REBBL root beer

Background information: (from the website) "A CAUSE LOOKING FOR A COMPANY…

REBBL was born out of a passionate collaboration between global thought-leaders to identify an innovative solution to uplift vulnerable communities around the world."

(from the can): "Deliciously supercharged plants to power people."

"Every can of organic REBBL POP is packed with deliciously refreshing, nutrient-dense, plant-powered ingredients that support immunity and digestive health. We ethically source our ingredients, supporting the communities that grow them, and use sustainable packaging."

"Good for you, great for other, better for the world."

Product details: 12 fl. oz. Distributed by REBBL, Emeryville, CA 94608. 50 calories, 5g sugar. Contains 3% juice. Aluminum can. www.rebbl.co

Ingredients: Sparkling water, organic acacia, organic coconut nectar, organic natural flavor, organic vanilla extract, organic stevia extract, pink salt, organic monk fruit extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Contains: coconut. 


My thoughts: Following up on my last "healthy" root beer review, I have yet another root beer with similar claims, with "supports immunity & digestive health." Sounds like another flavor disaster waiting to happen, but we'll see if this one can't offer something a little more palatable.

First off, the rooty sassafras flavor isn't very pronounced. It does come across as definitely being a root beer, however. The stevia is just ruining it with a very pronounced taste. If you like Stevia, no big deal. But I detest the flavor it imparts and in this drink it overwhelms the other flavors with its presence. Notes of vanilla and what I believe is the monk fruit (which -according to the internet- has a caramel/toffee taste). There are some other flavors that I can't quite identify, though I do like what they are doing, but it's hard to sort them out underneath the oppressive stevia. The aftertaste starts out not very good, with more stevia taste on the menu. But an interesting thing happens if I wait a bit longer, as the stevia finally fades away and I can start tasting more of the underlying flavors that were hidden away before, with the vanilla and monk fruit finally taking over. This is one drink that is vastly improved by the aftertaste and benefits from longer pauses between taking another drink. One thing I didn't notice earlier in the drink is the wintergreen, but as I got down to the last 1/3 of the can I started to notice it and it seemed to get stronger the closer to the bottom of the can I got. It never did get too strong, though.

The carbonation is on the weak side, but at least doesn't seem to totally vanish as I make my way through the drink. Again, when carbonation is low it's harder to gauge smoothness, but I'd rank this about average. It's not particularly creamy (I like a creamy foam froth), but there is a little bit of creamy texture in there. Sweetness is fine, leaving a pretty clean feeling in my mouth, but comes at the price of destroying the flavor, so gets some points knocked off for that detrimental side effect.

Whereas the last "healthy" probiotic root beer I tried was an absolute failure on all levels, this one at least offers a somewhat pleasant experience. Other than the overly strong stevia influence, I like what the flavors are doing here. Yes, it could use a little more rooty sassafras taste and veers more towards a vanilla caramel flavor in the aftertaste, but overall I enjoyed this flavor blend that was hidden underneath. I think this is a good choice for those that are looking for very low sugar alternatives. If you're okay with the stevia taste, then adjust my rating accordingly as that was the main factor for my lower score. Absent that sweetener, this might be a mid to high "B" rating instead. I wish they'd offer this same blend with a cane sugar sweetener, as I think I'd really like it.

Rating: D+
flavor: D+
aftertaste: C+
sweetness: D+
smoothness: C
carbonation: D

Olipop classic root beer

Background information: (from the website) "OLIPOP tastes like the soda you grew up sipping, but with the added benefit of microbiome and digestive health support. With plant fiber, prebiotics, botanicals, and a touch of magic, we made soda healthier AND more delicious!"

"Our botanically driven Root Beer marries a classic bite with a creamy sweetness with extracts of sweet birch, smooth-vanilla bean and naturally sourced burdock root. We recommend pairing it with your favorite ice-cream."

(from the can): "We've spent years crafting a drink that;s as good for your digestion as it is delicious. OLIPOP combines the benefits of prebiotics, plant fiber and botanicals in a sparkling tonic that supports your microbiome and benefits digestive health."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured for OLIPOP Inc., Oakland, CA 94610. 35 calories, 2g sugar. Contains 3% juice. Aluminum can. www.drinkolipop.com

Ingredients: Purified water, OLISMART (Chicory Root*, Jerusalem Artichoke*, Kudzu root*, Cassava fiber, Cassava syrup, Marshmallow root*, Slippery Elm bark*, Nopal cactus*, Calendula flower*), Apple juice, Organic Root Beer Flavor extract*, Stevia*, Burdock root*, Pink rock salt, Vanilla bean essence, Sweet Birch*. *extract 


My thoughts: Okay, I'm feeling adventurous. Not only is this not a bottle, but it hits all the buzzwords: Prebiotics; botanicals; plant fiber; digestive health. Seems like it could be a perfect pairing with my avocado toast. I jest. Sort of. Avocado toast is tasty.

