Flashback Olde Time Root Beer

Happy New Year everyone! We made it! Well this time of year is a time for new beginnings and i wanted to review a root beer today to reflect that, but when i looked through my inventory i didn't feel i had anything that really matched the criteria. However, i do have one that is synonymous with looking back and reminiscing over the past year, so i think i am going to go that direction with this review. First off, i must say congratulations to all of you who survived the Mayan Apocalypse which wiped out  all but 1/8th of the world's population just a few weeks ago. I assumed it would affect my reading audience, but hopefully i can recover and find new survivors to read my blog as they scavenge the wasteland in search of acceptable root beers. Other than the obvious end of civilization as we know it, 2012 was an eventful year. It was a leap year, an Olympic year, and an election year for starters. My wife had her 30th birthday, i had my golden birthday, and my baby had his first birthday last year. Really, for the purpose of this blog there is too much of last year to reminisce about, but what i am trying to say is that this seems like the perfect time to sit back and reflect on last year with a Flashback Olde Time Root Beer. This root beer comes from Seaside, OR and is distributed through Orca Beverages all around the Pacific Northwest. My friend Lafe moved up to Portland last year to start pharmaceutical school and picked this one up for me while checking out the area for an acceptable place to build a bunker and survive the apocalypse. Thanks again Lafe. If you care to go up to the ruins of Seaside you may find the malt shoppe and ice cream parlor where this root beer was crafted. Perhaps my wife and i will brave the wasteland some day and venture up to Flashback's for a chance to look back on what life was like so very long ago.

This root beer comes in a classic 12 oz. brown glass bottle with a very colorful label. The background is made to look like red bricks and the retro font style and design is supposed to remind people of the 1950's when malt shoppes and ice cream parlors were regular hang out spots for people. Apparently it still is for residents of Seaside. They are treated to themed nights of the week for particular deals and everything. Sounds like a popular destination. I gotta say, i like the label. It's fresh and fun. Flashback has 4 flavors of soda and each label is the same design layout with different color schemes for each. I haven't tried any of the other flavors, but i think i'd be willing to give them a shot if i ever got up there.

The folks in Oregon have a bit of a reputation for being very particular about the food they eat and the ingredients they use. It's a very high vegan population, and from what i hear, the humorous sketches on the TV show Portlandia are more or less quite accurate and credible of the way people live up there. So, that being said it's no surprise this root beer is made with natural ingredients, including cane sugar and honey. I am not a fan of most natural root beers, and i don't know that this one claims to be "all natural", but i do know this... it's pretty dang good. I like it quite a lot, and my wife agrees. This stuff is definitely not too shabby. It has a good amount of carbonation and a nice sweet, vanilla taste with just a tiny hint of honey (which is just enough for me). Overall, it's a well constructed root beer.

My official review is that Flashback Olde Time Root Beer gets 7 (seven) IBCs. I was very tempted to give it an 8. It's really almost there, but ultimately i thought an 8 might be a bit too generous. But to set the record straight, this stuff is really good. I would be glad to travel up to Seaside to visit the shoppe and have another anytime. So to anyone out there who is still alive and has internet access, check out Seaside, OR for some delicious root beer. And now that the word is out, be sure to get there quick before the roaming gangs of the wasteland do.

Eric's Famous Root Beer

It's time i start reviewing the batch of root beers i got from The Root Beer Store. Technically, i already reviewed at least one i got there, but i reviewed all the root beers i ordered from the Soda Emporium together and now i will endeavor to do the same with this group. Eric's Famous Root Beer is one i've heard of for a long time but only now have gotten my hands on.  It was started by a guy named Eric around the year 2000 (the distant future) up in Millcreek, WA. Eric's Famous is a line of sports drinks (a la Gatorade) as well as 4 flavors of soda, root beer being one. The sodas are energy drinks, so this is technically an energy soda. I've reviewed a few energy root beers on this blog before (see Bawls G33K B33R and Root Jack) so this isn't necessarily new to me, but i was caught off guard a little. I guess i was expecting kind of a more classic crafted root beer, but this is definitely not that. It's one of the few root beers containing caffeine, along with ginseng, guarana, and all those other things that give you energy. Granted, i think most energy drinks overload you with sugar and caffeine to the extent that you feel sick afterward. So i will give it to Eric that he tried to make an "all natural" energy drink. And speaking of being caught off guard, if i'm looking at the website right i think Eric is a black guy. Good for you Eric. I didn't know black guys even liked root beer. But i think i speak for all root beer enthusiasts when i say we're glad to have you.

