Product details: 12 fl. oz. KISS Catalog, Ltd. Under license to Epic Rights. Bottled and distributed by the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Store, LLC. 170 calories, 42g sugar. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.RocketFizz.com
Ingredients: Spring water, cane sugar, citric acid, ester gum, caramel color & natural flavors. No preservatives. Flash Pasteurized for Safety.
My thoughts: Another product of the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop people, who manufacture a variety of root beer labels, most of which are more towards the generic end of the flavor spectrum. But KISS is known for rocking sold out stadiums, putting on a show with explosions and fire, and generally creating chaos and commotion. So, will their root beer follow in their footsteps and face paint, offering a raucous experience, or will I get another ho-hum re-label? Let's dive in.
The rootiness is strong with this one, with a very powerful root beer flavor that's strong on the sassafras flavor, though more towards the artificial side, as there don't seem to be much spice action happening. It does have wintergreen, as that is the predominate secondary flavor and the major aftertaste, with some anise hiding underneath.
Sweetness is good, but maybe a bit sugarier than I prefer by just a small amount. The carbonation is nice and strong, though the bubbles must be tiny because I don't feel them bouncing around so much as leaving a bit of a sting on my tongue. I usually like strong carbonation, but this one is a bit more sting and less effervescence. Still, I'll take that over flatness any day. This isn't a particularly smooth root beer, lacking a creamy feeling and the carbonation sting adding some bite.
Strangely, even though I don't love any particular aspect of this root beer, the parts seem to work together decently well, as it's not a bad root beer by any means. In fact, I think I would slightly prefer it to the middle of the road, root beer in a can. But with so many other great bottled offerings, I doubt I'll be seeking this one out again. Oddly enough, if ordering from the Rocket Fizz website, it says, "Due to limitations beyond our control only 1 bottle per order. However if desired, you can place multiple orders." Seems like an odd way to make fans pay a bunch in shipping costs if they want multiple bottles, but hey, who am I to give the multi-million dollar KISS conglomerate business advice when they make more in a week than I've made my whole life?
Rating: C+
flavor: C+
aftertaste: C
sweetness: C+
smoothness: C-
carbonation: B
