Ramblin' Maple root beer

Background information: (from the Monarch website) "A quick history of Ramblin' Root Beer. Following its introduction in 1979 Ramblin' became one of the most popular root beers in America.

The vintage brand's first commercial featured a cameo by a young Sarah Jessica Parker, and the accompanying jingle, "Ramblin' Root Beer's something more!" would be in the minds of Americans for years to come.

Today, with a lineup of new flavors and fresh, new package designs, the best root beer is back and brought friends along to remind the passionate fans what they've been missing."

So yeah, the website is pretty light on information. Not the worst I've seen (there have been some extremely sparse websites), but very basic.


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bottled by Rocket Fizz under the authority of The Monarch Beverage Co., Inc. Atlanta, GA 30326. 150 calories, 37g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top. www.rocketfizz.com


Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Color, Potassium Benzoate (as preservative), Natural Flavor, Quillaia Extract, and Phosphoric Acid.


My thoughts: Having reviewed the regular Ramblin' root beer in the past, I'm curious to see if any of the basic traits remain, as that one had a very strong vanilla, but slightly watered down sassafras rootiness. This one, however, adds maple and is bottled by Rocket Fizz, rather than directly by Monarch Beverage.

Well, in the place of vanilla this one has an extremely strong maple taste to it, just like maple syrup. Following in the footsteps of the regular Ramblin' root beer, the sassafras flavor is fairly weak, perhaps exacerbated by the overwhelming strength of the maple. The flavors are somewhat complimentary, so it's not like the two are battling out in the flavor arena with two completely different taste directions in mind, so it works, but I'd call this a maple flavored soda first and a root beer second. There still is vanilla in there, with it being noticeable both in the initial taste as well as the aftertaste. The rootiness becomes pretty thin feeling in the aftertaste, again, just like the original Ramblin'.

I'm going to be lazy with this next part, as my previous review holds true for this one as well: Sweetness is pretty good, though perhaps a tad on the sugary side, as it leaves a moderately stronger than usual sugary feel in my mouth. That sensation is odd, seeing as how it has less sugar (37g) than the average root beer (generally 40-45g). Carbonation is decent, with a very fine bubble structure that doesn't prick the tongue. I wouldn't mind a slightly more aggressive effervescence to it, but it certainly isn't flat. As for smoothness, this is one of the creamier root beers, likely aided by the inclusion of quillaia extract, which usually lends a hand in this regard. It goes down nice and smooth.

So, my final thoughts. It's pretty good (better than I had anticipated after catching my first whiff of the super-maple scent) and an interesting flavor addition, but as a root beer, it feels like it's more of a maple soda than a root beer, so my scoring takes that into account with it tasting good, but not necessarily being a great root beer. I'd certainly drink it again and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it if you're in the mood for maple. If you are really craving root beer, perhaps look elsewhere.


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

Ozark Mountain Bottleworks root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Ozark Mountain Bottleworks, Inc. was started in 2009 as a way to share our unique recipes."

"The OZMB team is comprised of the mother and daughter combo of Debbie Walters and Tina King. Tina’s husband, Chris King, is also a joint owner in the company. The OZMB team brings together years of business experience and an entrepreneurial spirit to form a company based on family values and community involvement."

"Our Root Beer is handcrafted with 100% pure cane sugar. It is designed to highlight the classic flavors of Root Beer and Sarsaparilla to create a unique taste unlike anything else on the market."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Ozark Mountain Bottleworks, Branson, MO. 160 calories, 30g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top. www.ozmb.com


Ingredients: Carbonated Spring Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color, Quillaja Extract, Phosphoric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).


My thoughts: With a lower than average sugar content, I'm curious to see how this root beer turns out. I'm always happy when I see quillaja as an ingredient, as I know it'll have an excellent creamy sensation, so hopefully this one doesn't let me down. Okay, time to drink!

