Earp’s Original Sarsaparilla
I really enjoyed this brew . . . but mostly because of the name and label. I simply love the nostalgia and of course the connection to Wyatt Earp (although I really didn’t know much about him until reading the Wikipedia article – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Earp).
I must say that Wyatt Earp seemed like a simply fascinating individual. This one line in the Wikipedia article sums up his life in a rather fortrite but interesting manner. It says,
Earp lived a restless life. He was at different times in his life a constable, city policeman, county sheriff, teamster, buffalo hunter, bouncer, saloon-keeper, gambler, brothel owner, pimp, miner, and boxing referee.
But as interesting as Wyatt Earp really was, this sarsaparilla was not quite as interesting. This would be the perfect brew for a party . . . it is an interesting conversation starter . . . but it isn’t in the top group of brews. The taste is not offensive by any means, it is just more of an average sarsaparilla – bland actually.
The Professor’s Grade: C +
Fentimans Curiosity Cola
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Curiosity Cola resurrected the cola! And with that being said, this is absolutely more of a cola than a root beer, despite some good root beer ingredients such as ginger root and juniper. I am admittedly not a cola expert, or really a fan for that matter, but I love the quality of the other Fentiman’s products so I decided to give this a try, and I really like it! The quality is immediately apparent . . . above and beyond the colas found on the supermarket shelves across. I don’t really know how to compare it, like I would a root beer, but I can tell that there is quality in this brew.
I really do like the yeasty undertones in this brew, similar to the Bundaberg Root Beer I tasted not too long ago. If I remember correctly, the yeast taste was stronger in the Bundaberg than it is in the Fentimans, but similar nonetheless.
The bottom-line is that anything that combines fermentation, botanical and herbal items gives a level of sophistication that isn’t found in a 99 cent bottle of cola.
The Professor’s Grade: B +
