Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%)
Not Your Father's (NYF)


- From:
- Not Your Father's (NYF)
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Herb and Spice Beer
Ranked #1 - ABV:
- 5.9%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #10,094 - Avg:
- 4 | pDev: 18.25%
- Reviews:
- 613
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 12, 2025
- Added:
- Oct 29, 2012
- Wants:
- 213
- Gots:
- 1,311
Not Your Father’s Root Beer is a category-defining craft specialty ale brewed with unique spices. Brewer Tim Kovac’s creativity and painstaking commitment to flavor complexity results in an unmistakable offering that masterfully blends hints of sarsaparilla, wintergreen, anise, and vanilla. A smooth and balanced Ale, NYFRB has broad appeal – from discerning craft beer drinkers to non-beer drinkers.
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.66/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.66/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle from Albertsons. There’s a reason root beer has "beer" i n the name, and this is it. Deliciously sweet, but lurking in the background is the nugget of old school Brewing, hence the name. Not my father’s, but perhaps my Grandfathers.?
Jun 01, 2023Reviewed by Dr_Gonzo from Kentucky
4/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a tall clear pint glass. Appearance is a root beer brown/kind of a darker brown, with a dark head.
Aroma: just like root beer. Brown sugar/molasses, vanilla, licorice, spices.
Tastes just like the aroma, consistency of a root beer.
Apr 16, 2023Aroma: just like root beer. Brown sugar/molasses, vanilla, licorice, spices.
Tastes just like the aroma, consistency of a root beer.
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
4.1/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Found a box of these in the cellar.
Poured like a root beer that had been opened for a while; little carbonation.
The aroma is of root beer.
The taste is of root beer. Super sweet.
The feel is a little flat (see aforementioned carbonation issue)
OA, it’s meant to resemble root beer and it’s doing a bang up job.
Not sure if the Pabst version is any different, and likely won’t find out, what I have of these will last a very long while.
Feb 11, 2023Poured like a root beer that had been opened for a while; little carbonation.
The aroma is of root beer.
The taste is of root beer. Super sweet.
The feel is a little flat (see aforementioned carbonation issue)
OA, it’s meant to resemble root beer and it’s doing a bang up job.
Not sure if the Pabst version is any different, and likely won’t find out, what I have of these will last a very long while.
Reviewed by IvoryBilledWoodpecker from Florida
4.06/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.06/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Looks like a dark root beer soda. There is a decent dirty brown head that dies immediately. Lacing is absent. Nice root beer scents are immediately present, I’m a huge fan… unfortunately it also smells like a cheap soda. I would otherwise rate even higher. Flavor is good but strangely one dimensional. After taste is also just not good. I would also think going in I want that high sweetness from a quality root beer soda but I think I’d like something a little drier here. I like this but there must be better real root beers out there.
Nov 01, 2022Reviewed by md3kcn from North Carolina
3.46/5 rDev -13.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -13.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Label reads "Small Town Brewery", so I'm putting the review here. Purchased as a single bottle from Ingles for $1.99. Poured into a tulip glass.
L - Root beer brown. Clear. A minimal dark brown head.
S - Like root beer, but very herbal. Anise, vanilla, and wet oak. Molasses.
T - Exactly the same as the nose. On the sweeter end of the spectrum.
F - Medium-bodied, and with plenty of carbonation. Pretty drinkable.
O - I've admittedly had this before, and it's about the same as the last time. Not quite like your typical non-alcoholic root beer; like a craft version of Barq's. Not too bad, but probably won't get it again. A good novelty.
Sep 13, 2022L - Root beer brown. Clear. A minimal dark brown head.
S - Like root beer, but very herbal. Anise, vanilla, and wet oak. Molasses.
T - Exactly the same as the nose. On the sweeter end of the spectrum.
F - Medium-bodied, and with plenty of carbonation. Pretty drinkable.
O - I've admittedly had this before, and it's about the same as the last time. Not quite like your typical non-alcoholic root beer; like a craft version of Barq's. Not too bad, but probably won't get it again. A good novelty.
Reviewed by SageFire
4.05/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.05/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Tastes great, packaging a bit minimalistic, smells and tastes just like root beer. Only issue is a headache after imbibing. Perhaps ingredients are a factor, or just a specific trigger to me. Overall really great though!
Sep 02, 2022Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.25/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle says Small Town, so I'll put it here. Coding hard to figure out, but thinking the 'LX" means La Crosse.
Looks like cola.
Smells like root beer.
Tastes like root beer, and the abv of 5.9 is well nigh invisible.
Mouth above medium, finish a sweet strong sarsaparilla, and a little warming, the only sign of abv.
Overall, while no great fan of root beer, this is exactly what it set out to be. The missus, who enjoys the style, gave it a thumbs up.
Aug 28, 2022Looks like cola.
Smells like root beer.
Tastes like root beer, and the abv of 5.9 is well nigh invisible.
Mouth above medium, finish a sweet strong sarsaparilla, and a little warming, the only sign of abv.
Overall, while no great fan of root beer, this is exactly what it set out to be. The missus, who enjoys the style, gave it a thumbs up.
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
4.25/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottled and purchased from the Bottle shop in Altrincham town centre after bartering for it
Pours li my e classic root beer with a little more head retention
Smell is classic too sarsaparilla, dark sugar & vanilla
Tge flavour takes me back to the germolene oriented stuff
Oct 07, 2021Pours li my e classic root beer with a little more head retention
Smell is classic too sarsaparilla, dark sugar & vanilla
Tge flavour takes me back to the germolene oriented stuff
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