Dang! That's Good Butterscotch Root Beer

Who Made This Stuff?           Imperial Flavors Beverage Co., 
                                                               Milwaukee, WI

Website:                                          www.imperialflavors.com

Where’d It Come From?       Mars Cheese Castle, Kenosha, WI

Review Date:                                   9/17/13

Commentary:  I really liked this one's brother, the standard Dang! That's Good root beer, so I'm hoping this one will be good too.  However, I don't really know what to expect here.  What exactly is a butterscotch root beer, anyway?  I'd never heard of this flavor combination until I found this one on the shelf at the Mars Cheese Castle.  Let's open this one and see what it's all about, shall we?

When I opened the bottle and caught the aroma, I immediately detected licorice but then I noticed a very subtle butterscotch smell.  It's interesting that the butterscotch came second.  When I poured it in the mug, it did produce a respectable head (as you can see in the photo) but it just didn't stick around very long.

The first sip, like the aroma, started with the taste of licorice but then quickly changed to the butterscotch flavor which carried through to the aftertaste.  The taste really reminds me of those yellow butterscotch hard candies.  You know the ones...wrapped in the little yellow cellophane wrappers...yeah, those. I wasn't expecting that, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  I was hoping for a more traditional butterscotch flavor.  The carbonation level is good and the bubbles are tiny.

Before I even opened it, I was wondering if this brew might end up tasting more like a cream soda, but it really does try to stick to its root beer roots.  The butterscotch isn't overpowering, but it is certainly present.  There is a small bite to this one right at the start, but it doesn't last long at all and everything quickly transitions the butterscotch candy aftertaste.  The creaminess is sort of middle-of-the road -- not overdoing things one way or the other.  As I work my way through this mug the carbonation is holding out okay, but not great.

I think I really wanted to like this one -- partly because I actually really like butterscotch and partly just because this one is a bit off the beaten path.  In the end, I was a disappointed by the candy-like taste of this one rather than the traditional butterscotch flavor I was hoping for.

Bottom line -- the next time I have a choice between a regular Dang! That's Good root beer and one of these butterscotch root beers, I'll stick with the regular brew.  It was a nice change of pace, but I don't think I could drink very many of these.  It's not bad, it's just not for me.  Maybe it will be a winner for you, so give it a try if you ever come across one.

It's time to give this one a score, so I think I'll give it a...............................................................................................71.

Have you ever tried this one?  Ever had any other butterscotch brews?  What did you think?  Does the thought of a butterscotch drink make you gag just a little?

Uncle Scott's All Natural Root Beer

Who Made This Stuff?           Carolina Country Provisions, Inc., 
                                                               Mooresville, NC

Website:                                          www.unclescottsrootbeer.com

Where’d It Come From?       gift

Review Date:                                 8/20/13

Commentary:  Although yours truly is called Uncle Scott by a select group of awesome nieces and one nephew, I can not claim to be the creator of this brew.  I received this root beer as a gift and I think it came from somewhere in GA, but I don't know exactly where.  Oh wait.  I just checked Uncle Scott's website and it looks like in GA it is only available at various Whole Foods Markets.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this one was purchased at Whole Foods.  It is a relatively recent acquisition, so I'm proud of myself for getting to the review of this one without delay.

When I popped the top on this one, I detected a spicy, medicinal aroma that almost seemed to have hints of cough syrup.  The head was disappointing as it disappeared quickly.  That wasn't a good sign.  The first sip confirmed that bad omen as it seemed like the brew was already getting a little flat.  Speaking of that first sip...WHOA!  There was A LOT going on in there all at once.  It had a strong medicinal flavor, with some vanilla and maybe some licorice, too.  I could tell there were some other flavors lurking around in there as well, I just couldn't pinpoint them right away.

A few more sips told me the carbonation was holding a little better than I had first anticipated.  There was no real bite at all to this one, but that strong flavor came through every time after a fleeting flash of vanilla.  I would not characterize this brew as creamy at all.

I finally gave up trying to identify all the flavors and just looked at the ingredients list.  This one has a little bit of everything in there.  Among other things, it has certified organic sugar (nice!), vanilla, cinnamon oil, natural caramel, wood extract (what?), licorice root oil, and anise oil.  That's a lot of flavors for Uncle Scott to try to get to play nicely together.  I can understand how this one has such a complex flavor.  I don't think I picked up every one of those flavors in there, but I did notice some of them.  Of course, I'm not really sure what wood extract is supposed to taste like.

This root beer just isn't for me.  It's not a horrible root beer and I wouldn't try to caution anyone from drinking it.  I just wouldn't reach for this one when others are available.  Now, if you like lots of different flavors in your root beer you may very well enjoy this one.  Or, if you just want to try something a little bit off the beaten path, then you may want to try one of these.  I'll leave that up to you.  I trust you to make a good choice.

Personally, I'm not looking for a root beer quite so complex, so I'll give this one a score of...........................................................................................70.                 

Frostop Root Beer

Who Made This Stuff?           Frostop Beverages, Inc. 
                                                               Columbus, OH

Website:                                          www.frostop.com

Where’d It Come From?       Angeli's Market, Iron River, MI

Review Date:                                   8/15/13

Commentary:  I think this is another brew I picked up in WI last fall.  I can't remember for sure.  All I know is it's been waiting very patiently for me to review it.  This one looks like it has potential.  According to the label, this root beer has been around since 1926, and they claim that "NOTHING tops it...but the foam!"  That's quite a claim, especially since the used both ALL CAPS and italics within the same claim.  Let's get down to business.

When I opened the bottle, I detected a definite spicy, wintergreeny aroma.  As I poured it in my mug, it did form a nice head but it wasn't anywhere near huge or anything.  Most of the head dissipated in short order, but a small amount of foam remained on top for quite a while as I worked may way through this one.  

The first sip was definitely sweet and smooth.  There was just a wee little bit of a bite in there but it didn't really last long.  Things started nicely, but then everything got weird.  There was some sort of odd finish and aftertaste in this one.  It kind of overshadowed everything else.  Each sip started with the potential to be really good with its balance of creamy and spicy but then that strange aftertaste would kick in every time.  It left a lasting impression and almost made me forget about the good start to each sip. 

The carbonation was actually pretty good.  The brew held its fizz all the way to the bottom of the mug, and I didn't rush through this one.  I took my time with it because I was so puzzled by that aftertaste.  I couldn't ever really figure out exactly what I was tasting in there. My best guess is that it was licorice but there had to be some else along with it.  It also left just a little bit of a syrupy mouth feel.  My guess is that is from the corn syrup.  According to the ingredients list they use corn syrup and cane sugar, but the corn syrup precedes the sugar in the list.

As I was drinking this, I couldn't help thinking that someone else might actually like this one.  Maybe that aftertaste would appeal to them.  This did have a few things going for it, like the sweet, creamy, spicy start and the good carbonation.  Personally, I couldn't get past that weird taste.  This isn't a bad root beer.  It just isn't for me.  

OK.  Now I'm really confused.  After I finished writing up most of this review, I read a few reviews of this same root beer by other root beer aficionados.  They all had very positive reviews of it, with no mention of the weird taste.  Maybe I just got a bum batch.  Oh well, I can only review and rate the root beers I drink.  Maybe I'll give this a second chance the next time I see it in a store.   

Enough typing, time to for scoring.  I'll give this one a......................................................................................71.

What about you?  Have you tried this one?  Any weird aftertaste for you?