Bottle and Label: Bottle is clear and very plain with no raised lettering. The label is well done and attests to the simple, old fashioned nature of this brew.
Ingredients: Carbonated water, sugar, natural and artificial flavor, caramel color, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as preservatives and citric acid
Smell: Medium strength, very traditional root beer smell
Carbonation: low level of carbonation that makes the drink very smooth
Color: When poured in a glass the root beer has an almost coffee dark color
Head: a good head of foam when poured into a frosted glass
Flavor: Taste is smooth and not overly sweet thanks to the use of real sugar instead of corn syrup. No bitter aftertaste in this brew. Slightly sweeter than some other brews. This could be due to the lack of extra spices. I personally prefer this more classic root beer flavor. This would be a great root beer float brew.
Conclusion: This brew gets high marks from me for not trying to be something it is not. It says on the bottle that it is “An Original American Classic” and the flavor agrees. This is not the root beer that is going to win awards in tasting contests because of its complex flavor, but more often than not we just want something that tastes good. Goose Island Root Beer definitely tastes good from beginning to end.
RBR’s Grade- A-
Agree on all counts. A superb Root Beer. There aren’t many available here in Wales, so finding this one online at http://www.root-beer.co.uk was a huge stroke of luck. I haven’t looked back!