Hank's root beer

Background information: (from the website) "The Hank’s Beverage Company is a privately held, Philadelphia based Company, with a history in the beverage business that goes back over 40 years.  Hank’s Root Beer  was first introduced in 1996.  Hank’s initial success was in the restaurant trade in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Consumer demand drove expansion into all types of accounts, from chain and upscale restaurants, to deli’s, supermarkets chains, and hotels.  Currently, Hank’s is a national beverage company producing products on the east and west coast,  as well as the mid west.  Hank’s offers a full line of  gourmet flavor premium beverages, and is sold in over 40 states in every region of the nation."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured by Hank's Beverage Co., Trevose, PA 19053.  180 calories, 44g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  www.hanksbeverages.com


Ingredients: Filtered carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, natural and artificial flavor, sodium benzoate (to protect flavor), yucca extract, citric acid and acacia.


My thoughts: The bottle looks like it would provide a thick, hearty root beer and that is exactly what this drink delivers.  It has an interesting and strong root beer flavor, with some sort of taste that I can't quite identify and maybe some vanilla.  This is one smooth drink, with an aftertaste very similar to the initial flavor, but extremely creamy feeling, as if there were a layer of cream left behind on my tongue.  The extra creaminess helps this root beer to go down extremely smoothly.  While I don't specifically taste wintergreen, there seems to be a slight minty-cooling effect going on as well.  I've read some other older reviews on this root beer and they complained of way too much wintergreen and a syrupy consistency.  It seems Hank's has significantly reformulated since then, as they replaced the HFCS with cane sugar (making it pleasantly sweet without being syrupy) and turning the wintergreen down so far that I'm not even sure if it is there any more.  Carbonation is dialed in just right, providing just the right amount of crispness without leaving any hint of soda water flavor.  With all the root beers I've been drinking lately, usually by the time I've finished off a bottle I've had enough.  After drinking down this one, however, I wished I had another bottle because I wanted another!


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

White Rose root beer

Background information: (from this website) "Galco’s White Rose soda brand pays homage to the history of the Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood in and outside of the bottle.

The re-created White Rose label is based on a 1930s-era label from a water and soda bottling company that began in Highland Park in the early 1900s. The Rose Springs Water and White Rose Soda were bottled up until the late 1960s on Figueroa Street (near Sycamore Grove Park) at the base of the Southwest Museum.  As part of Highland Park’s water legacy, many water companies used the creeks and springs that fed into the nearby Arroyo Seco River. Interestingly enough, North Branch Creek also ran just behind where Galco’s is located today further interlinking these two places and two histories.

Bottled for Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, White Rose Root Beer and Cream Soda are extremely limited editions.  Additional soda flavors will be produced for this new line of “Highland Park’s Own” sodas in the near future."

(also from the website) "White Rose Root Beer is the latest from Galco’s own private line of sodas. Commissioned by owner John Nese – who helped direct the flavor – White Rose Root Beer is a full-bodied root beer with more of a sarsaparilla than sugary finish, which, as John says, will take you back to the “good old days.”

This is a root beer without a foamy top, but rather, a flavor that deliciously lingers in your mouth. Refreshing and satisfying!"


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  White Rose Springs Bottled for Soda Pop Stop.  120 calories, 30g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  www.sodapopstop.com


Ingredients: Filtered Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid, Caramel Color.


My thoughts: I'm having a really hard time nailing down the flavor of this drink.  It has a pleasantly medium root beer flavor, but could use a little more strength.  The aftertaste is puzzling.  I can sense some vanilla in there, but it has something else going on as well (it may be the sarsaparilla taste the company claims).  There is also a hint of the carbonated water aftertaste I don't like.  The sugar content is one of the lowest I've seen so far, but the sweetness feels right on and the beverage feels light and airy. Carbonation is spot on and this root beer goes down smooth.  While I feel that the initial flavor could use some help, and the carbonated water aftertaste could stand some covering up, I like where this root beer is going.  It was a nice and refreshing change from some of the heavier root beers I've been drinking lately.

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

Squamscot root beer

Background information: (from the website) "The Conner family has continued a time honored tradition that dates back to the Civil War.  From the landmark Conner Bottling Works, in Newfields, New Hampshire, the Conner Family has for the past five generations been producing and bottling "Squamscot Old Fashioned Beverages". Known more commonly today as a tonic or soda, the many flavors of Squamscot Beverages has been quenching the thirst of New Englander's for more than one hundred and forty one years."

