welcome to anthony's root beer barrel! here anthony reviews root beers, birch beers & sarsaparillas, randomly rambles about the topic and probably some more stuff. so check it all out, feel free to comment on reviews or rate brews yourself.

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Killebrew Root Beer

April 17, 2008
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 6:06 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: MN Obtained in: bought from company
Head: Small Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup, honey
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.killebrewbev.com

when i was a kid i had a few of these books with all sorts of interesting and fun real baseball stories, mainly about players from the 1960s and earlier. Dizzy Dean, Willy Mays, Babe Ruth and so on. i very much enjoyed these books at the time although now i recall pretty much none of it. currently i play a pretty good amount of fantasy baseball, i think i have 8 teams this year. the point is i know that Harmon Killebrew played baseball but that is about the extent of my knowledge on the fellow. i have a feeling he was a catcher but that could be all wrong.
in any case, his son makes this stuff along with 2 other flavors that sound quite tasty indeed, honey cream and honey lemon. they all proudly display a big graphic on the label telling the consumer that they feature Wisconsin grown honey. now, i suppose honey must be grown, sort of, but it is more made i would think. although “grown” sounds much better and more natural than “made,” especially in regards to honey creation. yet the thing that bothers me more is that high fructose corn syrup is a higher ingredient than this honey they proclaim so proudly. i do taste a little bit of a honey thing happening here but it is quite subtle.
the taste of this soda is slightly bitter, alright on the whole but definitely not a great thing. i would not recommend this soda to someone visiting me or asking what to drink. it is mediocre. oh well.
Anthony’s Rating: 65
Your Rating: 76
# of ratings:5

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Chuck Wagon Diet Root Beer

April 8, 2008
Filed under: diet root beer reviews — anthony @ 6:39 pm
Type: Diet Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: PA, online Obtained in: mailorder from company
Head: Medium Sweetener: sucralose/splenda
Caffeine: No
Website: http://chuckwagonsoda.com

at last, the final offering from this company! well, besides their non-root/birch beer or sarsaparilla offerings, obviously.
i don’t think i should have reviewed this soda today though. my tummy was already feeling a little weird and diet soda causes such things to happen out of no where on its own anyway. oh well, too late to turn back now i guess! carry on anthony!
as with many diet sodas, this seems alright for about a second, but then it is vile and i must rinse my mouth out to get rid of the awful awful, terrible aftertaste. there must be a word for that taste but i don’t know it. it is not the metallic taste which i sometimes get, it is worse.
it seems that diet root beer has an entirely different flavor that it is shooting for for whatever reason as many of them taste similar but not very much at all like their full-sugar brethren. and i don’t like that diet root beer flavor, whatever it is supposed to be.
this is ok, if you must drink diet. if you can have regular soda, just do it and walk a little to burn those extra calories, this is not really worth it.
Anthony’s Rating: 27
Your Rating: 100
# of ratings:2

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Chuck Wagon Birch Beer

March 31, 2008
Filed under: birch beers reviews, diet birch beer reviews — anthony @ 5:59 pm
Type: Red Birch Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: PA, online Obtained in: mailorder from company
Head: Medium Sweetener: sucralose/splenda
Caffeine: No
Website: http://chuckwagonsoda.com

and now it is time for the sampling of the birch beer! hooray! i do so enjoy a good red birch i must admit. probably not as much as a good clear birch, but still a very good amount. i hope this one lives up to the other sodas in their line which i have tried so far.
hhhhmmm, i do like it OK but it does fall a little short. the flavor has a hint of wintergreen but otherwise i don’t taste a lot here. it may be another case of the crazy amount of carbonation hiding the actual flavor of the beverage though. plus there is something weird about the taste that is there and an after taste, like it has an artificial sweetener. let me see… oh crap, there it is: sucralose! i assumed this had sugar like the other two varieties i have sampled. so i suppose this is a diet beverage. there is no nutrition information anywhere though to confirm calorie or carbohydrate content. isn’t that illegal or something? curious… well, anyway if it IS indeed a diet drink, it is not bad. but if it is not, it is just OK. i would think they would label it as diet if it was, or maybe they think it stacks up with full sugar brands of birch beer. it does not so much but is a valiant effort nonetheless.
i am a bit sad, i thought this would be the best yet in the Chuck Wagon line. alas.
i just can’t get past that aftertaste, it wrecks it for me. i take a swig, it is decent and then i type a little bit and the aftertaste kicks in and i go “bleeeeh” and people look at me funny and i pretend nothing happened.
Anthony’s Rating: 67
Your Rating: 1
# of ratings:1

