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Dad's Root Beer is a true class act operation! This year (2012CE) marks their 75th Anniversary. Next to A&W they hold the second place in market share, and second to none they hold many marketing innovations. Most notably they were apparently the first company to market a "six-pack." I highly recommend checking out their website history to learn more about this great brand!
I found this root beer to have a wonderful and full flavor. The sassafras flavor was almost matched with sarsaparilla and it was finished with light spice. In keeping with trends of the 1940s, Dad's has a more balanced vanilla content and pleasant carbonation. Their use of pure cane sugar and the specific blend of flavors gives Dad's a clean finish, while the high sugar content diminishes some of the crispness. I would highly recommend this root beer particularly because it has not compromised quality even with its wide distribution. Overall I give it an 8.
PS: The Dad's name was given in honor of the deceased father of one of the founder's. It also gives a shout out to an age where many dads would brew root beer for their family. How fun would it be if the modern micro/home brew movement boosted home root beer production?
Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer is one of the first varieties I ever tried. The company began brewing its product in 1936 and has continued to produce this Root Beer-esque soda ever since. The companies decision to bottle in cans and in plastic I view a a negative decision. While it does allow the product to get out in the hands of more people, it truly does compromise taste. I found this beverage to be slightly over-sweet because of the corn syrup, and I didn't feel that it exuded the high levels of birch flavor I've come to expect of similar sodas. The use of acacia tree extract does give this a nice color, placing Pennsylvania dutch in good position. I would love to see this company switch over to a glass only policy and to go back to using all natural sweeteners, but I don't see that happening. The history and the natural coloring, combined with an overall pleasant taste, and clean finish give this birch beer a solid 6 on the scale. I would recommend this beverage for nostalgia for any East-Coas Ex-Pats.
I'm going to hop to the commercial market quickly because I truly believe that what the rest of us do is driven by what they're doing.
Without question A&W is the heavyweight company in the Root Beer world. They've been doing it right since 1919 and have a lot to show for it. Founded in Lodi, California, they are also my first critique of a West Coast company. Just as a testament to how well they stay on top of the times they are the proud owners of the url rootbeer.com! Their foresight and intuition have set them as the best commercial brewer. Their drive-ins all over the country are a perennial favorite, and their creamy vanilla taste is amazing is given by the real vanilla extract used in production. They have gone with the crowd on switching to corn syrup, a bad move in my opinion, and have subsequently compromised on quality. In addition to other commercially driven compromise, they've also gone over to plastic and aluminum bottling. The flavors of either container affect the taste adversely.
Overall though A&W continues to deliver the most dependable beverage at the gas station, and has left an indelible mark on the industry. It is for this purpose that A&W is my personal standard for root beer; not that they are my perfect ten by any means, but they set my middle bar on taste and quality. For this reason I rank A&W as the most perfect 5, all root beers bellow them I wouldn't often drink, all above them have a right to be proud.
They offer a crisp, creamy, and rich beverage that embodies all of the most essential qualities of this niche soda market. The sweetness is balanced, which was a welcomed change from many of the other root beers I try. The carbonation was perhaps a little strong, but this is characteristic of the East Coast root beer style, and I didn't dock points for it. The vanilla is clear and dynamic, but also much less than what is trendy right now. The caramel notes are also slightly subdued, which would typically cost Boylan's points, however this was all very intentional if I might venture a guess. Without question the most pronounced flavor in this fine soda-pop is none other than Sassafras: the lynch-pin ingredient of root beer. The Sassafras rings true, and earns this malty ambrosia a 9 on my scale. Well done Boylan Bottleworks!
Mississinewa 1812 is the largest War of 1812 living history event in the United States. At these events you'll see people dressed in period garb and daunting flintlock reenactment rifles. Its a fun family event that really draws a crowd.
One of the staple components of these festivals is the pioneer style draft root beer. It is an entirely different experience from every other sassafras soda I've ever tried. The most stark quality of this beverage is the lack of carbonation. This root beer is not carbonated at all and makes the Mug two litre you left on the counter over night seem fizzy and fresh. The sweet, syrupy nectar exposes why carbonation is added to soft drinks: it sharpens the otherwise dull soda. Now, I actually am beginning to think that trying your root beer flat when home-brewing could be a worthwhile exercise. I was instantly able to taste all of the ingredients. It had very little vanilla flavor, and was absolutely loaded with notes of licorice, anise, and allspice. I'm not sure if there is any sort of history to these spices, but it was definitely different from anything else I've ever tried. While this root beer doesn't score very high on my rating, I would rank this as a 4, I would say that it is an experience at least every Hoosier must partake of.
The four rating is for the lack of carbonation and the coloration. The anise and licorice notes were actually really unique, but they robbed the beverage of some of its color quality. Good bold carmel color is a non-negotiable for me in the root beer world.
This 85 year old company has managed to produce a pretty good product. The rich taste and good color are from the premium ingredients. The company prominantly displays "Pure Cane Sugar" on the front label showing their attention to detail. Their tag "New England's Best Tonic" is a pretty bold claim going up against various Birch Beers and the competitive custom soda industry that in many ways started in New England.
Overall I would have to give this root beer a 7. Its really nothing incredibly special for me. To me a good root beer needs to have strong notes of caramel and vanilla and clear Sarsaparilla tone. I found this root beer to be overly carbonated which takes away from the mellow flavor and replaces it with a sharpness on the palate. The company tries to navigate the murky water of overly sweetened beverages and come out on the conservative side, but I think that they have under-shot the sweetness level that is characteristic of a premium root beer.
