Saranac 1888 Root Beer

I acknowledge that this is a somewhat far reach of a review as the recipe has only changed very slightly. but when it is quite difficult to get new sodas to review, I take what I can get at this point. I have a lot of very good memories of Saranac root beer. when I was in college in the Hudson Valley it was the most unique and local root beer we could find, so us kids who did not drink would go get a six pack or two on the weekends to consume and be nutty about. this was before I even started this website but definitely it was instrumental and influential in the decision to begin finding new brews and write about them. granted back then I probably should have been much more wordy and descriptive of the drinks, but it was a learning experience. with all that I actually have not had this brew in probably twenty years at least, very possibly more. so I am kind of curious how it will stack up these days, even with the recipe change.
yeah, it is still very good. just a pretty standard flavor but they do it almost perfectly. they balance many aspects in a great way. it is creamy and smooth but not overly so. it is sweet but not sickly sweet. the carbonation is just right too, adding to the taste and experience without overwhelming it. it also has a very nice mix of flavors, a bit of wintergreen with a nice rooty sassafras edge taking the center stage of the profile. I am very happy they did not change the recipe just for the sake of change and have kept it tasting very yummy.

Anthony’s Rating: 94
User’s Rating: 95
# of ratings:2
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Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), citric acid, natural and artificial flavors