Side note: Sorry that first paragraph was so hyperlink heavy. I apologize. Where are my manners?

This energy root beer comes in a classic 12 oz. brown glass bottle. The label looks very professional and classy. It has a lot of silver metallic elements to it and it's flashy and eye-catching. It almost looks like a beer label. My first impression was Coors Light, but when i looked up pics for comparison it didn't really match up as well as i thought. Something about the label says "silver bullet" to me though. It has a real machine quality to it. But maybe that just comes from the pics i saw on the website of the root beer next to something that looks like a chromed up drill press and a circular saw. Not sure what to make of it all. Maybe that this stuff is just for men? Men working in construction or other blue collar jobs? I don't know. But regardless, i like the label. 

However, the taste is up for debate. If you read the reviews i did on the other energy root beers, you'll know i'm not really a fan of how they taste. So right out of the gate, Eric's has a heavy bias against it. I will say for the record though that this is definitely better than Root Jack. And it's been a long time since i tried Bawls, but it's probably better than that too. As i mentioned, it's made with natural ingredients, including cane sugar. It has a fair root beer flavor and decent carbonation, but the energy drink side of it basically dominates the aftertaste. I think Eric did good at making his energy drink taste like a root beer, but unfortunately it's not really what i'm looking for over all. The taste has grown on me the more i slowly drink it, but it was quite jarring at first and still doesn't quite settle right with my expectations of what a root beer should be. 

My official review is that Eric's Famous Root Beer gets 5 (five) IBCs. My wife thinks i am out-of-my-mind crazy for rating it this high. From that statement you can probably gather that she's not a fan. But she had the same jarring first experience i had without the luxury of finishing off the rest of the bottle; a practice i try to do with every root beer i have reviewed and only failed to do with a very select few of truly awful root beers. So while she tapped out early, i gotta say sticking with it has it's benefits. I can appreciate this root beer, but still... that doesn't mean i have to like it. Sorry Eric, but this stuff really just isn't for me. I'm still glad you're with us though. 

The Pop Shoppe Root Beer

Here is another one i ordered from Soda Emporium. I am coming to the end of the ones i ordered from this site, but not to fear because i still have several more to review from another site. The Pop Shoppe is a company that makes sodas in a variety of flavors. The website is kinda crazy, so just be ready for that. It seems like it has a lot to explore and promises to be jam packed with fun and adventures, but i went there just for basic information and didn't poke around all that much. Something of interest is that this company is Canadian and was started all the way back in 1969. It was started by two guys in London, Ontario and enjoyed quite a bit of success up until about 1983 when sales slowed down and the company shut its doors (from what i can gather). Then in 2002, a new guy stepped in and revitalized the company, moved it to Burlington, Ontario, and brought it to the point it is today where it is available once again all over Canada and the United States. So here's an interesting fact about me... i actually lived in both London and Burlington. Both great cities, though if i had to choose a favorite it would be Burlington. Beautiful place right on the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario. I don't love the winters up there, but fall is gorgeous with all the leaves changing color. I lived in Ontario for 2 years and never heard of this stuff until now, but i guess it makes sense since i left in 2002, right as it was making a comeback. Must have just missed it.

