Review Date: 11/15/11
Commentary: I was fortunate to find this brew in an ice cream shop in Coronado, CA on a recent business trip. They actually had about 6-7 different kinds of root beer in the cooler, only one of which I had tried before. Since it was my last night in town I only bought two bottles. This review is for the first of those two bottles.
This brew had a nice traditional root beer aroma when I first opened the bottle. A nice sweet and spicy smell. It produced a decent head when I poured it, considering I was having to make due with one of the glasses in my hotel room rather than a pint glass or a mug. I was able to chill the glass though, so that definitely helped. The head was a nice dark color, and the remnants hung around for a good while around the edge of the glass. That's worth a few points in my book.
The first sip was a pleasure. This brew has a nice bite but it makes a quick transition to smoooooooth. There is a little bit of spice to start but it dissipates nicely, giving way to a creamy, sweet finish. I really like this one. Really. Nothing too complicated or fancy here. Just a great root beer.
The carbonation is just about right. The medium-sized bubbles linger for quite a while. After several minutes, when I poured the remainder of the bottle into my glass, it produced another head. I don't know about you, but to me,that's a sign of good carbonation.
I have to throw in a few extra points for the cool label, too.
Originally, I hadn't planned to drink the whole bottle since I have that other brew to drink this evening as well. This was too good, though. I had to drink the whole thing. I think you would do the same thing if you ever found yourself in the same position.
Did I mention that I really like this one? Well, I did. A lot. Therefore, I'm pleased to grant this one a score of.....................................91.
Now, what about you? Have you ever tried Capt'n Eli's? What did you think?