Hippo Size Burley Birch Beer

this brand is another vintage brand resurrected and recreated by Orca Beverages. the label claims “since 1927” but i am not sure how much of that time this drink was actually produced. or even if they made a birch beer back then. it is possible, but i doubt it, especially for a brand from San Antonio, TX. are there even birch trees in Texas? i don’t know.
now, i think of hippos as big, stout beasts. so something hippo size would be big and squat and burly. this is a short squat bottle so i suppose it sort of fit part of it. a big bottle would have been a nice feature, something like Sprecher does. but i am sure that would be more costly. so instead they just proclaim “small bottle, BIG taste” thus moving the hippo size-ness to the taste and not the container. fine, whatever. i do like the design work pretty well though. the almost stenciled looking hippo yelling or yawning with its big mean teeth coming at you is fun. it is simple, 2 colors. i don’t like that this is in a brown bottle either. it was almost at the end that i even realized that this a red birch. i want to see that redness on display!
the initial taste here is very good, lots of wintergreen. i am all “YUM!” then it fades slowly into a more syrupy taste that reminds me of marshmallows somehow. my mouth feels all smooshy and soft. it is not really a vanilla flavor, it is more a sugary thing, perhaps a little bit fruit-punch like in it stickiness. i do enjoy it as i enjoy most at least average birch beers. yet the taste is not standing out for me. it is just fine and it works. it is a standard birch beer which is fine but i want something that stands out or else does the standard a little better.

Anthony’s Rating: 80
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Ingredients: carbonated water, cane sugar, natural and artificial flavors, white birch extract, citric acid, sodium benzoate (a preservative)