Waialua Root Beer

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
User’s Rating: 75
# of ratings:13
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Columbia Soda Works Sarsaparilla Soda

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
User’s Rating: 94
# of ratings:19
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Villa Pizza Root Beer

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
User’s Rating: 72
# of ratings:5
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Sno-Cap Root Beer

this brew also was discovered in my recent quest to find all of the sodas i could online. at least i think that is how i found it. i very well could be wrong. it was a whole month or so ago so i am sure you will understand that i have forgotten somewhat. i did email a good amount with the brewers though, which was very fun. nice people over there.
yet another non-twist off top! what is going on here?! oh well, no matter. have i mentioned that i love the design of this label? the colors are great, the logo is simple but solid and the cute little penguin on the side saying “It’s Tasty” is just very rad. plus the red cap is different and fun too. nice work on that stuff Titletown Brewing!
i actually am coming to like the non-twist off cap bottles better as they have a much thicker lip and feel more smooth and friendly on my lips. they also seem to make a much better seal so the beverage inside is much fresher this way.
i am happy too that they used sugar here instead of corn in any form, so plus points for that right there!
there is something about the flavor here that strikes me the wrong way. perhaps it is just this bottle, i will have to check the rest of the six pack when i get a chance. it has a slight bitterness that i am not enjoying. it almost gives me that mouth feel i get from diet drinks, but on a much much smaller scale, a faintly metallic thing. besides that slight kick, the taste here is quite good. you know, some of the times when i take a swig, i enjoy that taste thing, other times, not so much. now that i have finished the bottle, i kind of feel like it balanced out the sweet side with this hint of bitter and that would make it different than most other root beers. i don’t love it but i like it alright.

Anthony’s Rating: 82
User’s Rating: 59
# of ratings:4
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