Boots Sarsaparilla root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Boots Beverages was created by Mark Kristen's father, when Kristen Distributing was little more that a Bottling Company. They bottled things like Dr. Pepper, Nesbitt, 7Up, and Frosty root beer. Boots Beverages featured seasonal flavors, similar to craft beers today. People didn't have much in those days. Getting a Dreamsicle or going to the picture show was a highlight of your day, and you talked about it for weeks. In honor of his father and the sacrifices the entire family made to keep the family business afloat, Mark reintroduced the brand, which features flavors that were popular during the 1940's and 1950's. A small way to remember the things that add the greatest flavor to our lives are often simple."

(from the bottle) "Ambrose Kristen - Ambrose voyaged from German to Galveston in the early 1800's. His father lost his life en route , leaving this 16 year old to establish the family foothold. Ambrose, an accomplished wheelright, set up shop on the German Trace near Industry. There, he helped other settlers on their journey to the Texas Hill country. In 1930, Ambrose purchased the Bellville Bottling Works. The honor of his courageous vision is our legacy."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bellville Bottling Works, Bryan, Texas. 170 calories, 43g sugar.  Glass bottle with pry off top.  http://bootsbeverages.com


Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Quillaja Extract, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).


My thoughts: Though Sarsaparilla has origins in its own beverage originating from the Smilax regelii plant of Central and South America, it too, like root beer, was sold as a medicinal beverage with a similar flavor to root beer. The modern "sasparilla" is now largely artificially flavored and lost the popularity war with its sassafras flavored, root beer counterpart. What does this mean for this "sarsparilla root beer"? I guess I'll see if I can taste anything distinctively different from the other root beers I've sampled.

Well, I'll get straight to the point. I quite like it. It has a pretty tame rooty flavor, but there is a strong vanilla influence to it, and, in a way, reminds me a lot of the butterscotch root beers I've tried. The non-rooty flavors are not subtle and there doesn't seem to be a lot of complexity to it, but it is a nice way to shake up the usual taste. The aftertaste is dominated more by the butterscotch/vanilla flavor, but it does go the slightest bit thin.

Sweetness is pleasant, though may feel a bit on the sugary side as the flavor feels a bit "candy" sweeter, but it's not prohibitively sweet by any means. I think the butterscotch candy flavor makes it feel that way, so isn't directly due to the actual sugar content (which seems to be right on average looking at the 43g on label). Now, the most disappointing aspect: carbonation. While it started off fizzy enough, the bubbles quickly lost their power and by halfway through the bottle, it was downright flat. Now, I've had this bottle sitting around for a little while, so perhaps part of that is age related, but I like my root beers to offer a bit more kick throughout the bottle. Smoothness is nice, as the addition of quillaja extract does it's usual job of creating a creaminess that I always find enticing. I'd be very curious to see how the creaminess would hold up if mixed with a more aggressive carbonation.

In the end, I didn't find anything particularly sarsaparilla-ish about this drink, as it was more of a caramel/vanilla flavor with a little rootiness, so either the artificial sarsaparilla is doing a superb job of approximating sassafras, or the name is just a marketing gimmick. I liked the flavor pretty well, but this drink is seriously hamstrung by the lack of effervescence.


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

Indian Wells Special Reserve root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Indian Wells Brewing Co. started on Father’s Day June 12, 1995. Our home is the site of the California Historic marker #427, Indian Wells. This is the spring that saved the Manly-Jayhawker party in 1849 during the California gold rush. They were lost in Death Valley and after 5 days of travel were saved by the Indian Wells Spring. We use only natural artesian spring water from this historic Indian Wells Spring. Located at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, on highway 14, just 2 miles north of the 178 east junction and 2 miles south of 395 junction at 2565 Highway 14, Inyokern Ca. We invite you to stop in and visit our wonderful tap room and gift shop and view the brewery."

(from the bottle) "Aged in barrels made from Quercus Pyrenaica Chestnut, from the northwest Iberian Peninsula, to give it the special vanilla trace. Our recipe includes sarsaparilla, and birch root, wintergreen, ginger, wild cherry bark, licorices and pure cane sugar. Using only pure fresh spring water from our historic Indian Wells Spring. We hope you enjoy this old fashioned, hand crafted soda."


Product details: 22 fl. oz.  Indian Wells Brewing Co., Inyokerin (pop. 1163), California. 180 calories, 45g sugar (based off 11 oz. serving).  Glass bottle with wax sealed, pry off top.  http://www.mojavered.com/portfolio_category/sodas/


Ingredients: Indian Wells artisan spring water, cane sugar, natural flavor, real vanilla, citric acid.


