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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Old Original Levis Root Beer Soda

November 24, 2002
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 2:58 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: NJ, PA, online Obtained in: from rootbeerstore.com
Head: Large Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://elliottsamazing.com/champ.html

funny that this is available so close to me AND by mailorder direct from them and i had no idea until just now. i ordered it from the root beer store. anyhow, this has a semi-bitter taste to it and reminds me very much of some black cherry sodas. indeed… it has a cherry taste almost, not really so much root beer even. weird since this company makes a cherry soda too. maybe some leaked or something… don’t get me wrong, it is good and definitely a different flavor than other root beers, but i almost hesitate to call it a “root beer.” but then i think of all of the other crappy stuff that is labeled as such by the likes of Journey and Virgil’s and so on and i am ok with this. now i know sort of where to find it, so i will have to seek it out.
Anthony’s Rating: 84
Your Rating: 49
# of ratings:10

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Steelhead Original Spicy Draft Root Beer

November 11, 2002
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 2:57 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle, On Tap
Available: CA, OR Obtained in: from company
Head: Small Sweetener: cane sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.steelheadrootbeer.com

very kindly, this company had 3 bottles of this stuff hand bottled just for me to try! wow. it is really just sold on tap in the Steelhead brewpubs. anyhow, it is quite yummy. it has a subtle anise taste to it and something else making it oh so slightly bitter while still being slightly sweet. it reminds me (strangely) of a really good root beer barrel candy i had once, only not as sweet. they tell me adults prefer this formulation and i would definitely see why, with the bitterness and all. more of an adult type drink. but good. definitely good. distinctive too.
Anthony’s Rating: 91
Your Rating: 84
# of ratings:18

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Harpoon Brewery Vermont Draft Root Beer

November 11, 2002
Filed under: root beer reviews — anthony @ 2:52 pm
Type: Root Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: MA, VT Obtained in: by Mike M in MA
Head: Medium Sweetener: high fructose corn syrup
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/

my buddy Michael got this for me, i am guessing in Vermont. it has a wacky little zing to it, let me check the ingredients again… ah yes, anise & cassia. i don’t think i have ever had any soda with cassia, that is definitely present here. but something else is there too and not the anise. oh well. it is rather sweet and on the whole, not bad at all. that little bit of spice sticks on your tongue for just a second then it disappears and you wonder if it was ever there at all.
Anthony’s Rating: 85
Your Rating: 83
# of ratings:73

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Hosmer Mountain Birch Beer

November 11, 2002
Filed under: birch beers reviews — anthony @ 2:47 pm
Type: White Birch Beer Comes In: 12oz glass bottle
Available: CT, online Obtained in: mail from rootbeerstore.com
Head: Small Sweetener: corn sweetener, cane sugar
Caffeine: No
Website: http://www.hosmersoda.com/

clear birch beer, rockin! about what i expected from it too. which is pretty good as i expected a slightly wintergreen birch beer. sadly though, the wintergreen is a little TOO slight for my tastes, leaving it with not much other taste. just becomes slightly sweetened water to me by the end. which is kind of unfortunate as i had high hopes for this. oh well, can’t win em all.
Anthony’s Rating: 69
Your Rating: 81
# of ratings:18

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