every once in a while i try to search online for sodas i know are out there but which i seem unable to obtain. occasionally i actually find a place that sells them. that was the case for this. and for a whole mother load of other offerings by Reading Draft when i came upon the Shady Maple Gift Shop! they had six (6!) sodas that fall within my wheelhouse of reviewing! wow. granted i had had 2 of those before, the white birch and the root beer, but still, i didn’t even know they MADE a red birch, or, that a Blueberry Birch Beer existed in the world!!! what?! do i have to create a new category for that?! probably not.
whoa! now THIS is what i have been waiting for! after many mediocre or unexceptional drinks, i have found a truly different but still incredible one!! hooray! it is indeed creamy! it is indeed very red! this may in fact pass Boylans on the creamy red birch food chain. i know, nuttiness is ensuing right here, right now, just as Jesus Jones predicted! i suppose Pennsylvania should have the best birch beers, but NJ reigns supreme otherwise.
as with other red birches, there is a hint of wintergreen, instead having a more creamy, full bodied flavor. it is sweet enough and the real sugar makes it not as syrupy sweet as corn syrup sweetened drinks. the carbonation level is a little strange. when i opened the bottle, it bubbled over and overflowed on my mouse but now there is very little foam or even carbonation in general. that is my one qualm with this, i’d like a bit more carbonation. otherwise it is a very exceptional beverage. i am sad that the sampler pack only had one bottle of this. alas. well, Reading is not that far from me, road trip for the family!
Anthony’s Rating: 98
User’s Rating: 94
# of ratings:4
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| Type: | Red Birch Beer | Comes In: | 12oz glass bottle |
| Available: | PA | Obtained in: | mail order from Shady Maple Gift Shop |
| Head: | Small | Sweetener: | cane sugar |
| Caffeine: | No | ||
| Website: | http://www.readingdraft.com | ||
Ingredients: triple filtered carbonated water, pure cane sugar, natural and/or artificial flavors, caramel color, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness)
Wow! I’m drinking this one right now and I can definitely say that it’s the best Reading Draft beverages that I’ve tasted so far. It has great carbonation, a great smooth flavor, no overkill mint flavor. It lacks a little punch, but it’s still great. I think it might outdo Boylan’s red birch, but it’s still a possible toss up. I give this one a 90.
Ok…so this website http://www.readingdraft.com/ just tried to load malware on my computer! Watch out!