Labrador All natrual Butterscotch Root Beer - #107, 6.25 out of 12 mugs

Another Rocket Fizz distributed beverage. Like other Rocket Fizz brews, they feature a prominent figure on the brew label. A majestic-looking Black Labrador on the label in this case. I once read that Rocket Fizz bottles up to 1,000 sodas. 

I have tested a few, including:

• 
  Three Stooges root beer - rated 6.75 out of 12
• Tyler the Kid Sarsaparilla - rated 6.5 out of 12
• Judge Wapner's root beer - rated 8 out of 12
• Gene Autry root beer - rated 8.5 out of 12
• Rocket Fizz root beer float - rated 4.5 of 12

Ingredients:

Carbonated Water, Pure Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, and Natural Flavors

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

    170 Calories

    25 mg Sodium

    43 g (14%) of Daily Carbohydrates

    0 Caffeine

Click here for information on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beers tested or to be tested.

Aroma and Flavor – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

The bottle reads “Flash posturized for safety”. Not sure if that impacts the taste. Labrador All Natural Root Beer has a Rooty aroma. The first sip is very sweet, with a butterscotch flavor and a wintergreen finish. I typically love root beer, yet this high level of sweetness takes away the allure for me.

Head – 1.75 out of 3 mugs

The head is of medium quality and leaves a ring at the outer part of the glass long after it dissipates.

Zip – 1.25 out of 3 mugs

It is quite sweet, but not overly syrupy, soda with middle-level carbonation.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.75 out of 3 mugs

The soda is a solid root beer, suitable as a classic, smooth, and all-natural beverage. The level of sweetness far exceeds my preference and, therefore, a lower score. 

Would I recommend this at 6.25 out of 12 mugs (4.5 out of 9 mugs without the head)?

This is like most Rocket Fizz root beers I have tasted: very high sweetness level and minimal complexity.

OTHER REVIEWS

Anthony’s Root Beer Barrel – 84 out of 100 

Cosmo’s Root Beer Review – 4 out of 10

Steve’s Root Beer – 8 out of 10

Old Keg Craft Root Beer - #106, 10.25 out of 12 mugs

Old Keg root beer dates back to 1941. The Excelsior Bottling Company in Reading, PA, bottled beer, porter, brown stout, ginger ale, seltzer, and carbonated drinks. including root beers. The company was owned by T. J. Fessler and S. G. Dunkelberger. It is unknown when Orca Beverage acquired the brew.

Orca Beverage was born out of the passion and dedication of its founder, Mike Bourgeois, in the 1980s. Craft soda’s were a hobby at first. While studying the emerging 'New Age Beverage Category' at the Albers School of Business at Seattle University, Mike saw an opportunity to create a new and exciting extension of the larger Carbonated Soft Drink category. This category included products that were alternatives to the mainstream brands, sparking a revolution in the industry.

Orca Beverage continues to seize opportunities to expand its operations. Orca Bottling slowly learned the craft of artisan soda manufacturing. Realizing they needed their own bottling facility, the company bought the equipment from a Pepsi bottling plant that had been declared a total loss in a flood. Mike and his team spent two years rebuilding the equipment from the ground up. To their credit, the companies that had turned down his contract business came to the aid with additional equipment, parts, and expertise.

From its early strategic partnerships with other beverage companies, a move that allowed it to produce iconic, old-time brands like Dad’s Root Beer, Shirley Temple, and Moxie in glass bottles. These alliances marked a significant milestone in Orca Beverage's journey of growth and diversification, and still do. 

Ingredients:

Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, brewed natural and artificial flavors, honey, phosphoric acid, and sodium benzoate as a preservative.

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

    170 Calories

    45 mg Sodium

    43 g (16%) of Daily Carbohydrates

    0 Caffeine

Click here for information on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beers tested or to be tested.

Aroma and Flavor – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

The Old Keg aroma is very rewarding. The root beer has a smooth, creamy texture with a rich honey and vanilla complementing the rooty sassafras core.

Head – 2.75 out of 3 mugs

The Head is medium-tall and has large and small, foamy bubbles. The head dissipated slowly, and the larger bubbles remained more than a minute after the pour.

Zip – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

The brew has a moderate level of carbonation, a slight spice, and a smooth finish. The Aftertaste is a delicious honey sassafras with hints of vanilla.

Post Consumption Impression – 2.5 out of 3 mugs

This is an outstanding brew. If the sugar level were lower, it could be one of my top five favorites. There is a slight minty aftertaste that kept me wanting another sip.

Would I recommend this at 10.25 out of 12 mugs (7.5 out of 9 mugs without the head)?

This is a brew I would not hesitate to enjoy again. It’s smooth and flavorful!