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Chuck Wagon Root Beer

March 22, 2008
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 1:16 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, fountain, On Tap
Available: PA, online Obtained in: mailorder from company
Head: Medium Sweetener: cane sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://chuckwagonsoda.com

ah, so i just had to review this one next as i was just oh so curious how this stacked up against their sarsaparilla. if i was really wise and had a good chunk of free time i should have done the reviews back to back i suppose. but i did not, so hopefully this will suffice. as it is only actually one day later, no matter when i actually post this review, i don’t think that is so bad really.
ok, yeh, this is definitely different. it is not nearly as strong and hearty and powerful of a presence in your mouth. instead they have upped the creaminess factor. i can definitely see how this is more of a “root beer” where the sarsaparilla is pushed more firmly into that camp. indeed. this soda i could just drink down, it is smooth, somewhat refreshing but still very good. the sarsaparilla is much more a soda i would drink slowly, taking my time with it. it commands your attention, this can be ignore somewhat, but if focused on you realize it is very tasty. i don’t like the root beer quite as much, but it is definitely better than the majority of sodas out there in the root beer realm. and i suppose i should know. well, at least i should know what i think, i have no real idea what others will think. another fine brew by the Chuck Wagon peoples! nice work on that.
Anthony’s Rating: 92
Your Rating: 96
# of ratings:8

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Chuck Wagon Sarsaparilla

March 14, 2008
Filed under: sarsaparilla reviews — anthony @ 1:59 pm
Type: Sarsaparilla Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, fountain, On Tap
Available: PA, online Obtained in: mail order from company
Head: Medium Sweetener: cane sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://chuckwagonsoda.com

i happen to come upon this brand in my relentless web searches for new sodas i have not tried. let me tell you though that it is such a wonderful feeling to actually find a new brand, never mind a brand that makes root beer, birch beer, sarsaparilla AND diet root beer, let alone one from which i can mail order all or any of these things. so it was an exceedingly happy day when i came upon this company’s website!
i really like the concept of this company too, they seem to have this mobile soda fountain on a wagon which they take to various events. plus they sell the whole set up to other people who want to do the same. although, to me, it seems rather hard to transport a chuck wagon with all of this stuff, it must not be so bad really.
so how is it you may ask?
the answer, dear readers, is “really stinkin’ good!” the flavor is very full and up front and strong but not overwhelming. it starts a little sharp, then the sweetness comes in with the root flavor and finally that fades into a licorice taste. i quite enjoy this and am glad i got a couple of bottles of this. i am very curious how the other sodas are and if they are all that different from this one. i mean, if i were to guess, i would call this a root beer, not a sarsaparilla, but it is a tough call.
Anthony’s Rating: 93
Your Rating: 83
# of ratings:7

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Foodtown Old Fashioned Root Beer

March 7, 2008
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 4:31 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: NJ Obtained in: Foodtown in Point Pleasant, NJ
Head: Large Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.foodtown.com

when i was but a young lad i used to ride my bike, basically every day, to the Foodtown in the next town over with my best friend. we would get a drink there as it was the only place near by with a water fountain. sometimes we would get a bottle of soda or something even. but mainly we would sit on this planter thing under an overhang area in the corner of the building. sometimes i would ride my scooter there instead and do tricks on the planter. then one day it got taken over my Kings and took out the water fountain. so it was not the same at all anymore. this has nothing to do with this soda except for maybe the fact that i stumbled upon this over New Years as there are no Foodtowns near me anymore. which is a slight problem as i need to get another bottle of this for an upcoming trade. well, i will find it.
so anyway, i have a feeling this is made by one of the vanity labellers as it seems to be their bottle style and fonts, but there is no credit on any of that sort of thing so i will treat it as different and new.
i like the graphic design of this a lot, very cool and retro and fun, which i think is what they were going for here. the rest of the flavor line up has the same label just with the flavor line changed, so i approve of that.
the soda itself though is mediocre. i mean, it is fine just nothing special. it is very creamy but otherwise lacks a lot in the taste category and that is what really keeps people coming back and buying more. well, at least for me. i suppose i can detect a little bit of the traditional root beer flavor but i feel like it is more a mouth feel thing here than the actual taste. it is a creamy, smooth yet carbonated thing. it is though better than their canned offering, so definitely chose it above that if it comes down to such a choosing.
Anthony’s Rating: 70
Your Rating: 0
# of ratings:0

