Bottle and Label: Brown bottle and brown label make this thing east to get lost in a crowded cooler (or fridge for that matter)
Ingredients: Sparkling filtered water, evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, bourbon vanilla extract, anise, sarsaparilla, licorice root, birch oil, wintergreen oil, caramel color, phosphoric acid
Smell: Very strong wintergreen smell from the bottle with some hints of cinnamon and licorice. The smell gets weird after being poured and almost smells sour
Carbonation: Very low level carbonation. I like a smooth root beer but this one tastes too flat
Color: Dark brown and fairly translucent
Head: When I first poured it looked like it was going to come out pretty flat but the head ended up being nearly as tall as my frosted mug. It has the longest lasting head of any brew I have seen. I think I’d be sitting here all afternoon if I waited to drink it until the head dissipated
Flavor: The strongest flavor is vanilla with some licorice undertones. There also seems to be some honey flavorings present. The flavor is pretty smooth but when combined with the lack of carbonation it just really comes off flat. Plus the sour smell really makes it painful to get my nose anywhere near the beverage
Conclusion: Natural Brew Draft Root Beer is the definition of falling short of potential. It has all the right ingredients but they are just not combined into a compelling beverage. I usually like a smooth vanilla favoring root beer but this one just tastes weak. Combine that with the strange sour smell and this brew is one that likely won’t be in my fridge again. Too bad because I like the idea of a brew made with mostly natural ingredients.
RBR’s Grade- D