(from the bottle) "Experience the Past...One Sip at a Time."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Produced by Conner Bottling Works, Newfields, NH 03856.  1-877-4NH-SODA.  ? calories, ?g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  www.nhsoda.com


Ingredients: Pure Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Natural Flavorings, Citric Acid, Clove Oil, and Caramel Color.  Preserved with Sodium Benzoate.


My thoughts: I'm having a hard time finding anything nice to say.  The flavor is uninspiring, with a mediocre-at-best root beer taste.  The aftertaste is strange, with the flavor reminding me of the taste of the wooden sticks that Popsicles come on intermingled with a slightly metallic cooling sensation (possibly an effect of the clove oil?).  Carbonation is piss-poor.  This is one flat drink with only the slightest cues of carbonation.  Yuck.  On a brighter note, the sweetness is good, providing just the right amount without feeling syrupy.  This drink is a mess.  The name of the drink makes me think of a Sasquatch that is squatting  and this beverage might be what is left behind on the ground after said Sasquatch has finished his (or her) squatting session.  Squamscot, a good drink you're not.

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

Kutztown root beer

Background information: (from the website) "The KUTZTOWN BOTTLING WORKS INC. has the distinction of being one of Kutztown's oldest continually operated businesses. In 1851, Ed Immel began bottling beverages from an excellent spring near Main St. & Constitution Blvd. until 1888, when he sold the business to Cyrus Rhode and his son John."

(from the bottle - and yes, I spelled it exactly as shown on the bottle) "When you're bad for something mighty good, reach for a foamy mug of Kutztown Root Beer!  Tastes chust like old-fashioned, 'cause you know we make it that way.  Drink 'til you ouch, there's more back."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bottled under the authority of Kutztown Soda works, Kutztown, PA 19530.  160 calories, 39g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top. http://www.kutztownbottlingworks.com/


Ingredients: Triple-filtered carbonated water, pure cane sugar, caramel color, natural and artificial flavo, citric acid, sodium benzoate (a preservative), yucca extractives and acacia.


My thoughts: In life, there are winners and losers.  And then there are those that fall somewhere in between, quickly fading from memory.  That's how I feel about this root beer.  It has a so-so root beer taste, moderately artificial and of average strength.  Hints of additional herbs, spices, or flavorings are completely absent.  The flavor falls off pretty rapidly, with no aftertaste other than a smidgen of soda water flavor.  Sweetness is likewise just as blah and the carbonation, which shouldn't be a surprise considering the precedence set by the other attributes, is perfectly mediocre.  For some reason, all the average plainness adds up to a decidedly less than average experience.  At least most of the less-than-good root beers I've had failed because they were trying to do something different or extraordinary, but it just didn't work out.  This root beer is worse for not even attempting to achieve greatness, instead settling for being a nobody in the world of root beers.

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

Gale's root beer

Background information: (from the website and the bottle) "I love root beer!” While cooking in England some years ago, my root beer sources dried up and I was forced to do without. So I got a little brown terrier puppy and named him Rootie. When Rootie and I got back to the United States I started making my own root beer to serve in my restaurants. Now I’m pleased to present my best batch ever! Rootie and I know you’ll love it. Enjoy!"

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Distributed by Gale's Bread and Butter, Inc., Riverwoods, IL 60015.  160 calories, 41g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top. http://www.galegand.com/


Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, natural and artificial flavoring, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives.


My thoughts: Not a very root beery taste, but is an interesting mix of flavors.  The initial flavor has slight root beer connotations, with some ginger mixed in, giving a subdued taste that lacks some of the punch I prefer.  The aftertaste is equally downplayed, with the ginger giving way to the vanilla and cinnamon.  While I would have preferred a little more strength, I really ended up liking what the cinnamon brings to the table.  Sweetness is perfect and didn't leave a sugary residue in my mouth.  Carbonation, like the flavor intensity, could stand to be dialed up a notch.  Or two.  Overall, I wish I liked this root beer better.  I enjoy the different elements it brings to my palate, but they are lacking in intensity, especially the root beer flavor.  This drink is an interesting departure from the usual mix of flavors, however it didn't really blow my skirt back.  Not that I wear a skirt.  But if I did it would be called a "kilt" and it still wouldn't be blown back by this root beer's taste.

