looking for in a beverage; something not so sweet like everything else out there. But not so dull and lifeless like flavored seltzers and waters. Or artificial, like diet drinks."

"Steve grew up in a household where his father added seltzer to everything. This was done to cut the sweetness, and make juice and soda lighter and more refreshing. It also reduced the calories, but that wasn't really the point."

"Now that tradition continues with GuS sodas. They're distinctive sodas made with real juice and real flavor extracts, in refreshing flavor varieties. They're 100% natural, pasteurized and kosher, with no caffeine. And they're lightly sweetened with natural cane sugar, with only 90 - 98 calories in each 12oz. bottle."

(from the bottle) "Lightly sweetened root beer with birch oil & vanilla ."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Utmost Brands, Inc., New York, NY 10022 (212) 355-7454. 98 calories, 24g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  http://www.drinkgus.com


Ingredients: Purified sparkling water, cane sugar, birch oil and other natural flavors, caramel color (from sugar), quillaja, citric acid.


My thoughts: With claims of being a"grown up soda", I was expecting a complex flavor, which GUS sort of delivers on.  The initial taste is quite good, with a nice blend of vanilla and rootiness.  It even delivers on the "dry" claim, a pleasant sensation on the tongue.  But where it really falls short is in the aftertaste.  The good flavor is fleeting, rapidly leaving behind the soda water taste I detest.  Sweetness is excellent, with just enough without leaving behind a costing of sugar residue.  Carbonation is almost spot on as well, with a pleasant smoothness that is a bit lacking in creaminess.  Overall, the overly rapid vanishing of flavor left me disappointed, and I wish it lingered a bit longer, as this could be a very good root beer.


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


No comments:

Post a Comment