Lost Trail Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Brown bottle and predominantly brown label that touts the “real sugar” the brew is made with and features a nice little story from the 19th century about root beer.

Ingredients: Filtered Carbonated Water, sugar, natural and artificial flavors,  caramel color, benzoate of soda (preservative), citric acid

Smell: Smell from the bottle is fairly strong with a nice balance of wintergreen and licorice. The wintergreen smell becomes dominant when it is poured.

Carbonation: Medium carbonation that offers a nice bite and mouth-feel without overwhelming the flavor

Color: Dark amber

Head: Very tall and with a nice thick foam that lasts for a long time. This would be an excellent choice for a float!

Flavor: “Well balanced” and “classic” are the words I would choose to describe the flavor of this brew. The traditional root beer elements are all here with vanilla probably coming through as dominant and offering a nice, smooth flavor. There’s no bad aftertaste either.

Conclusion: After the last root beer I reviewed, this was a pleasant surprise. Lost Trail Root Beer doesn’t try and do anything fancy. This is just good solid root beer through and through. The taste is strong but smooth and would be good with a meal, a float, or just to sit and savor after a long day at work. Sometimes a brew gets high marks for succeeding at being different and sometimes a brew gets high marks for doing the classic formula better than almost everyone else. This brew is the latter. Good. Solid. Root Beer. Editor’s Choice.

RBR’s Grade- A- (Editor’s Choice)

Jones Soda Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Clear bottle and silver label. Typical for Jones but atypical for a root beer. There’s nothing particularly special about either

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, inverted cane  sugar, natural and artificial flavors,  caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate (as preservative)

Smell: The smell from the bottle is very artificial. It has a kind of maple syrupy smell to it. Very sweet and even medicinal

Carbonation: Medium-low carbonation that feels a bit flat for this brew

Color: Dark amber

Head: Very tall but fades quickly. Mostly fizz with not a lot of foam

Flavor: Odd. It is kind of fruity with a much stronger cream soda vibe than root beer. Also, it tastes fruity and has a pretty strong medicinal aftertaste.

Conclusion: I gave my wife a sip of this Jones Pure Cane Soda Root Beer while I was writing this review and she said, “That’s not root beer.” I agree. It really does not taste like root beer. Most root beers have at least some commonality in the flavor department. Maybe it’s the the licorice or wintergreen undertones that tie so many brews together. This brew just seems to be doing its own thing and still claiming the root beer label. If you want to try something different, give this a go. If you like your root beer to at least resemble root beer, I recommend spending your hard earned dough on something else.

RBR’s Grade- F

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Cooper’s Cave Ale Company Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Very classy blue and red label with a big dog on it that help this bottle stand out from the myriad of “brown-centric” labels out there

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, cane  sugar, artificial and natural flavors, sodium benzoate, citric acid, gum arabic, caramel color

Smell: The smell from the bottle is very weak and hard to discern. Once poured a licorice smell becomes a bit stronger but it is still very weak

Carbonation: Medium carbonation provides a nice bite from beginning to end. There’s a nice balance between carbonation and flavor

Color: Almost black

Head: Almost no head whatsoever

Flavor: Like the smell, the flavor is not very strong. However, it is pleasant. It has a smooth flavor with some nice vanilla hints. I also think it’s a little sweeter than average. It has a slightly medicinal aftertaste but it doesn’t detract from the overall flavor.

Conclusion: I tend to like my root beer’s to have a pretty robust flavor. Cooper’s Cave Ale Company Root Beer is not exactly robust. The flavor is good but it is just too weak for me. On top of that, the lack of smell really detracts from my enjoyment of the brew. Smell is a big part of enjoying root beer for me so if a brew has a weak or unpleasant smell it really knocks the whole experience down a few notches. That said, if you prefer a brew that is a bit more subtle this might be one you would like.