The root beer flavor is strong with this one...but in a generic way. It has a strong sassafras taste, but seems to lack most of the usual spices that add variety. Oh yeah, except the "punch you in the face" wintergreen, which almost overwhelms the rest of the flavor. There might be other things going on in their mix, but I can't taste it over the mint, which becomes even more pronounced as an aftertaste. While I don't mind a mintier aftertaste and I like a little wintergreen, this one is too much for me. If you're a wintergreen fan, this might be the root beer you're looking for.

Carbonation is nice, with smaller feeling bubbles that provide just a little bit of sting. It seems to be fairly consistent through drinking the whole bottle, only slightly lessening in strength as I reached the bottom. The quillaja extract makes for a nice, creamy sensation, helping it to feel smooth and frothy. Sweetness is spot on, which comes at a bit of a surprise with only 30g of sugar instead of the 40g or so in the average root beer. It doesn't leave my mouth feeling overly syrupy or sugar coated.

While the flavor is pedestrian and too minty for my taste, I like what Ozark Mountain Bottleworks is doing with the other aspects. They certainly nailed the carbonation, smoothness, and sugar, but those aspects are overshadowed by the taste. I'd like to see what they could do with better proportioned ratio of the spices they use. Alas, I don't think this will be one I'd make the effort to buy again.


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

Stubborn classic root beer

Background information: (from the website) "To create something great, you've got to do it the Stubborn way. That's why our sodas are made with no artificial sweeteners, no arificial colors, and no high fructose corn syrup. We also use natural flavors and fair trade certified cane sugar to create only the best products."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Manufactured by Stubborn Soda, LLC, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. 100 calories, 25g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top. www.stubbornsoda.com


Ingredients: Carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, natural flavor, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), phosphoric acid, purified stevia leaf extract, citric acid, calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor).


My thoughts: I'm a little apprehensive about any "low calorie" root beer, but at least this one is a split of good ol' regular sugar and stevia, instead of just the latter. I've had sodas sweetened by only stevia before and they were downright terrible. With only 33% less sugar than the average root beer, I'm hoping this isn't complete garbage.

My initial impression is pretty positive. This root beer has a nice, strong rooty flavor with a lot of vanilla; typically something I enjoy. And I have to admit, I like it, but can tell the taste isn't quite right. Where the flavor starts to break down is the aftertaste, as the flavor quickly fades and the dreaded stevia taste becomes noticeable, but never overbearingly so. It's certainly there, but doesn't completely ruin the root beer. I think the lingering vanilla helps to cover it up. Though the longer I let the aftertaste sit, the worse it becomes as all the other flavors fade away and leave a more noticeable stevia taste behind. As far as root beers in general go, it's not beating out everybody due to the stevia flavor that lurks beneath the surface, only becoming more pronounced as an aftertaste. As a lower-calorie, lower-sugar root beer, it's probably the best one I've had.

Carbonation is really good, with crisp, biting bubbles. They settle down a bit in intensity by about half way through the bottle, but still leave a little sting. I like it that way. It offers a pleasant juxtaposition with the smooth, creamy body. As far as texture goes, they are doing a lot right with this root beer. Sweetness is my biggest qualm, not because of how sweet it is, but with the side effect the stevia has on the taste. If you don't mind stevia, then this isn't a problem. But for somebody like me that finds the flavor objectionable, it's a bummer that such a great root beer is let down in this way. What I find equally confusing is why they'd do this to the root beer, as that gap between fully sugar sweetened root beer and this Frankenstein's monster of a drink is narrow. There is still so much sugar that it doesn't make sense to use stevia for that last little bit of sweetening. Just go all in one the sugar!

In the end, I wouldn't get this over a run-of-the-mill store brand root beer. Though this has a better initial taste, the aftertaste, with all it's stevia induced baggage, isn't worth it. If, however, you're looking to cut back your sugar intake and the extra 12g and 50 calories is a make it or break it proposition, then this would be the root beer for you. I'd love to see this same root beer formula but with a fully sugar based sweetener. I think it would have a more consistent place in my fridge, if so.


