Rogue Soda root beer

Background information: (from the website) "In 1987, some like-minded Rogues had an idea to start a “Brew Pub”. The next year, a Revolution in beer began in the basement of the Rogue Public House in Ashland, Oregon. The Brewery and Pub opened in October 1988 with the brewery housed beneath a 60 seat Pub. The first beers brewed were American Amber and Oregon Golden."

(from the bottle) "Crafted with all the care that goes into our ales and brewed with Rogue Farms Honey, Rogue Root Beer is a complexly delicious experience with a creamy texture, caramel richness and a rush of vanilla. Join the revolution in our fight against root beer "blandification"."


Product details: 22 fl. oz.  Brewed & Bottled by Rogue Ales, Newport, OR 97365. 150 calories, 40g sugar.  Glass bottle with pry off top.  http://www.rogue.com (21+)


Ingredients: Water, Brown Sugar, Root Beer Flavor, Sarsaparilla Flavor, Rogue Farms Honey, Wild Flower Honey, Sparking Foam, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid.


My thoughts: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a group of rebels stole the plans to a giant bottle of root beer. I kept putting off buying this, because it's one of the more expensive bottles of root beer I've come across, even when considering the greater than normal amount of rooty contents. At the price I paid, I hope this doesn't end up being the Phantom Menace of root beers (not that I ever wish for that, even on lower priced ones). I'm hoping for more Empire Strikes Back at this price point.

The bottle proudly proclaims that it's made with "Rogue Farms honey", and I can say with a certainty that I can taste it. Alongside that, the other sweetener is brown sugar, which adds a very unique flavor. There are a lot of spices going on with the root beer flavor, with anise lending a strong licorice taste to the concoction. A bit of vanilla sticks around, with the aftertaste being a vanilla/licorice mix. I'm not normally a fan of black licorice, but strangely don't mind it in this drink. There must be a little wintergreen in there, even if I'm not tasting it specifically, as the back of my throat has a cooling sensation that's usually indicative of some sort of mint.

As mentioned above, sweetness is achieved through both brown sugar and honey, lending the sweetness a new feel than I've had before. I like it. The carbonation bubbles are not very large, but they offer a sufficient amount of kick without feeling aggressive. I like a little more aggressiveness, but others may prefer the more subtle carbonation. As such, it's pretty smooth feeling without coming across as flat, but could stand to be creamier.

This is a whole new root beer flavor experience, one that I'm really enjoying. I do wish there was a little less anise, as I found the black licorice taste a little overpowering, possibly hiding other subtleties that might otherwise present themselves. While not one of my very top root beers, I highly respect the direction they took this drink. If you're ever looking for a bit of a different, but still pleasant, root beer experience, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one. In the end, it came across more as a Return of the Jedi, a solid effort that could have done with a little less Ewok.


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