RAT BASTARD root beer: Good Brew Gone to Waste

I first wish to acknowledge my negative expectations of this particular brew. If the name wasn't enough to turn my nose skyward the other antics located on the label certainly did the job. In fact the other reviews I have seen on this brew indicated that it was by far the worst of the worst, which in and of its self is something to note. In fact it was that reputation that prompted me to choose this brew from among the other many options when I was at Jungle Jim's. In many ways it seems that the brewers of Rat Bastard actually sought after that reputation, not a bad way to sell some brew.

The ingredients were just as appalling as the label. It was as if they went through a natural-food grocery store and grabbed the nastiest stuff they could find. I am not even sure if some of these ingredients are even considered food. Needless to say my hesitation was great, but then Jeff posted his review and my apprehension quickly turned to intrigue. I popped the top and began to experience an overwhelming feeling of incongruence.

This brew was expected to be completely nauseating, even the very initial aroma spritz was supposed to cause delirium, but in fact this was the exact opposite of my experience. This brew smelled good, I mean really good, like brew is supposed to. The pour resulted in a fair dark foam head, it didn't hang around as long as the standard but it wasn't far behind it either. My first taste of Rat Bastard was most delightful, rather than feeling sick to my stomach I actually felt warm and fuzzy. This stuff was dark, very dark, and carried a creamy, smooth, and well balanced flavor that clearly toted a root beer extract. I was amazed, how did these guys cram all those crazy ingredients into this brew and still pan out with a high quality product. In fact the taste of this brew is that of Virgil's quality but the bottle is certainly a liability in my book.

Had it been in a nice happy bottle with a sweet logo this brew would land right next to Virgil's in my book. However, their attempt to sell brew with outrageous means will cost them, at least here at the Rootbeer Brothers. I grant Rat Bastard 3.5 Frosty Mugs and although it is good I don't foresee me recommending it to my friends.

- Adam