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

Ramblin' root beer

Background information: (from the website) "A quick history of Ramblin' Root Beer. Following its introduction in 1979 Ramblin' became one of the most popular root beers in America.

The vintage brand's first commercial featured a cameo by a young Sarah Jessica Parker, and the accompanying jingle, "Ramblin' Root Beer's something more!" would be in the minds of Americans for years to come.

Today, with a lineup of new flavors and fresh, new package designs, the best root beer is back and brought friends along to remind the passionate fans what they've been missing."

So yeah, the website is pretty light on information. Not the worst I've seen (there have been some extremely sparse websites), but very basic.


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bottled under the authority of The Monarch Beverage Company, Inc., Atlanta, GA 30326, USA 800-241-3732. 150 calories, 37g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  https://drinkramblin.com/


Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Quillaja Extract, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).


My thoughts: Speaking of Ramblin', sometimes I enjoy prefacing my review with a bit of a ramble on a semi-related topic, usually related to the name of the root beer. Now, it might seem questionable to be so verbose when all people are looking for is a simple review about the beverage. I'd like to think that I'm whimsical and charming in my approach, but real life has revealed to me that I'm not quite so appealing and that I mostly come off as annoying in the real world. But what is the real world? Are we a simulation? A three dimensional projection from the two dimensional surface of a black hole? Perhaps we are part of the multiverse, where every possible version of ourselves exists somewhere out in the infinite cosmos. Science has a lot to say about that and...wait...what was I talking about before I started to ramble on about other stuff? Oh yeah, the root beer. So here are my thoughts.

This root beer has a very strong vanilla presence, which I like. It is certainly rooty, with a bit of the classic sassafras flavor root beer is known for, but falls a bit short on strength as that rootiness feels slightly watered down. Are there other flavors in there? Maybe, but the power of the vanilla overwhelms whatever else might be going on. Aftertaste is also dominated by the same.

Sweetness is pretty good, though perhaps a tad on the sugary side, as it leaves a moderately stronger than usual sugary feel in my mouth. That sensation is odd, seeing as how it has less sugar (37g) than the average root beer (generally 40-45g). Carbonation is decent, with a very fine bubble structure that doesn't prick the tongue. I wouldn't mind a slightly more aggressive effervescence to it, but it certainly isn't flat. As for smoothness, this is one of the creamier root beers, likely aided by the inclusion of quillaia extract, which usually lends a hand in this regard. It goes down nice and smooth.

Overall, this is a solid drink. It bests the generic store shelf cans of root beer, even if it does fall short of being one of the better ones. The vanilla makes a good showing, but the rest of the flavors don't pack quite enough punch. I'm sure that somewhere in the multiverse, this is the best root beer there is, and that isn't necessarily a bad place. In this part of the multiverse, however, there is stiff competition and plenty of alternative root beer options I could reach for when choosing a drink.


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

Reading Draft root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Same taste. New times. At Reading Soda Works, we produce 17 delicious flavors that are still packaged in glass bottles and have a true “old-fashioned” feel combined with a Pennsylvania Dutch taste that many appreciate and love. Handcrafting soda since 1921, the business has continued without interruption and has maintained its original location.

In addition to using pure cane sugar and natural ingredients, our sodas are triple filtered and undergo a slow carbonation process before bottling. Unlike many large soda manufacturers that flash carbonate, Reading Draft sodas contain pinpoint carbonation that is absorbed slowly and persists longer, leading way to smaller bubbles that give a smoother mouth feel and more pleasant taste.

Reading Draft is one of the few sodas on the market that employs this carbonation technique. The flavors in our sodas really get to shine and aren’t buried underneath excessive carbonation. When you sip our products, you can comfortably gloat without the bloat!"


