Root Jack Orange Flavored root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Welcome to the Interport home of RootJack, the Pirate's most delicious alternative to the bane that is known as Scurvy!

Rest ye squiffy boots and hear the tale of Cap'n Astrea Valentine and her magical elixir what kept the crew healthy and n'er put one foot in the locker.

Rootjack will not only balance out yer four humors, you'll step lively and spot futher than ye even thought possible. Thar's power in this draught.

RootJack's a tasty Root Beer with a hint of Orange flavor and Vanilla, Guarana to liven yer step, and a full daily dose of Vitamin C to keep scurvy in check.."

(from the bottle) "A tasty Root Beer with a hint of Orange flavor, Guarana to liven yer step, and Vitamin C to keep scurvy in check."

(note about website info): while the website ingredients show "high fructose corn syrup" and also proclaims that no preservatives are used, the actual bottle label lists "sugar" as an ingredient as well as "Potassium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (preserves freshness)," which are both preservatives, so I suspect the web info must be out of date.

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured for VooDoo Elixers, Inc, Mishawaka, IN. 190 calories, 47g sugar. 100% Daily Recommended Value of Vitamin C. 120mg Caffeine. Glass bottle with twist off top. www.rootjack.com (root beer site) www.PVKII.com (tie in with a video game). Not recommended for children, pregnant women or those sensitive to caffeine. 

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Quillaja, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Caffeine, Potassium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (preserve freshness), Potassium Citrate, Caramel Color, Guarana Seed Extract, Calcium Disodium EDTA.


My thoughts: Yarrrrr! What be this draught of root beer? When me pirate crew needs a kick in the seat o' them britches, an energy drink they demand! Will this elixir ward off the scurvy, or tis it fit only fer them lily-livered landlubbers? We shall see if this earns its spot on me crew, or gets sent straight to the plank.

What an interesting concoction they have made. I can certainly taste the orange and there's some root beer flavor to it as well, but there's a good reason the two flavors are not typically mixed. While not awful, I don't think they are very complimentary flavors (and I really like orange vanilla coke, so I'm okay mixing orange with other flavors). Perhaps the problem lies not in the mixing, but in the base root beer taste. The drink has one of those slightly sour hints at first and I'm not a fan of the sour root beers. That sourness lingers around as the aftertaste leaves a very basic root beer taste that clashes with the orange. The aftertaste texture isn't too bad, as the taste fades away to a creamy, slightly vanilla, sensation.

When I think of pirates, I think of the high energy attacks on their enemies, with pirates swinging to and fro, leaping from banister to banister. Well, unfortunately the carbonation reminds me more of when they're in the middle of a large, empty ocean with the bright noon-day sun overhead, as the crew lounges around in the few spots of shade, the ship slowly lolling over gentle waves, rocking everyone to a lazy slumber. More directly to the point, the carbonation is weak, offering very little pizazz. In hand with this, there isn't enough carbonation to create a froth or creaminess to the drink, though there are hints of creaminess as part of the aftertaste, likely due to the quillaja in it. Not only does it betray me with little carbonation, but I'm left with a slightly filmier sugar feel in my mouth, with a touch too much sugar for my taste.

Shiver me timbers, this here root beer is goin' to walk the plank. It's got no sea legs and has no place on any self-respecting pirate ship, other than to ward off the scurvy. Alas, I be sending this one down to Davy Jones's locker. 

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

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+