Mercury Brewing Company Birch Beer

well, if you have to explain that something is soda pop on the label i become slightly wary. the obtaining of this soda was quite a journey too as my friend roberta drove me to several stores which were supposed to carry it but only one had the birch beer and none had the root beer. oh well, next time i go to boston, which is next week anyhow! so anyway, this is not good at all. slightly bitter and that is about the only taste. i like the label and all but this is not a good soda. not offensively bad either, just a slightly more tasty seltzer. actually if you like that weirdo seltzer taste but toned down, you will like this as that is exactly what it tastes like.
Anthony’s Rating: 35
User’s Rating: 68
# of ratings:8
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Bulldog Handcrafted Root Beer

so this root beer IS actually bottled and distributed in Oregon but you can get it in the Bulldog brewpubs too. it is slightly strange that there are 3 different sweeteners but whatever. in any case, this is an excellent soda. creamy, smooth, sweet with a hint of honey. actually i think it is one of the only brews that pulls off having honey in it well. i love honey but often it comes off as almost rancid. not here though at all. it tastes fresh and good. wow, this may just be one of the best root beers i have ever had! i think someone has at last dethroned Boylan’s Creamy Red at the top spot. whoa. not overly carbonated or too foamy or anything of the sort. i have to try this in a frosted mug, the next bottle is dedicated to that task. so get this if at all possible. now to try and arrange some sort of daily delivery for me!
UPDATE: word is that this WILL soon be distro’ed nationally! hoorah!!

Anthony’s Rating: 96
User’s Rating: 87
# of ratings:419
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AJ Stephans Pure Cane Sugar Birch Beer

ok, so this is the final AJ Stephans product i know of. although i have a feeling there is a cooresponding “Olde/Old Style Birch Beer” out there somewhere. (does anyone else find it odd that the Sarsaparilla is “olde style” while the root beer is “old style?” at least keep the “o” or drop it consistantly.) ok, so anyway.. my first reaction to the initial sips i took was “yum, this is good, subtle birch-ness, not too fizzy” but that sometimes fades too soon. after a few more sips it seems to have accumulated on my tongue enough that the taste sticks around. and you know what? i like it a lot. crisp, refreshing, sweet but not insanely so. a hint of mint that, if anything, is a little TOO subtle. but defintely one of the better birch beers i have had

Anthony’s Rating: 90
User’s Rating: 75
# of ratings:21
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AJ Stephans Pure Cane Sugar Sarsaparilla

ok, continuing the AJ Stephans experience… sadly i drank the “Olde Style Sarsaparilla” several months ago so i cannot compare back to back as i did with the root beers. oh well, i will trust it is different even if the ingredients are identical. it smells darn good i must say. i think it suffers from the same problem as the cane sugar root beer though as it is extremely carbonated. the cane sugar is more evident here though. it has a decidedly “rooty,” herbal taste. which is ok but not the best. and it is leaving a bad aftertaste now that i am about 75% done. decent but not really something i want all the time. mediocre at best even by the time i finish it.
Anthony’s Rating: 64
User’s Rating: 82
# of ratings:19
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AJ Stephans Pure Cane Sugar Root Beer

ok, so someone wrote to me and told me where in Boston to get the other AJ Stephens sodas, so my good friend Michael went there one day and got a whole slew of em for me! this is a pretty tasty soda but the carbonation is overpowering. my mouth tingles so much that i am barely able to taste the flavor of the soda. it has a slight bite of bitterness and you can faintly detect the cane sugar taste. i am enjoying it but it is not the best thing out there. perhaps the non-cane sugar one is better. i will soon see…

Anthony’s Rating: 85
User’s Rating: 79
# of ratings:22
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AJ Stephans Old Style Root Beer

ah, yes, now i am seeing… i actually am unsure if this is different than the soda above but they were sold at the same store so i don’t think it is just a repackaging. but they do have the same ingredients and the same UPC code so maybe… ok, taste em and see anthony! nope, they are different for sure. this one has a foam that disappates much more quickly. the taste is different too. not as overwhelmed with fizzyness, one can taste the brew a bit more. there is a slight anise taste here also i think, not as strong as the sarsaparilla though. still a worth brew though.

Anthony’s Rating: 88
User’s Rating: 81
# of ratings:23
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