The distinctive "stubby" bottle as it was known was a signature part of the company's persona, one that was important enough to maintain during the revitalization. It's clear glass and 12 oz. but definitely not typical. My wife says it's cute. I rather like it also. Canada must have a fascination with small bottles because i remember a line of sodas called "chubbies", and the cuteness of the packaging must have been the whole appeal because they were awful. The label is part of the bottle. Doesn't come off without some serious scraping. I don't know what you call that kind of label, but it's kind of like screen printing on a t-shirt. It's just on there. It's very simple in nature and maintains the original logo of the company from its inception in 1969. I like it.

But... this root beer is not without its flaws. First, it doesn't really taste like root beer to me at all. My wife says it tastes like medicine. She's not a fan of it at all. While i don't agree with her and i don't hate it, it's far from one of my favorites. It's very watery and nearly completely flat as well as not very sweet. It's also quite foamy and maintains a decent head for those of you who care about that kind of thing. I for one do not, but it's worth mentioning i suppose. I really don't enjoy the aftertaste either, which lingers for a long time after the bottle is empty. I still can't really put my finger on what it tastes like and nothing in the list of ingredients lends any hints, but rest assured that this stuff definitely falls short where it counts.

My official review is that The Pop Shoppe Root Beer gets 4 (four) IBCs. To be completely upfront and honest, the only things that saved this from getting a 3 was the stubby bottle and the fact that it's from my old stomping grounds. It was destined for a 3 (or worse) based on taste alone. This is kind of harsh i know because the 1 to 3 ratings are reserved for root beers i absolutely hate. That's why i struggled so hard with this one. I want to love it. I really do. I just can't. I won't say i'll never drink this again, but i will say that this root beer had better have more than just a pretty face if it wants to be in my regular rotation.

Crater Lake Root Beer

My recent root beer exchanging acquaintance Eric told me about the website where i found this root beer (or at least i think he did). Crater Lake Root Beer was one of the root beers i ordered from The Root Beer Store a while ago. Like the Soda Emporium they have a good variety and seem to get new brands from time to time. The Root Beer Store is based out of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Washington state, so it's nice to be able to access some of the root beers in that region via this website. The company was started by a guy named Curt Gouverneur from Indiana and his family. The family moved to Portland, OR (where Crater Lake is located) and got into the soda game making it and distributing it in kegs until a recent merger allowed them to start bottling it and selling it in retail establishments. They make a total of four flavors of sodas, one of which is root beer. They tout all natural ingredients and 100% cane sugar as well as being gluten free and kosher. You can always count on those Pacific Northwest hippies to make a vegan soda when you need it.

This root beer comes in a clear 12 oz. glass bottle and has a very colorful and tasteful label. There is a mural of serene looking Crater Lake and the whole thing is fresh and clean looking. There is a photograph of Crater Lake on the website, and i gotta say the place is very picturesque. I like the label a lot. Maybe if i ever get up to Portland i'll go visit the real thing. Until then i might just keep this bottle on my desk so i can gaze at it when i want to get away from work for a few minutes.

The website says that all the ingredients are organic and that there is little carbonation for a full, crisp taste. Well i gotta hand it to those hippies... they made a pretty decent soda. I would like a little more carbonation for my personal tastes, but it is still pretty good. It has a decent vanilla flavor and a nice sweet undertone from the cane sugar. Still, there is something about it that is a little funky. It does leave a bit of a bad aftertaste in my mouth, but all in all it's not bad.

My official review is that Crater Lake gets 6 (six) IBCs. I don't think i would classify this as a natural root beer even though it would technically fit the bill. It's too good for that anyway. Instead i will stick with the term used on the website and call it a "gourmet" root beer. It definitely didn't offend me so bad that i wouldn't try it again. Still, at about $2.20 per bottle, this stuff is a bit pricey to buy one at a time in the mail. Maybe go up to Crater Lake and grab one of these sodas sometime. If i ever get up there, i'll probably do that.

