Avery’s™ looks like it has fallen straight out of the early 1900s. Hopefully the flavor will be as traditional as other brews that come from that time. I’m intrigued by its simplistic style and design, and in-your-face lettering. To be honest, it reminds me of the look of a repair man, or a milk man. Is Avery’s™ a working man’s root beer? Let’s find out!
Gold Coin Root Beer
Avery’s™ is a very dark looking root beer, filled to the absolute top of the neck. The white label, with blue and black block lettering is easy to read, and conveys an antique quality to it. The bottle itself is standard, but I would absolutely expect a traditional looking root beer to be in the tall neck style.
Background
Avery’s Bottling Works hails from New Britain, Connecticut. According to the website, Sherman F. Avery began making soda in 1904 in a red barn, originally delivering his goods via horse-drawn carriage. Avery Soda advertises that they still make their soda out of that same red barn, which is quite the feat, and adds to the historical significance of Avery’s™.
Ingredients
- Carbonated Water
- Pure Cane Sugar
- Natural Flavors
- Citric Acid
- Caramel Color
- Sodium Benzoate (a preservative)
Despite the insistence that they make small-batch flavors with the finest ingredients, I am averse to the concept of natural flavors, and believe that a root beer should be transparent with what flavors it’s using. I’m not seeing that here.
Tasting
After popping the top, Avery’s™ has a very traditional smell. It’s both pleasing and tantalizing, and when chilled, the initial vapor has a very elegant look to it. That same traditional smell carries into the traditional flavoring too, and on first taste, Avery’s™ maintains a very similar but well known traditional root beer flavor. It’s not even remotely bitter. Despite the strong aroma and the overwhelmingly sweetness of the brew, the taste itself is subtle and a tad weak. Mint is one of the most prevalent flavors available, but it’s hard to discern anything else easily.
The carbonation is fine and not abundant, which is my personal preference. It’s an incredibly smooth root beer, and easily drinkable. Avery’s™ can be very difficult to drink in small sips, and I’ve inadvertently gulped it down during this review process.
There’s very little after taste, but because of how sweet the root beer is, it definitely sticks around; but is easily washed away with a swish of water. Over time, it’s just as drinkable as it was at the beginning. I would say that the only major difference is that it does become a touch more bitter after it has had time to breathe, and after becoming accustomed to how sweet it is.
Conclusion
This is a standard, run-of-the-mill traditional root beer. It’s a bit weak in its flavor, but that’s not a bad thing. Some people prefer subtle traditional root beers as opposed to stronger ones. It’s very good, and I would recommend it to others looking to try it.
Rating: ♛♛♛♕♕ – 3/5