IBC Caffeine Free Root Beer

I'm not the strictest person when it comes to diet and lifestyle rules. I get plenty of exercise cycling to work and don't go mad on fatty foods. But when it comes to caffeine I usually only have one coffee a day, a decent one not an instant to set me up for the the day. Plus, depending on how late I sleep in on Sunday I try to avoid caffeine on the day of rest so I know I'll get a good night's sleep for the start of a working week.

Ok, long introduction for a review of a root beer but this IBC is caffeine free so it made sense to drink it on a Sunday. Quite a basic taste of root beer and the Deep Heat force is strong in this one. However, it's crossed over to the dark side with its combined chemical-like sharp taste and fizziness at the end of the gulp.

Checking the ingredients and that four word combo reminds you to be vigilant when shopping - High Fructose Corn Syrup! Let's say I'm not a fan as its a sweetener that fails of taste. It sort of reminded me of Dr Pepper and checking Wikipedia, I notice that IBC go bought up by Cadbury Schwepps which owns the Dr Pepper brand. With that in mind, this is the Darth Sith of the root beers. Black and red in appearance and a member of the Dark Side.


Another purchase from Cyber Candy, Brighton store for the slightly cheaper than normal price of £1.59 for a small bottle.

<Jedi mind trick>This isn't the root beer you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along. This root beer score is:

6/10

Brew It Yourself Root Beer - Second attempt review

If you've read my first review of this Firebox gift of Brew it Yourself Root Beer kit then you'll know it didn't go very well. The lessons learned that time were that maybe I didn't put enough root beer flavouring in and the dark cane sugar was just too much.

Homebrew Root Beer 2.0
I used the same still water in two 2 litre bottles but tried two recipes to make two different bottles and flavours. Both were made with:

• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 3 squeezes of honey (probably half a tbsp)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 unit of Root Beer flavouring extract supplied with the kit – actually I might not have used enough in the first batch as there was more left than I expected.

Left recipe had:

• 33% vanilla cane sugar
• 33% dark brown cane sugar
• 33% normal white cane sugar

Right recipe had: 

• 33% vanilla cane sugar
• 67% dark brown cane sugar

Due to an old saucepan replaced I only had one 2.5 litre pan and one 2 litre pan so preparation got a little messy stirring the mixture to dissolve the sugar. The cinnamon might have been a mistake as it just floated on the top (my wife said I should have tea-bagged it – the cinnamon not…). After heating up the mixture and stirred it for a while it actually tasted ok. Warmed it up a little too much so it took ages to cool to the optimum temperature for the yeast (around 24C needed). In the end I was putting it in the fridge then the freezer to finish the job before bedtime.

I’d seen a YouTube video of an experienced root beer homebrewer and he actually added the yeast differently to the instructions given. So this time I added the yeast straight into the bottles and shook them up as per the video. After about 2 to 3 days both bottles were checked for their fizzy-ness then put into the fridge.

The results
I was expecting the Left bottle to taste better due to having less dark brown sugar but the root beer flavouring didn't come through, neither did the vanilla and the yeast didn't activate properly so it was instantly flat. The cinnamon flavour came through but although all flavours were extremely subtle there were small floaty bits.

Left recipe: 4/10

Right bottle was marginally better having a lot more fizz than Left (after being chilled it almost flooded my kitchen work surface). However, the root beer flavouring was too subtle and perhaps suffered from the bad idea of cinnamon. After two openings the carbonation had almost gone so a poor result.

Right recipe: 5/10

Overall, I think even though the cinnamon might have caused some flavour confusion it was the root beer flavouring that wasn't strong enough. Other causes could have been brewing it in 2 litre bottles instead of using 355ml glass bottles but that would have meant special capping equipment and saving bottles. Let's say I won't bother buying this again and with finding the actual natural ingredients to homebrew this properly I might as well let the experts peddle their wares.

Waialua Soda Works Root Beer review

I didn't know what to expect from a root beer brewed in Hawaii. The smell and taste of this Waialua Soda Works Root Beer is full-on medicine so this is one for the haters! So much so I would hope it would cure a sore throat or perhaps splashed on like an antiseptic after-shave.

