Product details: 12 fl. oz. Dist. & sold exclusively by Aldi Batavia, IL 60510. 40 calories, 5g sugar. Aluminum can. https://www.aldi.us
Ingredients: Water, Organic Water Kefir (Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Kefir Culture), Organic Agave Inulin, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Root Beer Flavor (Water, Organic Caramel Color, Organic Gum Acacia, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid), Organic Stevia, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Monk Fruit Extract, Tartaric Acid, Sea Salt.
My thoughts: I'll admit that I'm not generally a fan of prebiotic sodas. But I saw this root beer and figured that it needed to be added to my reviews, so I bought a can (from my local Aldi's).
Taking a whiff of the just cracked can, it smells like an ordinary root beer. Taste, however, is completely different. Okay, I guess not completely different, as there are some rooty undertones, but the overall flavor is kind of a fruity...something. It doesn't really have a specific fruit flavor so much as it creates an impression of the fruitiness without being a definite flavor. I know that may not make a whole lot of sense, but that's the impression I get. It's not a particularly pleasant flavor, but it's not gag inducing. The aftertaste reveals a little hint of the root beer undertones and some wintergreen or some such mint along with some vanilla. At this point, not having read the ingredient list yet, I suspect the fruitiness is monk fruit, which is often used as a natural sweetener (edit: monk fruit confirmed on the list).
One thing this gets right is the carbonation. While not the really aggressive bubbles I love, it's probably more along the lines of what the average person prefers, a suitably prickly experience that doesn't necessarily dance on the tongue. To go along with that, I feel like it has a decently creamy sensation, going down nice and smooth. As for sweetness, I don't like the flavor monk fruit imparts as a sweetener, so am marking the sweetness down as a negative due to the influence on the flavor profile.
Alright, so as a prebiotic soda, this isn't a terrible drink by any stretch. But as a root beer, it's just not good, falling well below the average tasting root beer. This might be a decent option for those trying to drink healthier beverages, though I'm sure that -as in many things- the health advantages are overstated. I'd rather just eat healthier in general and mix in good tasting root beers in moderation instead.
Rating: D-
flavor: F+
aftertaste: D
sweetness: D
smoothness: B
carbonation: B+
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