Root Beer Review: Cap'n Eli's

Why must half these root beer's smell like cardboard?  First sip changed that - it had that horrible medicinal/mouthwash flavor.  It lessened after the first taste, but not that great.  Too many odd spices in this one.
Ingredients:  Water, Cane Sugar, Caramel Coloring, Natural & Artificial Flavors including Wintergreen oil, Anise, Vanilla, Spices, Herbs, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.  Grade:  C-.