DNA Old Fashioned Root Beer

My friend Richard moved out to San Diego and visited the shop where Old Town Root Beer is sold. If you visit my post about Old Town you will get a little info about that operation as well as why the website listed on the bottle (www.oldtownrootbeer.com) isn't very reliable for info. To save those of you who don't care to read any of my other reviews some time (shame on you), it's kind of a soda/sandwich shop from what i gather. They have all kinds of bottled soda there and make a few varieties of their own, including at least 2 different root beers. This root beer, DNA Old Fashioned Root Beer, is one of them. Richard picked this one up for me along with a few others and brought it to me. What a nice guy. I think next time we go out to visit him, i will definitely need to stop by this shop and check it out. I have seen a similar set up of a small restaurant/soda shop in St. George, UT called Judd's Store. I just walked through it quickly and didn't order food or even get a soda, but i assume it's the same general idea as far as the set up goes.

This root beer came in a 12 oz. dark brown glass bottle. The label is kinda busy. Lots of text surrounding a small black-and-white portrait of two young scamps sitting on an old wooden wagon loaded with root beer bottles. Looks like something right out of the Little Rascals, or probably more-so like they are borrowing a page directly from the portfolio of Kim Anderson. They even threw in a little color in the photo on the root beer bottle labels (which from what i gather are bottles of Old Town Root Beer, not DNA). But i guess it works cuz my wife thinks it's a-dorable. The text surrounding the portrait says things like, "thank you for buying our root beer. it's going to pay for college." It's also written in font that looks like little kid hand writing, really driving the nail in on the cute factor that all these dumb girls keep falling for. Below the portrait it says, "It's what you're made of", which is an obvious play on the literal meaning of the acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid (settle down nerds, i still had to look up how to spell it). I was looking for something to link the name DNA to the names of the kids in the picture, as in "Dan n' Andy" or "Darius n' Alistar", but i had no such luck. Even without the evidence I still think that might be what they were going for, but unless someone has the inside scoop i guess we'll never know.

This root beer is kinda like the pretty girl who can't manage to keep a guy. She may be cute but she doesn't have much else going for her. I gotta say, this stuff is not very good. For starters, it's super watery. The faint flavor it has is dominantly honey based, and not even in a good way. The ingredients claim vanilla is used, but i don't taste it at all. It is also sweetened with cane sugar, but it's really not all that sweet. And to top it all off, the aftertaste it leaves is pretty repugnant. I know it sounds like i am completely trashing this stuff, but in defense of DNA there are definitely a lot worse root beers out there. This one just isn't very good.

My official review is that DNA Old Fashioned Root Beer gets 3 (three) IBCs. In very rare fashion i told my wife i was considering giving it a 3 and asked her what her input would be. She agreed with me, completely casting aside how cute she thinks the little boys in the label are. There is just nothing there to make me want to drink another one of these. So i gotta say if you make your way down to the shop in San Diego, try one of their other root beers instead of this one. And sorry boys... but you might have to consider taking out student loans.

Grand Teton Root Beer

I picked this one up personally a while ago up in Centerville, UT (a suburb just north of Salt Lake City). My brother lives there and we went up for the 4th of July to visit family, and it just so happened that i found this one by chance at the local grocery store by his house (which i can't seem to remember the name of at this time). The Grand Teton Brewing Company is located in Victor, ID and has been making beers and sodas since 2003. Victor is night near the Idaho/Wyoming boarder, near Yellowstone National Park and at the foot of the Grand Teton Mountains. I went to college my first year in a small town nearby called Rexburg, ID and spent a lot of time in the Tetons snowboarding at Targhee Ski Resort. I have a lot of fond memories of that place, even though i doubt i would want to live there permanently. It was very scenic and pretty, but also quite isolated. I much prefer the city life personally. Still, convincing me to go back to Targhee for a snowboarding trip wouldn't be hard. They had great snow and a lot of fun runs. It's been well over 10 years since i have been back, so it would be neat to go visit for a few runs.

I picked this up in a 4-pack of 12 oz. clear glass bottles. The label is well done, colorful, vibrant, and fitting of a small town brewery in Idaho. There is a scenic picture of the Grand Tetons setting a backdrop for a meandering stream and a silhouette of a moose. Yes, they do have moose in those areas. My brother and i did a night time canoe trip down the Snake River one night and he told me how he had done the same float before with friends and they were stared down by a giant moose getting a late night drink of water. We didn't see a moose on our trip, but we did tip the canoe and get soaking wet in the middle of the night. Even at the tail end of summer it was freezing cold. In the moment it wasn't much fun, but we had a good laugh about it after.

