Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer

Who Made This Stuff?      USA Beverage Distribution, LLC

Website:                             www.daretogodutch.com

Where’d It Come From?   Somewhere on the edge of Amish country, PA

Review Date:                    11/26/12

Commentary:  I picked up this birch beer at a convenience store in PA on our summer road trip.  It had been languishing in the back of the fridge since July.  I’m not a big fan of birch beers so I had been sort of putting this one off for a while.  I didn’t have high hopes for its carbonation level given the long time it had been sitting around in a plastic bottle.  I was pleasantly surprised.

When I opened the bottle, I picked up that distinct wintergreen aroma for which birch beers are known.  A quick pour into the chilled glass revealed that the brew had a reddish tint, as did the small head that made a brief appearance.  I wasn’t expecting that color, so I guess that was a nice little surprise.

 

This one has a nice little bite to it.  The carbonation level is just about right.  The bubbles are in the medium to large size, but they work with the flavor to produce that pleasant bite.  It definitely has the wintergreen taste.  I’m not a big fan of that taste.  I guess it’s not too overpowering in this one, though. I’m giving this one high marks in the carbonation department.  Even after a lengthy stay in my glass, the carbonation is sticking around.  I like that.  This one isn’t very creamy.

As I said, I’m not a big fan of birch beers but I think I’d actually serve this one to friends – maybe just to bring a little something different to the party.  According to the company’s website, this brew is also available in cans and glass bottles.  I think I’d serve the glass-bottled version to those friends.

I’ll score this one as…………………………………………..77

What do you think. Ever tried this one?  Do you consider root beers and birch beers interchangeable, or do you have a definite preference?

Chowning's Tavern

Who Made This Stuff?     Old Dominion Brewing Co., Dover, DE

Website:                              www.olddominion.com

Where’d It Come From?    Picked up a by a friend

Review Date:                      11/24/12

             
Commentary:  I received this root beer from a friend who picked it up on a weekend road trip.  I can’t remember exactly where he got it, though.  I liked the artwork on the label (a drawing of Old Man Chowning, perhaps?) and saw that it was made by Old Dominion.  Those two things gave me high hopes for this brew:  1) a nice label that led me to believe some real thought went into its design, and 2) a pedigree of an actual brewery.

When I opened this bottle, it had a significant licorice and spice aroma. You may have noticed by now that I’m not a huge fan of the licorice thing, but the spice side of the aroma intrigued me.  When poured in the glass it did create a head, but it was mainly composed of large bubbles and is dissipated really quickly.  By the time I could get a photo, the head was pretty much gone.
     

The first sips told me this was not going to be a creamy brew.  The sweetness was there, but it wasn’t overpowering.  The fact that sugar and honey were on the ingredient list, instead of HFCS, earns it a few points.  I got a few nice spicey drinks from the glass.  Things went downhill from there.

This root beer had the potential to develop a nice bite.  Unfortunately, it could not live up to that potential.  The carbonation dissipated way too fast to work with the spices to help produce any bite.  Half-way through the glass, the aroma had disappeared completely.  Once the carbonation was mostly gone, this one did not have a pleasant taste at all and left a strong wintergreeny aftertaste.

Sorry folks.  I can’t give this one high marks.  I think I’ll go with…………………….63.

What about you?  Have you tried this one?  I understand that Old Dominion produces a few different root beers under different labels.  Have you tried any of Old Dominion’s root beers? 

Sea Dog

Who Made This Stuff?     Pugsley Brewing LLC, Portland, ME

Website:                            www.seadogbrewing.com

Where’d It Come From?  MooTime Creamery, Coronado, CA

Review Date:                    11/16/11

Commentary:  Well, rats.  This is a disappointment.  I really had high hopes for this one.  Maybe it was because of the cool label, I don't know.  Anyway, I am not impressed.

I figured there might be a problem with this one when I wasn't able to detect any aroma at all after opening the bottle.  Nothing.  Not an unpleasant aroma.  Just no aroma at all.  How is that possible?  Even after pouring it in the glass I could barely detect an aroma.  Not a good start.

It produced an okay head when poured, but it didn't stick around very long.  Maybe even the brew itself knew this wasn't going to be it's best day and was just trying to get things over with quickly by letting the head dissipate.

The brew has a somewhat medicinal flavor.  This dog has a small bite to begin with, and it quickly tucks its tail between its legs and hurries away.  There's no creaminess here at all.  The flavor, like the bite, doesn't linger.  It fades quickly, but I guess that's okay since this isn't a memorable brew anyway.

The carbonation was okay to start with, but it fades fast in the glass.  The bubbles were large while they lasted.  Halfway through the glass and it is already starting to taste watered down since the carbonation is almost completely gone.

As you may have guessed by now, I was not impressed with Sea Dog.  In the words of my good friend, Randy Jackson, I'll have to say, "This one was just alright for me, dog."  And that's being generous simply because I like the label.  This one gets a score of..........................................67.

Was this one a dog for you, too?