Virgil's Rootbeer

 

Brand: Virgil's
Brewed in: LA, CA
Where to find: Nationwide, health food stores/grocers
Website: www.reedsinc.com/virgils

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Packaging/Label: You can't deny this brand has one of the best illustrated labels around - and bonus points for the excellent God-like beard being sported by ye olde gentleman server. It was a weird decision to lay that descriptive, thin black type over the bottom half of the illustration though. Nice one, guys - I can't freaking read any of it except for a sliver of the middle! As far as i know, this root beer is a "Natural A Root Rich And You'll It's Made In Heaven".

Aroma: Heavy on licorice, hints of vanilla; Overall, pretty strong scent but it's not overpowering or offensive.

Bite: Sharp, strong bite that quickly dissolves.

Flavor: Really, guys? Did i pick up a pack of Virgil's root beer or carbonated licorice juice? Because if i didn't know better, i'd say the latter. Like the smell, licorice is prominent with some bursts of vanilla, nutmeg and wintergreen. It's smooth (i wouldn't say creamy necessarily), but leaves an aftertaste and a coating in my mouth that i'm not real stoked about. Needless to say, I'll need a glass of water once i'm through with this bottle. It is unique, i'll give it that much.

Should you buy it? If you're really hankerin' for something different, go for it. Otherwise, i'd advise you to skip it unless you're just into collecting rad soda labels.

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Additional Notes: 

Just because it says it's gourmet doesn't mean it's good! They claim they are what "Ben & Jerry's is to ice cream, what Dom Perignon is to champagne" and i say to that, "Ho, ho, good sir! You are living in a world of fairy tales, blue genies and straight-up oblivion!"  There is a lot going on in this brew and i don't think all of these elements work as cohesively as they're daydreaming about over yonder at Virgil's root beer plant.

Overall Rating: