Not Your Father's Root Beer (10%) - Small Town Brewery

JAramini

New York

4.7/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

An "are you kidding me?!" beer.

Someone showed up with a growler of this at our homebrew club meeting. It was labeled "10% ABV Root Beer" and we all pretty well lost our minds for it.

Perhaps in a blind tasting you'd be able to tell this from a regular, non-alcoholic root beer, but, on its own, without a point of reference, this tastes exactly like a root beer without a hint of alcohol. I don't know what kind of magic is going on here but this is amazing.

The only real critique I could offer is that it's perhaps too sweet/syrupy, but this is an insane beer. If you get the chance to try it, do not pass it up.

Serving type: growler

02-27-2013 05:07:16 | More by JAramini

indiggio

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Just went out on a trip to Naperville, IL and co-workers took me out to WOB. They all suggested trying one of these, but knowing what I refer to as a "novelty beer", I shied away the first night. I stuck with some interesting IPAs.

The next night back at the same place, everyone was trying them so I broke down. I am so glad I did!!! Or maybe now I'm not so glad, because you can only get this beer out in IL from what they tell me.

This beer is remarkable. The look, aroma and finally taste is unbelievably identical to what normal root beer tastes like. It's just amazing.

What's also remarkable is that at 10%, there's just NO hint of the booze (and eventual slap to the back of the head kick) when drinking it. It would be SO easy to keep drinking this into oblivion (as one of our party did). Later visits had us limiting ourselves to 1 of these a night.

The only cons to this beer are its sweetness and it's mouthfeel, IMHO. You need to be OK with a sweet "beer" or ready yourself to the fact that what you're going to have is sweet. There is no hint of hops or bitterness or anything that you would expect from a regular beer.

The other is mouthfeel. To me, there's just not enough carbonation for my taste. A tad bit more bubbles and this thing would be perfect for the type of beer category it represents.

If you're ever in the Illinois area, seek out a place that has this beer. Search far and wide for you while you're there and try it. You may find yourself as happy (then sad) as I did.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 21:56:35 | More by indiggio

emerge077

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Is hard root beer really such a novel concept?

Served in a 10 oz. snifter at Blackfinn in Mount Prospect.
Dark brown syrupy liquid with a bare skim on top, practically nonexistent. No lace or foam, likely due to the high abv. Brownish mahoghany edges, not much light getting through.

Aroma is intensely of root beer, licorice and sarsaparilla root, vanilla, slightly medicinal. I will say you can't really smell any booze here.

Cloying sweet cane sugar, licorice, sarsaparilla, nutmeg, angosturra bitters in the aftertaste. Sticky on the lips with low carbonation. It tastes like a splash of rum in a glass of root beer, and the alcohol is alcohol is definitely obvious. There's a perceptible medicinal alcohol presence, with an odd note of bitters in the aftertaste. Just because a ton of sugar covers up the burn, doesn't mean the alcohol doesn't contribute to the taste. Side by side with n/a root beer, the difference is distinct. That said, this would potentially make a good ice cream float, if you need a sugar fix.

Purely a novelty and nothing more. Tasted side by side with GI Root Beer, which seemed almost dry by comparison... which is weird because i'd always thought it was way too sweet on a fresh palate in the past.

File this away next to Four Loko, Lime-a-rita, and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Pass...

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 02:55:59 | More by emerge077

zaraspook

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.5

Man its taste just like rootbeer. I couldn't between the taste of this. Very smooth with no after taste. Its even smells like rootbeer. Can't wait to taste the stronger one. If you have the change to try it and you like rootbeer you won't be disapponited at all.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2013 02:42:05 | More by zaraspook

bankerdanny

4.93/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

If I didn't know it was alcoholic I might have thought this was regular root beer.

The carbonation is very light, and the beer is very sweet, as one would expect from a root beer, more A&W than say Barq's.

Be careful with it, it would be very easy to over indulge. I am thinking that it would be interesting to try as a float. You could call it a Drunken Cow.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 03:38:13 | More by bankerdanny

MickeyBeer

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this beer on tap at the Beer Market in Vernon Hills. It was poured into an 11oz snifter.

A- Very dark in color like a root beer should be. Almost no head whatsoever.

S- Sweet smell much like you would expect from any root beer.

T- Tastes like a really good root beer. Very sweet. At 10% abv the alcohol is hardly noticeable. Root beer taste and sugars cover it very well.

M- Very smooth and drinkable. Hardly feels like a beer or even an alcoholic beverage. Feels like a really delicious root beer in your mouth. Mouth feel is light and not like that of most dark beers.

O- This is a great beer that I look forward to having again. Very unique style that hardly tastes like a beer at all. I have found myself craving it since I tried it. This is a must try if you find it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2013 04:41:10 | More by MickeyBeer

mychalg9

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A friend had a keg of this at his place so I tried a glass. Only had one because of how dangerously drinkable this stuff is. Wow! Smells like a root beer, but better, somehow. Taste is fresh root beer, maybe a little creamier, with some vanilla hints in there. No detectable alcohol whatsoever, which is what makes it so dangerous. This was definitely a hit at the party. Seek this out if you can. I will be looking to buy a 5 gal keg ASAP.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 20:16:52 | More by mychalg9

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served in a snifter at the Beer Market in Lincolnshire.

Finally putting down my thoughts on the 10% version of this ridiculousness. It pours a nearly opaque black-brown topped by a finger of light sandy tan foam. The nose comprises light molasses, mild wintergreen, cola, and even a bit of cocoa and maple syrup. Frankly, it smells like root beer. Yup. The taste brings in more of the same, a traditional-tasting root beer with a slight intimation that there might be some alcohol back there somewhere. Imagine your uncle (not the creepy one, though) surreptitiously spiking his own soda during an otherwise boring family party, then possibly (you're not entirely sure, though) doing the same for you, despite your youth. Yup. The body is a fluffy medium, with a moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a damn tasty beverage, one that combines my love for a well-made root beer with my love for a good-tasting beer. I can't say this vehemently enough: GET SOME!

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 10:46:14 | More by TMoney2591

beergurujr

Illinois

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Alcoholic root beer. Tastes like a really well made root beer. No real sense of any booze. Root beer color (dark). Smells like a great root beer- herbal. Fuller bodied than a non-alcoholic root beer. How they do this is a mystery to me. I love root beer, and of course I love this stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2012 17:11:15 | More by beergurujr