Bayou Bootlegger Hard Root Beer
Abita Brewing Co.

Bayou Bootlegger Hard Root BeerBayou Bootlegger Hard Root Beer
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Abita Brewing Co.
 
Louisiana, United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.54 | pDev: 13.56%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
62
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 24, 2021
Added:
Dec 10, 2015
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  15
Bayou Bootlegger is a decidedly adult take on the old-fashioned soda fountain root beers of days gone by. Gluten-free and sweetened with pure Louisiana cane sugar, this handcrafted beer delivers aromas of wintergreen, vanilla and sassafras, with hints of clove and anise. Enjoy its smooth, complex and satisfyingly sweet flavor as your go-to thirst quencher or paired with your favorite meal.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Avatar113:
Photo of Avatar113
Rated by Avatar113 from California

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Jun 30, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Aug 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by Chipwells from Georgia

Jan 31, 2021
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Thanks to Small Town, Sprecher, and the rest, it looks like hard root beers are gonna be a thing. Sweet. This one pours a clear amber-tawny topped by a half-finger or so of taupe foam. The nose is straight indicative of root beer, maybe a touch sweeter than usual, some mild anise in the back for good measure. The taste brings in more of the same, a sweet root beer with some clove and allspice and anise bits here and there. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slick-ish feel. Overall, a solid hard root beer. 'Nuff said.
Aug 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.16 by EricCFrantz from Louisiana

May 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.39 by DigitGrowler from Kentucky

Apr 24, 2018
Photo of jadpsu
Reviewed by jadpsu from Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
In LAUREL.
I only purchased a single bottle as part of a make your own 6 pack offer.

LOOK: Pour looked identical to the Root Beer days of my youth when A&W was widely available if only occasionally the soft drink choice. Poured near black in color with a brown foamy head that slowly faded.
AROMA: 100% A Root Beer Match, with Root Beer aroma having a touch of clove and vanilla.

TASTE: Flavor and taste was a Root Beer match as well. Sweet, too sweet at this age. Label says it has PURE LOUISIANA CANE SUGAR . For me the clove is unwanted since clove goes straight to my frontal head giving me a light headed headache feeling.
My scoring gave the benefit of the doubt, since this HARD Root Beer did a superior job of creating a true old fashioned Root Beer feel.
Mar 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Mar 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by Beerbuddha from Florida

Jan 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Jerid from Florida

Aug 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by godawgs from Louisiana

Aug 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.63 by Jason_cs from Florida

Jun 28, 2017
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a damn near black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of root beer. Taste is syrup, root beer, very sweet. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall, while I enjoyed this, it just doesn't feel like a beer. One is enough for me.
Apr 23, 2017
Photo of BeerBobber
Reviewed by BeerBobber from Nevada

4.15/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The look is so crazy! Looks like I just poured a nice frosty mug of root beer. Dark color with a nice frothy brown head that will stick all the way down the glass.

The smell threw me back to my childhood! Straight out of the fresh ass A&W Root Beer shops we used to go to. I can actually picture that same damn location off of Sheridan Av. just by smelling this.

The taste is the same as the smell! Holy crap Batman I think I am going straight back to my childhood! Taste is just like that classic A@W root beer.

Mouth feel seems to be a bit off of the classic root beer I am imagining. Seems to be a bit maltier, if that is a word. And the thickness tosses it off just a bit. Finish is wet and slick.

Wow! I really went back to my childhood with this one. This seems to me to be a very fine root beer from the folks at Abita. With the addition of the 5.9% alcohol this one land in that adult beverage category. Yet to be billed as a beer this one really does tend to confuse me. Well screw that! I am going to enjoy going back to an earlier age with this fine beverage. Cheers BA bro's!
Apr 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.62 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Mar 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by tbryan5 from Louisiana

Feb 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Feb 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by harpus from Alabama

Oct 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by duvel1979 from District of Columbia

Sep 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by Shafaegalo from Texas

Sep 19, 2016
Bayou Bootlegger Hard Root Beer from Abita Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 62 ratings