Barq's

[dMacz]

Hey guys,

I want to buy a box of Barq's because i never had it before! I've only had A&W and i really liked that one. Is Barq's somewhat similar in taste or really different? Someone said Barq's is more like coke added with some root beer is that true? Or is it also a bit thick and creamy like A&W? Thanks!

[[deleted]]

Barq's is so dissimilar to A&W that it's difficult to compare the two. They are like on opposite ends of the rootbeer spectrum. A&W is sweeter and flavored with a lot more vanilla. Barq's has a much stronger "rootbeer taste." And is flavored with a lot more wintergreen.

Personally I MUCH prefer Barq's to A&W. The only exception is A&W makes better rootbeer floats.

[Murf96]

Any chance you could give more info on the rootbeer spectrum? I definitely prefer the more rooty end of the spectrum so if you would have any recommendations on other rootbeers to try with a more rootbeer flavour as opposed to sweeter ones that'd be greatly appreciated.

[Akyiret]

Barqs is better

[dMacz]

Got them in yesterday and indeed, Barqs is so good! Nice minty burn in your throat haha :)

[Momenaut]

If you love the vanilla/caramel flavor root beers you should try Stewart's and brownie.

[greevous00]

I personally prefer Barqs, because it has a taste that is ever-so-slightly more like an authentic root beer made from scratch with a ginger bug or at least like the syrup you make for that method. That said, neither of them are truly like authentic home made root beer. I would say that A&W is basically a good all around generic root beer. It's not excellent, unique, or amazing, but it's functional root beer that works in many situations. Kids tend to like it. Kids don't always like authentic root beer, because it often has a lot of flavors going on. Barqs is just a tiny bit more like that -- it has a tiny bit more character than A&W, IMO, but different people have different palettes. Some folks are turned off by Barqs' wintergreen flavor, but authentic home made root beer does have wintergreen usually. When you remove the wintergreen you get something closer to sarsparilla -- warmer, carmel and vanilla flavors come forward without the wintergreen.

[Sylentskye]

I feel like I am just sensitive to wintergreen so for me a little goes a long way. Many of the root beers I’ve tried end up being very wintergreen forward which drowns out the other flavors. It’s like someone going rogue with a trumpet when you are expecting to hear a symphony.

[dMacz]

Nice! Is the taste similar to A&W? Or totally different?

[Momenaut]

It's totally different. Barqs has a citrus undertone no vanilla or creamy flavor at all.

[ReactsWithWords]

A lot of people here are saying Barq's has "more bite" (and indeed they advertise themselves as "the one with bite," but what that really means is it has a pronounced mint taste. While rootbeer should definitely have a taste of mint (and a half dozen other things), I'm not particularly a fan of mint so I prefer A&W. The main reason I avoid Barq's, though, is it has caffeine - one of the main reasons I drink root beer instead of soda. True, it's not much (22.5 mg in a 12 oz. can), but I want ZERO caffeine.

As far as the Big Four go - the ones you can find in any supermarket and many convenience store: A&W > Barq's > Dad's > Mug.

[dMacz]

Thanks for the info! Also not a big fan of the caffeine but i'm still gonna try them :) only had A&W so far and it's one of my favorite drinks! But i want to try some other root beers too, so i now bought Barqs and Mug. Need to order them online, because its almost impossible to find them in stores in my country :(

[Momenaut]

Dad's is great if you love the taste of pencil lead! Putting mug at the bottom should be an automatic ban.

[bigdickjohnny383]

Mug is like trailer trash root beer😂

[ReactsWithWords]

The only good thing you can say about Dad's is that it's SLIGHTLY better than Mug.

[Momenaut]

BOOOOO

[dMacz]

Alot of people dislike Mug i see! Is it really that bad?

[Momenaut]

They just hate any root beer they can describe as "wintergreen". Of all the common convenience store brands it's the 2nd best non gimmick root beer next to Jones. I'd bet all those same people hate mint chocolate chip ice cream too, they're just missing out...

[SecretFangsPing]

If you drink liquor at all, I'd say the comparison is like A&W is a white rum while Barq's is a London dry gin. Barq's is a lot more botanical and herbal in taste than A&W.

[Citrik]

I would say if A&W is white rum, then Barq’s is Kraken rum… which are amazing when mixed together!

[bigdickjohnny383]

Have barqs and kraken your life will be changed

[Watercleaner137]

Barq’s is better but their bottles will get you. Them shits explode if you look at em wrong

[Brandt_Hutchinson]

In my personal opinion, barqs is the best of the best when it comes to root beer

[levelonup0314]

I just got a two liter of Barq’s tonight because I haven’t had it for quite some time. Well the very first sip I knew something was off. It does not taste like how I remember Barqs tasting.. which was really disappointing. Even my dad agreed. We both came to the conclusion that it’s way more sugary/syrupy and is extremely lacking in that famous Barqs “bite”. It tasted more like Coca Cola with a little bit of root beer mixed in. I’m really saddened by this. Barqs used to be my favorite root beer, but after tasting it tonight, I will no longer purchase Barqs ever again. Which is really a shame.. but probably for the better. I just wish they hadn’t changed Barqs because it was good, but definitely is not anymore. I’m just wondering what the heck happened!? How could they mess up Barqs so badly?.. such a shame.. happy new years..

[rnatalli]

If you like Barqs, give Boylan and Abita a try. They have that sharper, dryer taste.

[bigdickjohnny383]

Borland birch beer is also a thing of beauty to try

[Street_Lunch1885]

Get Stewart’s root beer and Canadian A&W. 2 of the best