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Vermont Sweetwater Rugged Mountain Rootbeer

March 3, 2008
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 6:28 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: VT, online Obtained in: mailorder
Head: Small Sweetener: dehydrated cane juice
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.vtsweetwater.com

ooo, wow, a clear root beer! i don’t think i have had one of those since i had the Snapple Tru Root Beer many years ago. but i am sure i am forgetting something so feel free to correct me if you know better. oh wait, that Tommy’s Naked Soda root beer is clear i do believe. indeed, the ole memory is slowly gearing up again
i have enjoyed several other sodas from this company and i think they are the only ones to make any sort of rhubarb soda, which is a big plus in my book.
i also like the fact that this stuff is quite natural, just water, evaporated cane juice, spices and natural flavors. although that last part could be almost anything, what is not natural somehow? even chemical flavors have to be made from stuff you got in nature at some point. there is no where else to get stuff, at least that i know of. i am curious where that line is between natural and artificial. so yeh…
i have been taking drinks from this bottle for the past 20 minutes or so and i seriously think i have been duped. this is a ginger ale, not a root beer. now i like ginger ale and ginger beer quite a bit. if i were to create a companion site to this one it would probably be for ginger beverages. this very much reminds me of Regatta Ginger Beer in fact. but it is certainly not a root beer. but then again, i do enjoy root beers that don’t taste like traditional root beer, ones that take a chance and go in an unusual direction. going in the direction of putting a root beer label on a ginger ale is a different concept, sure. it tastes of ginger, has a very pleasent sweet taste, decent carbonation level that is not overwhelming but still makes me burp afterwards.
hhhhmmm, this is a challenge indeed, how do i rate a beverage that is tasty yet not really a root beer? i suppose if it is good i should rate it as such, i don’t take off points for other sodas tasting different. alright, well, just be warned that this is a bit unique, ok?
Anthony’s Rating: 82
Your Rating: 59
# of ratings:2

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Waialua Root Beer

February 26, 2008
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 7:01 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: CA, HI, OK, online Obtained in: mailorder from popsoda.com
Head: Small Sweetener: cane sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.waialuasodaworks.com

now this soda right here i got just before christmas this year. i had ordered two cases of mixed sodas in glass bottles in flavors i thought my dad and my girlfriend’s dad would enjoy. since they also had a couple of sodas that i myself had never had, i also ordered those. it had not seemed worthwhile to order 3 or 4 bottles of soda by themselves as the shipping costs were crazy, but this way it was more palatable. i ordered with plenty of time to spare i thought, mid-November, with a note that i needed them for christmas so if anything was out of stock or delaying it in any way, let me know and i would pick something else. about three quarters of a case arrived very quickly after that. it included one of the one for me, Frosty Vanilla Root Beer. i expected the rest to come soon after, but they did not. i emailed them a few times with no real response, called and was told to email. eventually i got a reply that two of the other sodas for me were holding it up so i said to just ship what they got! and they did, just in time. anyhow, the point is that this soda was in that second shipment i got. i really have no good idea how long they had it for, but i knew some of the other sodas i have gotten recently were over a year old so i did not get to this one until now. which is not so bad at all i don’t think.
now i will warn you that i have read a couple of other reviews of this soda and the experts seem to think it is watery and not so good, so i was sort of dreading that. i mean, this is my first soda from Hawaii, i hoped it was good! and you know what? it is pretty good. granted it is rather candy-like but i do enjoy candy. the cane sugar here is very good, i enjoy the unique taste it gives to a drink. yet, that is the majority of the taste present here, just a sweetened liquid. yes, there is a little more to it and it is not your standard “root beer” taste so i applaud them for that. i don’t think i would say this is watery, it is pretty light though, so maybe it is just a difference of grammer here. so i do like this but wouldn’t go to Hawaii to get it. maybe if it were only 20 miles away though i would.
Anthony’s Rating: 71
Your Rating: 85
# of ratings:4