This root beer is fairly watery and is prominently flavored by anise. I don't love the black licorice taste, but it is watered down enough that i don't gag on it or anything. It is sweet tasting from the cane sugar, but i am not in love with the overall experience. The carbonation is ok and it has a nice sweet finish, but it all comes down to the unfavorable anise flavor. It's also a common taste, meaning that i know there are several root beers i have had which taste very similar, though i can't pinpoint one immediately. Not terrible stuff, but definitely not in contention for one of my favorites. My wife agrees, this does little to nothing for her.

My official review is that Grand Teton Root Beer gets 5 (five) IBCs. My wife doesn't like it at all and doesn't think it deserves even a 5. Technically, it should get a 4 since it's not necessarily bad, but definitely not what i'm looking for. But i figure i will bump it up for sentimental reasons. It brings back a lot of memories of my time in Idaho, even though i never drank this there. But that was a fun period of my life and it's nice to revisit it when drinking this stuff. So grab some of this is you care. Or don't. I'm not really bothered either way. However, if you do find yourself in Rexburg, you should take a trip out to Big Jud's and get a Jud Burger. It's about 15 to 20 minutes south of town in Archer, ID and it's totally worth it.

Fireman's Brew Root Beer

This is another root beer i got from my shipment from Soda Emporium. Fireman's Brew is based in Inyokern, CA (a little north east of Bakersfield) and was started in 2000 by two Los Angeles based firefighters named Rob and Ed. They started the company making beers, but expanded to make a root beer, a cream soda, a black cherry soda, and even a few flavors of coffee. One thing i read on the site and thought was pretty cool is that they carve off a piece every sale and donate it to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which is nice to see them take care of their own. No complaints about that. In fact sirs, my hat is off to you.

The label is very tasteful and well done. It has a nice firehouse type seal dominating the label. It's clear and clean and professional looking, as well as respectful. The logo has the phrase "Extinguish Your Thirst" above it and "Ignite the Party" below it. Catchy, classy, and an overall good feel to it. I gotta say, i'm impressed with the work you've done Rob and Ed.

This root beer is also sweetened with real cane sugar, which seems the route a lot of smaller companies are going. I know the debate rages on between pure cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup, i.e. which is better for you and tastes better, etc. Frankly, i don't really care. I like a lot of the root beers/sodas with HFCS and i also like some with pure cane sugar. That's not as big selling point for me as it may be for many others. But using cane sugar can't harm your score in my opinion. The sweetness of the root beer is a mere afterthought to what the overall flavor is, and i gotta say, this one has a real good flavor. It has a nice wintergreen aroma and taste, a touch of molasses maybe, and it packs a little bit of a bite. But i has good carbonation and a nice aftertaste which make this one of the better root beers i have had in a little while. It reminds me a little of Teddy's, though i still think Teddy's has the strongest and most favorable wintergreen finish to it of almost all the root beers i have tried. But I think this is stuff can hang with Teddy's.

My official review is that Fireman's Brew gets 7 (seven) IBCs. I struggled with this rating a bit. It's every bit deserving of a 7, which is good, but my wife was urging me to give it an 8 or possibly even a 9. She said she thinks i am wrong on this one. That's how i know my wife is crazy. I mean, this stuff is good, but i gave Teddy's only a 7 and Teddy's is still better than Fireman's. In fairness, Teddy's was one of the first i reviewed, and in hindsight and after 4 years of doing this i would readily say Teddy's is deserving of an 8 for sure. However, i don't re-review or retract ratings once given, so Teddy's stays at 7 and this one needs to fall in line. Had i given Teddy's an 8, i would gladly bump up the rating on this one as well. But really, the pith of the matter is that this is a good root beer and you should grab one if you get the chance.