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Brewed and bottled by: Reading Soda Works & Carbonics Supply Inc, 614 Gregg Ave, Reading, PA 19611 610-372-2565. 170 calories, 43g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  http://readingsodaworks.com


Ingredients: Triple filtered carbonated water, pure cane sugar, natural and/or artificial flavors, caramel color, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness).


My thoughts: I've been away for a bit, but it's time to kick off my first root beer review of 2018. I like reading and have a fairly large library, so I want to like this drink, as it's named after one of my favorite leisure activities. Alas, upon opening the top, I'm met with a slightly unpleasant smell, one that reminds me of the sickly sweet and sour taste of some of my least liked root beers. The odor did not betray the flavor, as it was exactly what I was expecting. It's more towards the less sour end of the sour spectrum, but still there nonetheless. Yes, it has a sort of rooty taste, but I just can't get past the initial flavor. The aftertaste is slightly improved, as the sourness fades fast, but there's not enough good taste remaining to save it. On the plus side, the sourness lessened as I got to the bottom of the bottle.

Sweetness is decent, but as I mentioned in the flavor, kind of a sickly sweet, so it's not very appetizing. I'm not sure I can separate the actual sweetness of the sugar from the sickly sweet flavor, so it's hard to judge. The intensity of sweetness is fine, but the flavor accompanying it isn't. At this point, however, we arrive at the one bright spot on this blighted drink: carbonation. It has a strong effervescence that tickles the tongue, with the actual bubbles being on the smaller side. While I do like sharp, strong carbonation, this one is strong, but mild (it doesn't bite my tongue). Smoothness is okay, though it's not a particularly creamy root beer.

Oftentimes, when I get one of these sour root beers, I can't help but wonder if maybe the root beer is old or something. Unfortunately, many of the bottles have no "best buy" or expiration dates, so I'm not certain if that's an issue or if a root beer can even expire. Whatever the answer, this was not one of my more pleasant root beer experiences and was a terrible way to kick off my 2018 root beer year. Alas, I'll stick to my reading of books and keep the Reading root beer off of my "things I enjoy" list.

P.S. I often will read other reviews of a given root beer after I complete mine (but not before, as I don't want other opinions to influence my impressions). It turns out that others have reported the same sour, fruity (that word feels like an adequate substitution for the "sickly sweet" taste I mentioned) flavor, so I guess it's not just me.


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

KISS Army root beer

Background information: (from the website) "KISS wants you to join their Army! The KISS ARMY is the legendary and official fan club for the most exciting and electrifying rock band in the world, KISS! KISS ARMY ROOT BEER is loud & Proud."

Product details: 12 fl. oz.  KISS Catalog, Ltd. Under license to Epic Rights. Bottled and distributed by the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Store, LLC. 170 calories, 42g sugar.  Glass bottle with twist off top.  www.RocketFizz.com


Ingredients: Spring water, cane sugar, citric acid, ester gum, caramel color & natural flavors. No preservatives. Flash Pasteurized for Safety.


My thoughts: Another product of the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop people, who manufacture a variety of root beer labels, most of which are more towards the generic end of the flavor spectrum. But KISS is known for rocking sold out stadiums, putting on a show with explosions and fire, and generally creating chaos and commotion. So, will their root beer follow in their footsteps and face paint, offering a raucous experience, or will I get another ho-hum re-label? Let's dive in.

The rootiness is strong with this one, with a very powerful root beer flavor that's strong on the sassafras flavor, though more towards the artificial side, as there don't seem to be much spice action happening. It does have wintergreen, as that is the predominate secondary flavor and the major aftertaste, with some anise hiding underneath.

Sweetness is good, but maybe a bit sugarier than I prefer by just a small amount. The carbonation is nice and strong, though the bubbles must be tiny because I don't feel them bouncing around so much as leaving a bit of a sting on my tongue. I usually like strong carbonation, but this one is a bit more sting and less effervescence. Still, I'll take that over flatness any day. This isn't a particularly smooth root beer, lacking a creamy feeling and the carbonation sting adding some bite.

