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+

Rogue Soda root beer

Background information: (from the website) "In 1987, some like-minded Rogues had an idea to start a “Brew Pub”. The next year, a Revolution in beer began in the basement of the Rogue Public House in Ashland, Oregon. The Brewery and Pub opened in October 1988 with the brewery housed beneath a 60 seat Pub. The first beers brewed were American Amber and Oregon Golden."

(from the bottle) "Crafted with all the care that goes into our ales and brewed with Rogue Farms Honey, Rogue Root Beer is a complexly delicious experience with a creamy texture, caramel richness and a rush of vanilla. Join the revolution in our fight against root beer "blandification"."


Product details: 22 fl. oz.  Brewed & Bottled by Rogue Ales, Newport, OR 97365. 150 calories, 40g sugar.  Glass bottle with pry off top.  http://www.rogue.com (21+)


Ingredients: Water, Brown Sugar, Root Beer Flavor, Sarsaparilla Flavor, Rogue Farms Honey, Wild Flower Honey, Sparking Foam, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid.


My thoughts: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a group of rebels stole the plans to a giant bottle of root beer. I kept putting off buying this, because it's one of the more expensive bottles of root beer I've come across, even when considering the greater than normal amount of rooty contents. At the price I paid, I hope this doesn't end up being the Phantom Menace of root beers (not that I ever wish for that, even on lower priced ones). I'm hoping for more Empire Strikes Back at this price point.

The bottle proudly proclaims that it's made with "Rogue Farms honey", and I can say with a certainty that I can taste it. Alongside that, the other sweetener is brown sugar, which adds a very unique flavor. There are a lot of spices going on with the root beer flavor, with anise lending a strong licorice taste to the concoction. A bit of vanilla sticks around, with the aftertaste being a vanilla/licorice mix. I'm not normally a fan of black licorice, but strangely don't mind it in this drink. There must be a little wintergreen in there, even if I'm not tasting it specifically, as the back of my throat has a cooling sensation that's usually indicative of some sort of mint.

As mentioned above, sweetness is achieved through both brown sugar and honey, lending the sweetness a new feel than I've had before. I like it. The carbonation bubbles are not very large, but they offer a sufficient amount of kick without feeling aggressive. I like a little more aggressiveness, but others may prefer the more subtle carbonation. As such, it's pretty smooth feeling without coming across as flat, but could stand to be creamier.

This is a whole new root beer flavor experience, one that I'm really enjoying. I do wish there was a little less anise, as I found the black licorice taste a little overpowering, possibly hiding other subtleties that might otherwise present themselves. While not one of my very top root beers, I highly respect the direction they took this drink. If you're ever looking for a bit of a different, but still pleasant, root beer experience, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one. In the end, it came across more as a Return of the Jedi, a solid effort that could have done with a little less Ewok.


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