Another Cyber Candy purchase, this time from their Covent Garden store in London. At the time of this review it was out of stock on their UK root beer shop.

It's better than average so I'm not giving it an Hawaii 5-0 but I give this:

6/10

Reviews of Waialua root beer from around the web

Across the pond and our Yankee cousins have been drinking root beers for ages. Here's a selection of links of reviews for the above same root beer:

• Video review by Dybrn Soda (7/10)
• Root Beer Reviews for the Rest of Us (Grade B)
• Eric's Gourmet Root Beer Review (2 kegs)

Langers Premium Soda Root Beer review

It sounds like a Marks and Spencer product. Madagascar vanilla extract is combined with thick notes of rich cream flavour and topped off with a touch of honey. Bold, rich, sweet and smooth. But does this Langers Premium Soda Root Beer live up to its luxury sounding description?

First of all, it's nice to see there's no artificial ingredients according to the label. What IS in the bottle ingredients wise comes through as very strong flavours but at a balance leaning towards the cream which in my opinion tips it over to an offensive cream taste. Even the smell has that near the sell by date of off cream.

Don't take my word for it though. GourmetRootBeer.com reviewed it years ago and also thought it was disappointing and rated it 3 kegs out 5 (gotta love his gimmick).

Another Cyber Candy purchase rated at a disappointing:

6/10

UK singer/artist Example likes root beer

In case you didn't know Rob's Root Beer Review is on Twitter. So is Elliot John Gleave better known as Example, the British singer/rapper.

Whilst searching for UK tweeters liking root beer Mr EG is looking for root beer himself. Well, how could I not help a fellow addict? So I mentioned possibly the best shop for the job, Cyber Candy and obviously my blog. Below is the screenshot helping Example but looks like he's a well-informed man. Still I hope he can take away some advice of what to buy next according to my reviews!

@Rootbeeruk @CyberCandyLTD been there plenty of times
— example (@example) January 22, 2014

Jack Black's Dead Red Root Beer review

How could I not buy this bottle of Jack Black's Dead Red root beer!? Anything with pirates will always win and they've gone 'overboard' with the packaging. Like all imported US root beers this was quite a few pieces of eight to buy. This brew also boasts added caffeine and Brazilian guarana so will revive the deadest of scurvy seafolk. Love the inside bottle cap warning which states: Stay away from crack; drink Jack Black. Shame this has nothing to do with School of Rock front man, Jack Black.

Is she sailing or failing?
I'm not too sure about the taste to be honest. (Adopt a pirate accent for maximum understanding) There be root beer in sight when you take a dip but once on board its given the heave-ho. If you landlubbers like liquorice then swing into port and pick up this bottle of rum. However, its after-taste for us old seadogs may be too much after one grog.

The slogan suggests that "Once you've had jack black you'll never go back!" - well, I'd rephrase this to "Once you've had jack black you'll probably not go back and drink something cheaper and tastier instead" - but that wouldn't really fit on the bottle. Saying that though there's always benefit to the ability of keeping that unpatched eye awake.

If you want a decent caffeinated root beer then check out Bawls which I reviewed earlier in the month.

Bought from the Covent Garden London store of Cyber Candy at £1.79. I rate this:

6/10

Gale's Root Beer review

A cute bottle label which reminded me of Enid Blyton children's books and running around crazy with a sugar high from too much fizzy pop.

The first thing that hits you (or your taste buds) is the cinnamon. There's supposed to be ginger and vanilla in there too but the cinnamon muscled them out and told them to never come back. It's not smooth like other better root beers as the fizzy texture remains but it is an acquired taste i.e. if you like cinnamon.

The back story is that brand owner and US TV chef Gale Gand, whilst cooking in England ran out of ingredients to make root beer (I know that feeling) so got a dog(!) and named it Rootie. Not exactly a substitute for root beer unless the dog provided an essential ingredient?

I rate this gourmet root beer:

6/10