Boylan's Creamy Red Birch

Who Made This Stuff? Boylan Bottling Company

Website: www.boylanbottling.com

Where’d It Come From? Cost Plus World Market, Kennesaw, GA

Review Date: 8/31/09

Commentary: I picked up a strong wintergreen aroma when I opened the bottle. It did produce a decent head when poured, although it did not hang around too long. It has an equally strong wintergreen taste there in the first few sips. As I would expect from a birch beer, it greets me with a sharp bite. I can’t pick up any creaminess in there, as I think I should expect based on the name. If there is some “creamy” in there anywhere, it is overpowered by the bite and the carbonation. I do not detect anything in here that could be tied to the red coloring though, considering the coloring might suggest a hint of cherry or strawberry or some other red fruit. Okay, as the fizz settles down a little bit, maybe I am picking up a little creaminess in there. The ingredient list does include vanilla and vanillin, after all. I have tried Boylan’s regular birch beer in the past and seem to recall that it had quite a bite as well, maybe even more than this one. I think birch beers must be an acquired taste. I am enjoying this one, but I do not think I would want to drink them regularly. I can envision drinking one every so often just to mix things up and cleanse the palate a little bit. On the other hand, if you have a passion for Wint-o-green Life Savers, well then this is the beverage for you. I remember reading somewhere exactly why birch beers have such a distinct wintergreen taste. Oh yes, here it is over on Spike’s root beer site (thanks Spike!).

As far as scoring goes, I really don’t know what to do with this one. It has quite a bite to start out, but it has mellowed out now. The creaminess didn’t really come through until that last few sips. On that basis, I think the name is misleading. However, I did enjoy the brew, and I do like Boylan’s overall. I think they have some very good sodas. The bottle gets good marks, too. With the raised lettering and the classic style of the painted label, I think it just looks cool. This is the first birch beer I have reviewed, so I do not have any others with which I can compare it. Therefore, I have to hold it up against root beers in general. On that basis, which may or may not be considered fair, I will give it a score of …………………………80.