Appalachian Brewing Co. Root Beer

I made a deal with my root beer nemesis a while back which landed me this next root beer. I don't remember the details of it, but this is one of the ones he sent me. The Appalachian Brewing Company is located in Harrisburg, PA and has been functioning since 1951, although the building has been there since the late 1800s. The Appalachian Brewing Co. (or ABC for short) now has locations in 4 other towns as well, all which i presume are in PA but don't really care enough to research. The primary role of ABC is making beer and operating as a restaurant, but some craft sodas are also included in the menu. In addition to root beer, ABC makes a birch beer and a ginger beer. I've only driven through PA so i really don't know the area well enough to comment, but i didn't think the Appalachians Mountains were a prominent presence in the state. The thought of the Appalachians conjures up thoughts of hillbillies making moonshine in the woods, and i don't really consider Pennsylvania to be a hotspot for hillbilly activity. But i am probably wrong (something i'm not normally used to since i am the ultimate authority on all things root beer). But even if i am right, i won't hold the naming of the company against ABC, although it is a little long. I prefer either a really short concise name or a ridiculously and completely unnecessarily long name. Like the "Appalachian Brewing Company of the Great State of Pennsylvania Established for the Enjoyment of Americans Everywhere" root beer. That would be pretty sweet. Personally, I'd like to see an even longer name. Get on it ABCOTGSOPEFTEOAE.

This root beer comes in a standard 12 oz. glass bottle and features a colorful and professional looking label with info about the brewery and restaurant. There is a picture of some train tracks on a bridge over a lake or river or something and an image of a bear (cuz it's made with honey). Not a cute cuddly bear either. A serious bear. No seriously... it's a bear. It looks pretty. No complaints. Extra points for a professional looking label. This is also one of the few root beer i have reviewed that doesn't has a twist off cap. I had to ask around for a bottle opener as i am not usually equipped with one. I used to have one that was sent to me with one of my orders from SodaSamurai.com, a now defunct webstie that used to sell sodas. That thing was a piece of junk though and didn't work. Not sure what i did with it.

The label also says this root beer used high fructose corn syrup and/or cane sugar. I can't really tell by tasting it if it has one and/or the other in it, but i will say this stuff isn't too shabby. It kinda surprised me that i like this stuff. Granted, i don't absolutely love it, but it's decent stuff. It has a good aroma, a bit of a minty taste with maybe just a hint of anise, and a "delightful blend of honey" (taken directly from the label). I generally don't care much for honey root beers, so i am surprised that i found this as favorable as i did. Not really a traditional root beer flavor, but it works. It's a good sipping root beer, something you can enjoy for a while.

My official review is that Appalachian Brewing Co. Root Beer gets 7 (seven) IBCs. I don't know if you can tell, but i am writing this early in the morning so it doesn't feel like my best written and most well thought out review. Kinda just thrown together really. Additionally, i am at work and all my coworkers think i am boozin' it up at my desk. But the point i want to make is that this stuff isn't half bad. If i make my way out to Pennsylvania ever, i may even stop in and try the food.