OTHER REVIEWS

Anthony’s Root Beer Barrel – 62 out of 100

Eric’s Gourmet Root Beer – 4 of 5 barrels

Steve’s Root Beer – 10 out of 10

Wehrloom Honey Root Beer - #105, 7.25 out of 12 mugs

Aron and Jessica Wehr, a husband-and-wife team, moved from Pennsylvania to Robbinsville in 2010 with their two daughters. During their first Christmas in North Carolina, Jessica asked for beehives as a gift. Aron bought them, expecting it to be a hobby, but it quickly became an obsession. As their honey sales increased, the Wehrs decided to start their company in 2013, naming it Wehrloom Honey. With a USDA loan, they purchased more hives and equipment to become genuine bee farmers.

They drove to farmers’ markets to sell their raw honey, becoming busy like worker bees. By 2015, they were on the road so often that they decided to open their own store. What started with two beehives has grown into hundreds of colonies and over 30 million bees. The hives are spread throughout Graham County, with about 30 on the hill behind the Wehrs’ farm store. During summer, wildflowers cover the mountains, and bees swarm the boxes as they fill them with honey.

Bees gather nectar from flowers and trees, storing it in their stomachs. When full, they return to the hive, where they build hexagonal wax cells in frames. Worker bees transfer the nectar to other bees, who deposit it into the honeycomb and fan it until most of the liquid evaporates. Beeswax seals the cells, keeping the honey clean for beekeepers like Aron and Jessica to harvest. (Bees also eat the honey.)

Honey varies in color and flavor depending on the bloom. While plain honey is tasty, the Wehrs make honey root beer and unique honey flavors, such as cinnamon, vanilla, chamomile, and hot peppers. They also harvest hive wax to produce candles and soap.

Ingredients:

Carbonated Water, Organic Sugar, Natural, Raw Honey, Caramel Color, and Natural Flavorings

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

144 Calories

45 mg Sodium

39 g (14 %) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 Caffeine

Click here for information on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beers tested or to be tested.

Aroma and Flavor – 2.75 out of 3 mugs

The first aroma is that of a rooty beverage. The honey is a key part of the flavor profile, creating a pleasant blend of root beer and honey. I believe there are hints of vanilla, licorice, and ginger, although they are not listed as ingredients. I can only assume they are natural flavors.

Head – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

The head was average and disappeared quickly.  There was no taste in the head.

Zip – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

It has lower to middle carbonation and is smooth to drink. There is nothing particularly unique, except for the honey. However, sugar is still listed before honey in the ingredients.

Post Consumption Impression – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

The brew has a notable honey flavor, and the sweetness is not overpowering. Some may find this less complex than other root beers.

Would I recommend this at 7.25 out of 12 mugs (5.75 out of 9 mugs without the head)?

This is a well-balanced brew that is worth trying. It is not one of my highest-rated beers, yet I would not hesitate to enjoy it again.

OTHER REVIEWS

Anthony’s Root Beer Barrel – 85 out of 100

Apple Valley Mountain Village - #104, 6.25 out of 12 mugs

Apple Valley Mountain Village in Townsend, Tennessee, is a popular destination near the Smoky Mountains. It is known for its café, ice cream, and general store, which offers a craft root beer called Apple Valley Mountain Village root beer.

Reading Soda Works in Reading, Pennsylvania, produces this brew. The soda is a specialty flavor from Reading Soda Works, a company based in Reading, Pennsylvania, that has been making small-batch, old-fashioned sodas with pure cane sugar since 1921. 

The company makes Reading Draft root beer, which scored 4.7 out of 12 in my review. Yet I suspected I had an old bottle that had gone bad. I have a note to retest at some point in the future.

Ingredients:

Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Sodium Benzoate as a Preservative, Citric Acid, Yucca and Quillaia Extracts, natural and Artificial Flavors, and Gum Acacia

This is the fifth of 104 brews that list Yucca Extract as an ingredient. Yucca is said to add a smooth, creamy flavor. It also lists Quillaia. This is the sixth of 103 brews tested that contain that ingredient. Research states this serves as a foaming agent.

Nutrition 12 oz. serving (from the bottle)

170 Calories

30 mg Sodium

43 g (?%) of Daily Carbohydrates

0 Caffeine

Click here for information on the rating criteria and a table of all the root beers tested or to be tested.

Aroma and Flavor – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

Upon opening the bottle, there is a slight mint aroma. It has a faint aftertaste and a slightly dry finish. The flavor is basic, with a hint of caramel, but it lacks any root-like taste.

Head – 2.0 out of 3 mugs

The head is large and dissipated slowly. It has both large and small bubbles.

Zip – 1.25 out of 3 mugs

The brew is straightforward. It doesn't have anything to catch your eye, but there's nothing to keep you from finishing the bottle—a very simple blend with moderate carbonation.

Post Consumption Impression – 1.5 out of 3 mugs

This is a brew that would be at the bottom of my list, and I might even choose another cola over this one. It's not bad, but it's nothing that makes you remember the aroma or the sensation of drinking a high-quality brew.

Would I recommend this at 6.25 out of 12 mugs (4.25 out of 9 mugs without the head)?

This is one you should try. For me, it was worth a shot, but it wouldn't be on my go-to list.

OTHER REVIEWS

No reviews found.