Sprecher Root Beer

Sheila Aiken sent me my first rootbeer to taste test. By the way, if you have a problem with an ERISA insurance policy, Sheila and her sister, Michele, are the best ones to call. And make sure to read their blog. (Yes, that was my free plug for them sending me a sample, but they are the best.)

Sprecher Brewing Company makes a very good rootbeer. From their website: "This truly old fashioned soda has the rich, creamy flavor that only comes from using pure Wisconsin honey direct from the combs. Our extracts are prepared at the brewery in a hand-made, gas-fired brew kettle, by combining honey, pure vanilla and a host of aromatic botanicals. The dark, honeyed brew will build a delicious, frothy head when properly poured into a frosted mug."

(They also make a lo-cal rootbeer. From their website: "Our Lo - Cal Root Beer Soda is prepared in a hand-made, gas-fired kettle right at our micro-brewery. By using just a touch of real Wisconsin honey, pure vanilla and a host of botanicals, we produce our rich, rooty flavor and thick creamy head. For your optimum enjoyment, serve in frosted mugs.")

My take on this: the lo-cal rootbeer tastes like it is lo-cal. The flavor is good and is better than some rootbeers I have had. However, there is a huge difference in taste between the lo-cal and the regular rootbeer. For me, I want the rootbeers to taste similar, even if one is lo-cal.

The regular rootbeer, on the other hand, is excellent. The honey is an excellent touch to this frosty beverage. Pouring this rootbeer, you can see that it is going to drink well. It develops an excellent head. Warning: it does taste different than your grocery store rootbeers. That honey gives it a bit of a different taste. You need to drink a few bottles to get used to it.

Score on a scale of 1 to 10 cases: 9 cases for the regular rootbeer. 7 cases for the lo-cal rootbeer.

Have you tried this? Let me know your thoughts on Sprecher RootBeer

Comments

[Bruce Edwards]

Jonathan,
Congratulations on a fantastic hobby. I started tasting (and collecting) root beer 8 years ago. If you liked Sprecher and Thomas Kemper, I trust your taste buds. We are in agreement that Sprecher is better than Thomas Kemper. I have over 130 root beers and Sprecher is in the top 5. The other mass-produced root beers in the top five are Henry Weinhard's (#1) and Hank's. Weinhard's should be available at most grocery stores west of the Mississippi. I'd love to see your ranking of it.

Bruce Edwards