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

Thomas Kemper root beer

Background information: (from the website) "The first Thomas Kemper Root Beer was brewed by Andy Thomas and Will Kemper (local Northwest beermeisters) back in 1990. They wanted to serve a cool alternative to beer at their Oktoberfest celebration. It quickly became so popular they had to invent Novemberfest. Now you’ll find Thomas Kemper all over the West (and everywhere else if you look hard enough) – thanks to a lot of great stores and restaurants that share the best of taste."

(from the bottle) "One honey of a Root Beer.  This wonderfully rich and complex Root Beer was first brewed for our company Oktoberfest back in 1990.  It quickly became such a hit that we invented Novemberfest."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured by Thomas Kemper Soda Co., Portland, OR 97208.  160 calories, 40g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  www.tksoda.com


Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, maltodextrin, honey, caramel color, natural flavor, sodium benzoate (for freshness), gum acacia, phosphoric acid, salt, and vanilla extract.


My thoughts: As a kid, I remember watching the movie The Goonies and being incredibly jealous of the Asian kid with his bed that made itself.  Mix that in with his automated punching glove and oil-slick shoes and you have an incredible childhood idol!  Alas, unlike Jonathan Ka Quan, there's nothing too incredible to see here with this root beer.  There is a pleasantly strong root beer flavor that is nicely sweetened, but not a whole lot else in the flavor department.  No subtle hints of other spices are noticeable and the flavor quickly drops away, leaving virtually no aftertaste.  Despite the higher level of carbonation (one of the highest I've sampled to date) and the absence of aftertaste, there is not a hint of the dreaded 'soda water' flavor.  Interestingly enough, the carbonation seems very intense on the front of my tongue, but quickly smooths out. This is probably one of my favorite root beers as far as carbonation goes, both in its initial strength, lack of soda water flavor, and how quickly it becomes smooth, as highly carbonated beverages can feel harsh on the throat.  It's too bad that in all other aspects, it's just a mediocre root beer.


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

Olde Rhode Island molasses root beer

Background information: (from the website) "“Take a look at this! This whole empire started in a backpack!”…that’s what an old high school friend of Real Soda’s founder Danny Ginsburg said when he visited the central warehouse with his wife and baby recently. And in fact... what is today perhaps unquestionably the most substantial purveyor of glass-bottled soft drinks in the USA had its origins with a bottle cap collection, a dream, and a desire and drive of immense proportions which all synergized to create the magic which is REAL SODA IN REAL BOTTLES.

"Real Soda" is essentially a name that was coined by original partakers. The concept of Real Soda was conceived in the 1980's by Ginsburg who had been collecting bottle caps since he was four years old and who could not accept the invasion of cans and plastic to the detriment of all of the great sodas that had once been available."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bottled by Empire Bottling Works, - Bristol, RI for Real Soda In Real Bottles, Ltd.  170 calories, 46g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  www.realsoda.com


Ingredients: Natural artisan spring water, made with 100% cane sugar, natural and/or artificial flavor extracts, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preservative).


My thoughts: Upon catching a brief whiff of this root beer, I was excited.  A whirlwind of root beer scent indicates a thick, full bodied root beer beneath.  Alas, I was quickly stricken with disappointment, for beneath this brew's powerful facade lies something else all together.  The initial root beer is great and powerful, but as soon as the drink rolls off the tongue, in a flash, the curtain is pulled back to reveal that Oz the great and powerful is neither one nor the other.  The instant this root beer is swallowed, the flavor vanishes and is replaced by the dull taste of soda water, with just the weakest hint of vanilla.  It's sad, really, as the flavor is excellent (it would be better if it stuck around longer), the amount of carbonation is perfect--the bubbles dancing a little "Lollypop Guild" jig down my tongue--and it exudes a sweetness worthy of Glinda herself; yet the briefness of the taste makes it hard to recommend.  If you ever find yourself with a bottle of this, try tossing Toto's "Africa" on the record player, pull on your ruby slippers (c'mon guys, I know you secretly have a pair) and clicking your heels together three times and maybe a better root beer will appear.  At the very least, you'll provide some entertainment for your peeping Tom neighbor as he watches you through his binoculars while wondering why you are dressing in girls clothing and doing such a silly dance.


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