Strangely, even though I don't love any particular aspect of this root beer, the parts seem to work together decently well, as it's not a bad root beer by any means. In fact, I think I would slightly prefer it to the middle of the road, root beer in a can. But with so many other great bottled offerings, I doubt I'll be seeking this one out again. Oddly enough, if ordering from the Rocket Fizz website, it says, "Due to limitations beyond our control only 1 bottle per order. However if desired, you can place multiple orders." Seems like an odd way to make fans pay a bunch in shipping costs if they want multiple bottles, but hey, who am I to give the multi-million dollar KISS conglomerate business advice when they make more in a week than I've made my whole life?


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

Boots Sarsaparilla root beer

Background information: (from the website) "Boots Beverages was created by Mark Kristen's father, when Kristen Distributing was little more that a Bottling Company. They bottled things like Dr. Pepper, Nesbitt, 7Up, and Frosty root beer. Boots Beverages featured seasonal flavors, similar to craft beers today. People didn't have much in those days. Getting a Dreamsicle or going to the picture show was a highlight of your day, and you talked about it for weeks. In honor of his father and the sacrifices the entire family made to keep the family business afloat, Mark reintroduced the brand, which features flavors that were popular during the 1940's and 1950's. A small way to remember the things that add the greatest flavor to our lives are often simple."

(from the bottle) "Ambrose Kristen - Ambrose voyaged from German to Galveston in the early 1800's. His father lost his life en route , leaving this 16 year old to establish the family foothold. Ambrose, an accomplished wheelright, set up shop on the German Trace near Industry. There, he helped other settlers on their journey to the Texas Hill country. In 1930, Ambrose purchased the Bellville Bottling Works. The honor of his courageous vision is our legacy."


Product details: 12 fl. oz.  Bellville Bottling Works, Bryan, Texas. 170 calories, 43g sugar.  Glass bottle with pry off top.  http://bootsbeverages.com


Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Quillaja Extract, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative).


My thoughts: Though Sarsaparilla has origins in its own beverage originating from the Smilax regelii plant of Central and South America, it too, like root beer, was sold as a medicinal beverage with a similar flavor to root beer. The modern "sasparilla" is now largely artificially flavored and lost the popularity war with its sassafras flavored, root beer counterpart. What does this mean for this "sarsparilla root beer"? I guess I'll see if I can taste anything distinctively different from the other root beers I've sampled.

Well, I'll get straight to the point. I quite like it. It has a pretty tame rooty flavor, but there is a strong vanilla influence to it, and, in a way, reminds me a lot of the butterscotch root beers I've tried. The non-rooty flavors are not subtle and there doesn't seem to be a lot of complexity to it, but it is a nice way to shake up the usual taste. The aftertaste is dominated more by the butterscotch/vanilla flavor, but it does go the slightest bit thin.

Sweetness is pleasant, though may feel a bit on the sugary side as the flavor feels a bit "candy" sweeter, but it's not prohibitively sweet by any means. I think the butterscotch candy flavor makes it feel that way, so isn't directly due to the actual sugar content (which seems to be right on average looking at the 43g on label). Now, the most disappointing aspect: carbonation. While it started off fizzy enough, the bubbles quickly lost their power and by halfway through the bottle, it was downright flat. Now, I've had this bottle sitting around for a little while, so perhaps part of that is age related, but I like my root beers to offer a bit more kick throughout the bottle. Smoothness is nice, as the addition of quillaja extract does it's usual job of creating a creaminess that I always find enticing. I'd be very curious to see how the creaminess would hold up if mixed with a more aggressive carbonation.

In the end, I didn't find anything particularly sarsaparilla-ish about this drink, as it was more of a caramel/vanilla flavor with a little rootiness, so either the artificial sarsaparilla is doing a superb job of approximating sassafras, or the name is just a marketing gimmick. I liked the flavor pretty well, but this drink is seriously hamstrung by the lack of effervescence.


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