RBR’s Grade- C+

Frostop Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Brown bottle with a colorful label that touts the foaminess of this root beer and the fact that it has been in existence since 1926

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, corn syrup, pure cane  sugar, caramel color, artificial and natural flavors, phosphoric acid and less than 1/10 of 1% of sodium benzoate to preserve freshness

Smell: The smell from the bottle definitely favors wintergreen and vanilla. The vanilla adds a nice smoothness to the smell. Once poured, a licorice smell become dominant

Carbonation: Medium-Low level of carbonation gives this brew a smooth feeling without being flat. It balances flavor and bite very well

Color: Almost black

Head: Head is very tall, foamy, and long lasting. It went all the way to the top of my frosty mug and took a couple of minutes to completely disappear. If you like a foamy head you’d like this brew

Flavor: Very solid here. It starts out with a very traditional flavor and adds some nice vanilla and honey hints. There’s not a hint of unpleasant aftertaste. Just like the carbonation, the flavor here is very smooth

Conclusion: The hot summer is finally over in Texas. Sweet relief! I don’t know about everyone else, but I love an ice cold root beer on a pleasantly warm day. It lets me enjoy both the weather and the brew. Frostop Root Beer is a winner in every department for me. It has a great smell, a foamy head, smooth carbonation, and a strong flavor with some nice vanilla and honey hints. It might be just a little bit sweeter than most root beers, but it works very well for this brew. If you like a smooth root beer, you owe it to yourself to hunt this one down. I give this one my highest recommendation. Frostop Root Beer is an Editor’s Choice.

RBR’s Grade- A

Baumeister Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Brown bottle and labels that are pretty nondescript. They get the job done but aren’t too exciting

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, caramel color, artificial and natural flavors, citric acid and gum acacia, preserved with sodium benzoate

Smell: Strong wintergreen smell from the bottle with a bit of a licorice hint as well. The licorice smell becomes more pronounced after being poured

Carbonation: Medium-High level of carbonation. A little more bite than most but not enough to hide the flavor. Overall, a good balance between carbonation and flavor

Color: Almost black

Head: Medium head that is lightly foamy and disappears quickly after being poured

Flavor: A very nice traditional root beer flavor here. Nothing fancy just straight up root beer with the traditional wintergreen and licorice flavors being very dominant. There’s also a strangely sweet aftertaste that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s almost like ginger but I’m not certain. It adds a nice bit of complexity to a pretty standard brew

Conclusion: As I am drinking this Baumeister Root Beer it is 103 degrees outside. Anything cold and carbonated tastes good in this heat. Okay, I jest, there are still some things that are terrible. However, even if it were the dead of winter this would still be a good brew. It’s got a nice traditional flavor with just enough complexity to help pull it above the mainstream root beers. The strong flavor would make this one a great pick for enjoying with a Labor Day BBQ. Go grab this one if you can find it. It’s tasty!

RBR’s Grade- B

So Duh! Rockin’ Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Brown bottle and a bright yellow label make this an easy one to spot on a crowded shelf. Kudos for going with something other than the traditional brown label

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, cane sugar, alfalfa honey, natural flavors, sodium benzoate, phosphoric acid, natural vanilla

Smell: Very strong wintergreen smell from the bottle. Almost like wintergreen gum. There are also some slight vanilla hints from the bottle. The smell becomes strongly medicinal when poured

Carbonation: Medium carbonation offers a nice balance of smoothness and bite

Color: Very dark amber

Head: Very short to the point of almost being negligible. The head it does muster sticks around for quite awhile

Flavor: The only word I can think to describe the flavor is “odd.” It is slightly medicinal but lacks the traditional licorice and wintergreen elements that are usually found to some degree in most root beers. In fact, this tastes more like a bad Coke knock off than root beer.

Conclusion: So Duh! Rockin’ Root Beer is decidedly not “rockin’.” This is perhaps the most un-root beer root beer I have tasted yet. It has a great smell, but the flavor totally misses the mark. The more I drank of it, the more convinced I became that it reminded me of a Coke knock off. It’s a shame because I was hoping for something more with the name of this brew.