Okay, this is an interesting mix of flavors. I can tell it's a root beer, as it has some of the classic sassafras rootiness, but there are a lot of other competing flavors. A lot of the flavors I can't identify, as they are way outside my normal wheelhouse: Cassava, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, Kudzu root, etc (see the ingredients list above and most of those I have never had before). These flavors do lend a slightly "healthy herbal medicinal" sensation to the flavors, and I'm not entirely sure I like it. Vanilla is somewhere in this mix and I can taste it a little. The worst offender is probably the stevia, of which I have never been a fan. The stevia lingers strongly in the aftertaste, making me regret this drink.

With my first swig, the carbonation wasn't too bad. Weak, but okay. The effervescence quickly dissipated, leaving an almost entirely flat drink. (note: I had purchased this once before and only noticed it was past it's "best by" date after trying it and discovering it was totally flat, so I dumped it out. Giving it a chance with a newly purchased, fresh can, it seems that being flat is just how this drink rolls.) It's hard to judge smoothness in the near-complete absence of carbonation, but there is a sense of some creaminess. Sweetness is awful, not due to the texture, but the fact it's primarily sweetened with the awful stevia sweetener. Gross.

So this was an absolute failure as a root beer, or even as a moderately drinkable beverage. There is so much going on flavor-wise, with a few hits but mostly misses. I get that this is supposed to be a healthy alternative to regular soda, but they certainly didn't do a good job of convincing me that they are a viable competitor with my regular, not-at-all healthy, root beer. I had a hard enough time finishing this one can and certainly won't be consuming this again.

Rating: F
flavor: F
aftertaste: F
sweetness: D-
smoothness: C-
carbonation: F

Oak Creek root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Through a decade long journey, the team of Master Soda Craftsmen at OAK CREEK cultivated a unique process in which traditional sodas can be delivered in multiple varietals through time honored barrel aging techniques. This passion project was inspired and influenced by the rise of the barrel aged culture of wine, beer, and spirits. For the soda connoisseur with an eye for innovation and a thirst for a unique drinking experience, OAK CREEK Barrel Aged Sodas represent the next evolution of craft soda.

OAK CREEK uber-premium Root Beers are hand-crafted in American Oak barrels with a medium char which increases the oak’s influence on the color, aroma, flavor, and overall style. Naturally flavored and made with real sugar, each small batch of OAK CREEK Root Beer spends no less than ONE YEAR aging in the oak so that the full benefits can be drawn out and delivered to your glass."

(from the bottle): "Barrel aged root beer is a traditional root beer turned upside down. Well, more like turned on its side and the aged in a medium-charred American Oak barrel. We're paying homage to the original soda fountains while elevating the process for the next Millenium. Share your vintage!"

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Oak Creek Barrel Aged Sodas. 150 calories, 41g sugar. Glass bottle with pry off top. www.oakcreekbarrelagedsodas.com

Ingredients: Water, sugar, natural & artificial flavor, caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.


My thoughts: Oak Creek's sodas are what they call "barrel aged." I'm not sure what exactly barrel aging is supposed to do to a soda, but I imagine it's supposed to impart a woody flavor to the drink. *Or are barrels made of plastic and metal these days? I'm hoping for a woody, earthy drink and am very curious what I'll find: pure marketing hype or something new and interesting?

First off, the flavor is a little weaker than I usually like. Not terribly so, but the sensation that there could be a bit more rooty sassafras flavor was the first thought in my head. This was followed by me noticing a flavor profile that I couldn't place. Not being a drinker of other "barrel aged" beverages, perhaps this is the note that wooden barrels impart upon their contents. I like it, as it gives a subtle taste that sets it apart from the usual root beers. In a blind taste test I wouldn't note it as a wood flavor, but it does have a "natural" sort of inclination rather than the synthetic. The aftertaste is just a slow fade of the passable, but not entirely exceptional, root beer flavor. There's a very tiny hint of wintergreen and maybe a little anise.

Moving on, the carbonation is a little disappointing. It's ever so slightly on the flat side, though not too detrimentally so. This might just be because I prefer more aggressive carbonation, as others may find it perfectly serviceable. As such, it's fairly smooth to drink, but lacks a certain creaminess that the finer root beers possess. Sweetness-wise, I thought it seemed to leave a little more of a sugary coating than usual, so I was surprised to look at the nutrition facts and see that it actually has a little less sugar than the average. It's not cloyingly sweet and, like the carbonation, would likely not even register to the casual root beer drinker that it was any different than normal.

As I look at each individual trait, it seems like a fairly disappointing root beer. But somehow the parts add up to one that exceeds the sum of the parts. I liked it pretty well. Perhaps it's the illogical part of me that enjoyed the novelty of the "barrel aged" flavor that is imparted to it, causing me to forgive the shortcomings in other areas. Whatever it is, while I wouldn't heartily recommend this as a top choice, it's one that I would recommend trying and one I wouldn't mind revisiting again in the near future.

Note: after drinking the root beer I read the label which reveals that the root beer is "aged in a medium-charred American Oak barrel."

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