Drink your Dessert: Cicero's Salted Caramel Root Beer Soda

As Reviewed by George, Tom, and Stephanie

We recently found a new soda distributor and just brought plenty of new flavors Georgie Lou's hasn't carried previously into the store.  One of our new finds is Cicero Beverage Company's Salted Caramel Root Beer.  Based out of Chicago, Cicero Beverage currently crafts 11 flavors of soda.  We brought in their Caramel Apple, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, and Candied Bacon Cream alongside the Salted Caramel Root Beer.

Recently, we popped a cap on the Salted Caramel Root Beer and here's our take . . .

Tom:  I usually look for a classic root beer when choosing a drink.  However, when I saw a salted caramel root beer it peeked my interest.  It lacks the burn of a normal root beer but makes up for it with a strong caramel flavor.  It is a good choice if you are looking for a nice twist on the classic.  Just be prepared for a trip to flavorland.

George:  As a full-grown man and high school graduate, I am trying to enhance my pallet and develop a more sophisticated sense of taste to match my newly found adulthood.  This soda has allowed me to grow as both a "foodie" and as a person.  While an amateur soda drinker or average person may just stick to typical root beer, I reached my hand into the cooler and grabbed a salted caramel root beer, and boy was I astounded by its fantastic taste and elegant passage down my throat into my digestive tract.  I could taste equal parts root beer and caramel with even a hint of salt which had to be the best part because of its delectable subtlety.  In short, I was simply delighted and even, dare I say it, privileged to drink a culinary masterpiece such as this.

Stephanie:  Well, I'm not really sure there's much left to say after those two fantastic reviews, but I'll give it my best shot.  Our standard root beer go to around here is Frostie, but we have so many twists on root beer in our cases right now that not trying them all seems a travesty. As salted caramel anything is the current snack and candy trend, Cicero's salted caramel version seemed the best place to start.  Upon first taste, the caramel flavor is very bold and fills your entire mouth with buttery-flavored goodness.  The caramel is so apparent that it's difficult to taste any traditional root beer flavor. The carbonation is mild and doesn't burn at all, which enhances the smoothness of the caramel.  It's not until you swallow that you're able to detect root beer, which is, indeed, very mild as well.  I had a hard time tasting any salt, but as salt paired with sweet acts as a flavor-enhancer instead of taking center stage, the salt here is probably the reason the caramel flavor is so strong.  We split one bottle of Cicero's between us, and I'm not sure I could finish an entire bottle myself because it's overall impact is pretty sweet, and it seems as though this soda should be enjoyed as a stand alone beverage and not paired with food--well, at least nothing savory.

Overall, our take on Cicero's Salted Caramel Root Beer is it's delicious-it's like drinking a dessert instead of eating one, and it's definitely a soda experience meant to be shared.