If you are a Midwesterner and you leave the kind of charmed life that I do, at some point you have had the good fortune to visit the Mars Cheese Castle. Just a little North of the Illinois/Wisconsin border, its sign majestically signalling the magical lactose-laden treats inside. Seriously, if you like cheese, sausage, regional foodstuffs or roadside souvenier stands, you will not be disappointed at the Castle.
So I was indeed fortunate enough to find myself at the Mars Chees Castle this past weekend, and by pure chance, I found myself in front of the beer cooler. Instead of finding a nice regional microbrew to take home with me, a dusty plastic bottle caught my eye. Let me now officially begin this Jackass Soda review:
Name: Lakefront Brewery’s Golden Maple Root Beer
Alleged Flavor: Root Beer with Pure Wisconsin Maple Syrup
Actual Flavor: Pancakes with an A & W chaser
Carbonation Level: Moderate to high
Color: The appetizing hue of varnish
Tasting sample was from: plastic bottle, poured into glass
A dusty bottle did not sway me from buying and drinking this product- I mean, it’s made my a microbrewery in Wisconsin, I can’t go wrong, can I?
Fortunately, I did not go wrong. What sounded like an iffy proposition at best on the label turned out to be a unique and tasty soda experience. The first thing that hits you- other than the honey-like color, very light for a root beer- is the scent. Very Butterworth’s. The initial taste is that of Root Beer, but their seems to be more going on, The more I drank, the more Maple I tasted- and smelled. It really started working it’s way into my senses. It was a very pleasant experience that I would like to have again. Dust off those bottles, Mars Chees Castle, I’m coming back. Ah, forget it, no need to dust ‘em off…
Overall Rating: 9 of 10. It would have to be an everyday soda to get a 10, and this one is for specific occasions- like breakfast? Could this succeed where Pepsi A.M. failed?