Luke's Root Beer Reviews
Abita
Root Beer
"Made
with pure Louisiana Cane Sugar"
Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs, Louisiana 70420
Review
I re-reviewed this brew and it did not do nearly as well as the first time around, not sure what is up with that. Cola and rusty cap nose. Very fizzy up front, slightly metallic initial hit. Cola-like taste, fading to a metallic aftertaste. Some slight rootiness in the aftertaste. Sweet midrange, lots of cola but not all that much root.
Although this brew came highly recommended for its cane sugar taste, it did not fare all that well in the 2002 Cole Family Taste-off, coming in 5th. Tasters noted its great head and spiciness, but were turned off by its cola-like taste.
The old review from 12/24/02 (on which the 2003 top ten is based) brought Abita in with an 8.69 overall average. Abita has fallen in the standings significantly with the new review.
Luke's Numbers (11/20/04)
|
Flavor |
Mouthfeel |
|
Sweetness 7.5 |
Carbonation 7.5 |
|
Rootiness 6.5 |
Smoothness 7.5 |
|
Aftertaste 6.5 |
Over-all mouthfeel 7.5 |
|
Over-all Flavor 7.5 |
Over-all Root Beer Experience 7.5 |
|
Over-all average 7.25 |
Rank: 64 of 133 |
2002 Cole Family Taste-off (5th)
|
Flavor |
Mouthfeel |
|
Sweetness 6.38 |
Carbonation 6.00 |
|
Rootiness 5.75 |
Smoothness 5.17 |
|
Aftertaste 5.63 |
Over-all mouthfeel 5.71 |
|
Over-all Flavor 5.94 |
Over-all Root Beer Experience 6.06 |
|
Over-all average 5.83 |
Rank: 7 of 15 |
Ingredients: Carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, root beer flavor, phosphoric acid. 12 oz. bottle, 177 calories, 16 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrates, 38g from sugars.
Acquired: From the Plaza Deli in Santa Barbara; also at Yum! in San Francisco ($1.50/bottle).
Available: Specialty beverage stores.
Links
Abita Brewing Company homepage, no mention of root beer
Pop the Soda shop Abita page
Luke's Root Beer Homepage + Root Beer Rankings
2001 Root Beer Taste-off + 2002 Root Beer Taste-off