Reviewer "Aristophanes": 8/10

Reviewer "Rasputin": 7/10

IBC root beer is legendary among Americans.  I have personally witnessed a bare-knuckle fight between two Americans which was initiated by one fellow insinuating that IBC was a lackluster root beer.  IBC is not widely available in Canada, however, so it has taken the rootbeerreview.com staff a year to finally review this fabled product.

IBC is certainly a good root beer.  In fact, it is probably the best widely-available (at least in the U.S.A.) root beer we have tried.  The dark brown, unlabeled bottle is a quiet testament to the brand's popularity, and the classic red cap screams of a product steeped in tradition.  The composition of the root beer, however, is far from traditional.  There are an unusually large number of synthetic-sounding ingredients - including high-fructose corn syrup and modified food starch - which is cause for concern for yours truly.

We needn't have been worried.  IBC's flavour is deep, satisfying and classic.  There are no surprises, but the essence of true root beer rings clearer than in most other brands.  It is expertly balanced between creamy and sharp, and we even detected a hint of citrus.  IBC is an excellent every-day root beer - it doesn't interfere with your routine, doesn't have a lingering aftertaste, and will satisfy most people's pallet. Nevertheless, we expected something a bit more unique from a product with such a celebrated root beer.

IBC has been owned by a series of multinational food conglomerates, the latest being Cadbury-Schwepps (and now Kraft).  Despite this indisputable disadvantage to quality, IBC seems to have maintained enough independence to produce a quality beverage.  Visit their website at http://www.ibcrootbeer.com.