My thoughts: Isn't this a fancy root beer with its wax sealed top? I can't help but wonder whether or not the packaging is reflective of the actual beverage, or if it's just clever marketing to oversell a less than stellar product. Okay, let's try this. I just have to peel off the wax...errr...this is really on there. *peel, peel* Hmmmmm.... *chip off small piece* (five minutes later)...and the top it off! Whew, that was a lot of work. Now, the drink!

It has a strong, rooty flavor, the kind I really like. It's very complex, with lots of spices in there, though they blend so seamlessly that it's hard to isolate the individual flavors, though vanilla is probably the most prominent. The aftertaste reveals a subtle hint of black licorice. I really like this root beer.

Sweetness is just fine, with just the right amount of sugar. The carbonation is interesting, where the bubbles are so fine that I don't really feel the carbonation in the traditional sense, but there is a strong sting to it. Usually that sensation is accompanied by much larger bubbles that distinctly bounce around my mouth. Smoothness is pretty good, with a frothy and creamy feel to the drink.

Despite being a pain to open the bottle, the contents are well worth the struggle. It's possible that I, with no experience opening a wax sealed bottle before, am just lacking in proper technique. If I could change any one thing, I'd make the carbonation have a bit more texture to it. I like the sting, but I also like to feel the bubbles bouncing around. Overall, a fairly minor nitpick that wouldn't stop me from recommending this particular root beer.


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

Hosmer root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Hosmer Mountain Bottling Co. was purchased in 1958 by Arthur J. Potvin from Mrs. Fred Meyer, whose husband had passed away the previous summer. The Potvin’s then became the fourth family to run Hosmer. With the help of his wife and two eldest sons: Bill and John, Arthur began the arduous tasks that make the soda business a difficult one. He worked hard at keeping the machinery operational and the trucks on the road, blending the soda varieties, and keeping the customer happy. He learned how to make good soda with the help of a salesman and through trial and error. All soda was made with bagged sugar in those days and dry ice was converted to gaseous CO2 for the carbonation. All cases were wooden and bottles were all heavy refillable glass bottles. Two more sons, Andrew and Chuck, joined the operation in the late 60’s.

Early changes included getting a company logo (the shield that is still used today) and going to reusable fiber cases. However, the use of glass bottles has remained constant. Many of the same flavors are still available today along with the addition of diet beverages, seltzer water, and some new trendy drinks."

(from the bottle) "Made with micro filtered naturally pure water."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Hosmer Mountain Bottling Co., Willimantic, CT 062265. 180 calories, 45g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  https://hosmersoda.com/


Ingredients: Carbonated non chlorinated water, high fructose corn sweetener, natural & artificial flavors, caramel color, benzoate of soda (preservative), phosphoric acid.


My thoughts: Hosmer skips the fancy label, goofy names, and wacky mascots to deliver a root beer bottle that is pretty nondescript. Without the glamour and glitz to tell me what to think, I have to rely on my own rooty prowess to suss out what this drink brings to the table.

Taste-wise, this is a down to basics root beer. It has the regular rooty sassafras flavor, the tiniest bit weaker than I prefer, but pretty solid nonetheless. There's no mistaking this for any other flavor of beverage. Underneath the basic flavor is a touch of vanilla, which becomes slightly more pronounced as the overall flavor fades away into the aftertaste. No hints of wintergreen, anise, or any other spices that I can make out.

I rarely run across a root beer that screws up the sweetness too much and this is no exception. It has the expected amount of sugar and isn't obnoxiously syrupy. Carbonation comes in the form of small, subtle bubbles that do their job of keeping it effervescent to the end of the bottle. I do like my carbonation a little more on the aggressive side, so most people should be perfectly pleased. It's not particularly foamy or creamy, so isn't exactly what I'd call "smooth", as I think that term encompasses more than just texture related to the carbonation factor. It's about average, with only a slightly creamy texture offering a small bump up.

While it may seem that I'm a bit down on this particular root beer, I assure you it's a perfectly serviceable drink. However, for a "step up" root beer from your average supermarket root beer, it really doesn't offer anything to justify the added expense. It's just slightly better than average and, therefore, gets just slightly better than an average score. I initially gave it a "C+", but upon further reflection decided that it just ekes out of the "C" range and into the lowest tier of "B" scores.


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