Batch brown sugar root beer

Background information: (from the website) "We feel that when you have a carbonated soft drink, it should be uncommonly good. A sweet and sticky corn syrup soda may not be a necessity, but it can be pleasurable. Make that experience all the more pleasurable with Batch Craft Soda.

Batch Craft Soda has been concocted to be just that: an exceptional beverage in every way. Our expert amalgamators blend only the finest ingredients to create a truly outstanding libation. Weights, measures, temperatures, rest times, and even the order in which the ingredients are added were carefully tried and tested. Efforts to create the perfect recipe took batch after batch."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  No company address info on the bottle. 174 calories, 45g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.batchcraftsoda.com

Ingredients: Purified Sparkling Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Caramelized Unrefined Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Spices, Yucca Extract. No Caffeine.


My thoughts: Brown sugar? Color me intrigued. I think this might be the first root beer I've tried that uses it as a sweetener. The question is, will it actually do anything to the flavor or is it more of a gimmick? We shall see.

This is one of the more interesting flavored root beers I've had in a while. It's definitely a root beer, but it's doing something a bit different with the flavors. There is the usual rooty flavor, but something in it gives me a slight souring impression. I generally don't care for the souring sensation of some past root beers, but this one is subtle enough I don't mind it too much (note: the souring reminds me of the souring process of dairy, not of sour candies). The brown sugar turns out to be a very welcome addition. I like the flavor it imparts, giving this root beer a little more flavor texture to the sweetness. There is the usual vanilla in there as well, perhaps a bit of cinnamon. The aftertaste is dominated by the brown sugar, which I enjoy. I don't necessarily taste any wintergreen, but there is a soft minty, cooling sensation.

Carbonation is mediocre. The bubbles are not particularly spirited and it comes off a tiny bit flat. It at least maintains this lower level of carbonation as I drink the entire bottle rather than vanishing completely, as many of the weaker ones usually do. There is a decent smoothness to it, helped in part by the lackluster effervescence, but not necessarily creamy, as that requires enough carbonation to form a froth. As for sweetness, I touched on it already, but I really like what the brown sugar is doing here. Perhaps it's just the novelty, but it adds a different feel to the sweetness that I welcome. Overall sweetness levels seem about average, with a bit of the expected sugary feeling one gets from sugar-based sodas.

There are a few things this does right, and a few not so much. I don't know what causes the souring sensation in some of these root beers, but I'm not a fan, even when it's more subtle. The carbonation is not impressive at all and could use a good kick in the pants. But I do like the mixture of spices they're using to flavor this one and think the brown sugar is a really nice touch. 

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