The Good Captain

After my last experience with Goose Island Root Beer I needed something to wash that taste out of my mouth and memory. Looking at the Root Beers in my fridge I decided to pull out one I knew to be a winner in the taste category and get my taste buds back in the game.
The choice was clear to me. I reached in and grabbed a Capt'n Eli's Root Beer. Not too many Root Beers out there come with their own online comic book, as comics go it's pretty darned good, reminds me a lot of all those Johnny Quest cartoons I consumed as a kid. They also have a nice interactive website and online store to order their fine products.

Capt'n Eli's Root Beer is made by Shipyard Brewing in Portland, Maine and these guys know what they're doing. From the amber bottle to the great label artwork and the brew itself, the folks at Shipyard have managed to craft a Root Beer that has all of the right qualities, in the right amounts and it stands out from the rest of the market. They could easily have called this Admir'l Eli's and they'd have been right on. From the head and the spicy Root Beer flavour to the just right sweetness, this is a true, premium brew. Capt'n, my hat's off to you.

Let's get down to the review, although I feel it just cannot do it justice, you'll have to get up and go find one and drink it, to truly understand this Root Beer. If I could get Capt'n Eli's locally in the Indianapolis area it would become a staple in my fridge.

Ingredients: Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Coloring, Natural and Artificial Flavors Including Wintergreen Oil, Anise, Vanilla, Spices, Herbs, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.

Carbonation: Nicely carbonated. It adds an enhancing kick to the spiciness. Too few brews manage this.
Mouth Feel: Not creamy, but not too thin.
Root Beer Flavour: A spicy flavour with a nice undertone of cane sugar sweetness.
Sweetness: Medium sweet not cloying in the least. Just right.
Head: Reasonable, medium length.
Aftertaste: Spicy with a slight vanilla tone that meshes well with the cane sugar taste.
Aroma: Sharp, spicy with a cane scent.
Overall Taste: Beautifully spicy with an understated hint of wintergreen . The anise combines really well with the wintergreen and the brew just makes your tastebuds sing.

Score: Capt'n Eli's gets a 9/10