Abita Root Beer

Bottle and Label: Traditional brown bottle with a label that is not very distinguishable because the border of the label is also brown. The label touts that it is made with “pure Louisiana cane sugar” and the lid touts that it is brewed in spring water.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, root beer flavor, phosphoric acid

Smell: Strong traditional smell from the bottle. It has a strong licorice aroma and also a bit of sweetness to the smell that I have not noticed from other brews.

Carbonation: A good bit carbonation throughout. It is noticeable from the tip of the tongue to the back of the mouth. However, this brew does a good job of not letting the carbonation overpower the flavor.

Color: A very dark brew that is almost black in color.

Head: Medium head the dissipates quickly after being poured.

Flavor: Abita Root Beer has an interesting flavor. At first it tastes just like an average root beer, but then as it is swallowed and hits the top of the mouth there is a distinct sweetness to the flavor that is not present in other brews that I have tasted. It’s almost like there is just a hint of honey but it is so light that it is hard to distinguish. That hint of honey keeps this root beer from having a bitter aftertaste that I believe it might otherwise have had and helps set its flavor apart from other brews.

Conclusion: Abita Root Beer is a generally solid brew. The only place it is really lacking is the quickly fading head. The flavor of the brew, while very traditional, contains just a hint of honey that causes it to stand out from the merely average brews. I also like how this brew was able to step the carbonation up a bit without losing flavor. If you like a brew with some bite, you should definitely check out Abita. Also, if you like your root beer with a bit of honey flavoring, Abita would be a good one to try. Overall, it is easy to recommend this brew.

RBR’s Grade- B+