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Columbia Soda Works Sarsaparilla Soda

February 20, 2008
Filed under: sarsaparilla reviews — anthony @ 5:48 pm
Type: Sarsaparilla Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: CA Obtained in: mail from company
Head: Small Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.columbiasodaworks.com

wow, so that sidebar “sodas i need” thing really is working! a wonderfully friendly gal from Columbia Soda Works contacted me and offered to send a bottle my way for review, so terribly kind! of course i mainly forgot about it, partly since i just have no long term memory it seems and partly since people have promised to send stuff in the past and it only actually happens about half the time. so when this did come in the mail i was slightly confused until i checked my “root beer” email folder and refreshed my memory on the origin of this bottle.
wow, i think in the past i have had maybe 10-15 sodas with non-twist off caps but there have been at least five in the past month! wacky stuff. i suppose i could have added that as an attribute in my database but there is no real reason people would want to know that i don’t think, besides whether they will need to pack a bottle opener if they happen to bring the brew on a picnic or something. yet, i would think the target audience of most sodas is the under-18 demographic, most of which would not have a bottle opener on their person. yet perhaps microbrewed sodas appeal more to the older audience who just might, or else at least would enjoy this beverage in their home which has a well stocked kitchen including many bottle opening devices.
let me try this soda, ok?
whoa, holy licorice spider-pig! my gosh, that is so much of the flavor! mind you, this is not a bad thing, i like licorice, luckily for Columbia Soda Works. the licorice/anise taste seems to be one of the biggest distinguishing things between what makes something a root beer versus a sarsaparilla. no, this is not always the case at all, but more often than not, sarsaparillas have a licorice taste. besides that, the taste here is good, sweet let with a little bit of a bitter bite to it, which may be the licorice again. it is hard to ignore that aspect of this drink.
i applaud this company for going all out with the licorice taste, it distinguishes this pop, yet i think it might be too much for some people. those people though are not reviewing it right now and i think it is pretty tasty! although it is not something i would crave all the time, much like candy licorice, it is something i think i would really want sometimes.
the carbonation and foaming levels are pretty low, which is ok by me although i do enjoy the look of a good head on my soda pop. not that that really affects the taste or anything anyway.
i do wish they would not use high fructose corn sweeteners but i do understand the financial pressure to do so.
Anthony’s Rating: 88
Your Rating: 100
# of ratings:2

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Villa Pizza Root Beer

February 12, 2008
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 5:46 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI Obtained in: Villa Pizza location in Port Authority, NYC
Head: Small Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup, sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.villapizza.com/villa-pizza.html

this is not to be confused with the UK Villa brand stuff, which is vile and should be avoided at all costs. no, this is from the Villa Pizza places in NYC. I got this bottle in the Port Authority location. now i have no actual idea if this stuff is available outside New York City or even outside of this one location. it is not on the website’s menu. i suspect it may be some sort of vanity label thing going on here since i have seen exactly the same label on another soda with “Villa” replaced by something else. i do not recall what it was right now so that is really no help i guess.
this is a rather unusual bottle here, much shorter and bit stouter than the usual 12oz glass soda bottle. i am not complaining, just noting it.
the flavor is a bit better than i would have expected from a pizza place’s soda. i suppose i am prejudiced but one would think the soda would be much more of an after thought, just something to take a swig of after a bite of a slice or whatever and not something one would concentrate on or try to make good. but this is pretty good. i am not saying it is spectacular but it is better than the usually available pizza place fare, A&W or Barqs in a plastic bottle. again i do hate that they do the “high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar” thing here but we have been through that before i guess. i enjoy the flavor here, a little bit of spice kicks it up just a little bit from your run of the mill soda. it is also quite sweet so if that is not your scene then skip this one. i definitely will get it again if i find myself in a Villa, instead of the predictable drinks they have otherwise. or maybe i will try their custom lemonade next time.
Anthony’s Rating: 78
Your Rating: 25
# of ratings:1

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