RBR’s Grade- F

Gray’s Gourmet Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Brown bottle and a label that attests to the maker of this root beer having been around since 1856. Nothing too exciting but it works

Ingredients: Carbonated Water, cane sugar, malt dextrin, citric acid, natural flavors, caramel coloring, and sodium benzoate

Smell: Strong wintergreen smell from the bottle with a nice hint of licorice to balance it out. The licorice smell becomes stronger after it is poured

Carbonation: High carbonation gives a nice bite from beginning to end and manages to do it without overwhelming the flavor

Color: Almost black

Head: Short but pretty foamy and lasts for quite awhile

Flavor: This brew has a very strong traditional flavor. The licorice and wintergreen are dominant with licorice being the strongest flavor. The strong flavor works well with the heavy carbonation and there is no bad aftertaste

Conclusion: Gray’s Root Beer is another robust root beer. It has a strong smell and a strong flavor. If I could think of one word to describe it I would use, “refreshing.” This is a perfect root beer for a hot summer day. In fact, as I’m drinking this it is upwards of 110 degrees outside and so I am finding it particularly enjoyable. This is a perfect summer brew and the strong flavor would make it a great compliment to a meal.

RBR’s Grade- B

Tower Root Beer

Bottle and Label: The brown label and brown bottle blend together and make this one pretty hard to distinguish on cooler shelf full of other root beers

Ingredients: Pure Carbonated Water, cane sugar, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness)

Smell: Strong, mostly medicinal smell from the bottle. When poured the dominant smell is licorice

Carbonation: High level of carbonation gives this brew a pretty hefty bite from the front to the back of the mouth. This is more in line with “mainstream” root beers like A&W than a pretty smooth brew like Weinhard’s

Color: Almost black

Head: Very tall. I couldn’t pour the entire bottle into my frosty mug without stopping. The foam dissipates quickly

Flavor: Strong licorice flavor is definitely dominant here. The high level of carbonation can make it hard to discern other flavors. There is also a persistent medicinal aftertaste that is not particularly enjoyable

Conclusion: Tower Root Beer is a root beer that has a strong smell and a strong flavor. Unfortunately, the flavor also comes with a pretty strong medicinal aftertaste and a large dose of carbonation that makes it impossible to discern any nuances in it. That said, if you like a root beer that could best be described as “robust,” you should probably give this one a shot.

RBR’s Grade- C

Thomas Kemper Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Nicely designed bottle that clearly states the brand and beverage. I tend to prefer simple bottle designs and this one gets it just right

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

Smell: Robust wintergreen and vanilla smell from the bottle with a nice licorice smell coming through when it is poured

Carbonation: Medium-low level of carbonation gives this brew a smooth feeling without being too flat

Color: Dark amber

Head: Extremely tall, foamy, and long lasting. I could not pour the entire bottle into my frosty mug without stopping to let the foam go down a bit. Even more than two minutes after being poured the head was still nice and foamy

Flavor: Nice, smooth flavor with honey and vanilla being dominant. This is also a nicely balanced brew with the flavors coming together nicely for a pleasing overall experience. There is also no bad aftertaste

Conclusion: Thomas Kemper Root Beer is everything a root beer should be. It has a great smell, a great head, a wonderful flavor, and enough complexity for even discerning root beer drinkers to enjoy. This root beer should definitely be on your short list. If you find it somewhere, don’t hesitate to pick up a bottle and give it a try yourself. This brew earns a coveted “Editor’s Choice” award and a regular place in my fridge.

RBR’s Grade- A-(Editor’s Choice)

Caruso’s Legacy Robusto Root Beer

Caruso's Legacy Robusto Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Brown bottle with a fairly nondescript brown label

Ingredients: Filtered Carbonated Water, pure cane sugar, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, maltodextrin, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preservative)

Smell: Strong licorice smell from the bottle with hints of wintergreen

Carbonation: Low level of carbonation. This brew is very smooth but also just a bit flat for my taste. A little more carbonation would be nice as there is almost no bite

Color: Dark amber

Head: Very tall, very foamy, and very long lasting. This is one of those brews that I had to stop pouring or it would have spilled out of my frosted mug

Flavor: Excellent traditional root beer flavor. It has the licorice and wintergreen that are staples of classic root beer flavor. It also had just a slight hint of vanilla. This brew tastes good from start to finish with no bad aftertastes present anywhere

Conclusion: Caruso’s Legacy Robusto Root Beer is a perfect brew for those who value a smooth, classic root beer. If you find yourself consistently liking root beers that go light on carbonation this root beer should be on your short list. The combination of a pleasing smell, well balanced flavor, and a very foamy head would make this a great pick for a summer BBQ or just a great any time root beer.

RBR’s Grade- B+