Black Tuesday - Chocobanana Shortstacks
The Bruery

12.7 ounce bottle, 2023 edition, bottled 09/20/23. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head that fizzled away really quickly. Not much lacing, either. I like the aroma, the brew smells like cocoa, bananas, roasted malt, maple, vanilla and bourbon. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some burnt/charred malt, oak, dark chocolate and dark bready flavors. Was expecting this one to be sweeter tasting, but all the flavors seem pretty equal to me with no one flavor overpowering the others. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's slick and a bit syrupy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good overall brew, but I'm not a big banana fan either. With that being said, it's definitely worth trying if you get the chance!

Black Tuesday - Chocobanana Shortstacks pours black, with a tiny tan head. The aroma is vibrant, with sweet oak and chocolate notes. The flavor is a lovely blend of maple, chocolate, and banana. Good thick stout. Overall, a fantastic, sweeter stout,with big chocolate and banana flavor.

Review: 2334
Name: Stacks Reserve Chocobanana
Brewery: The Bruery
Location: Placentia, CA
ABV: 19.7%
Style: Double Barrel-aged Imperial Stout
Canned: 2024
Date: 14 March 2025
After finishing the night, I decided to go big: Chocobanana from The Bruery. This came in a series called Stacks, based on pancakes or something similar. I am using a tulip glass and serving the beer at 50 degrees. The pour created a light tan, airy, foamy, half-fingered head with average retention. I did not expect much of a head, considering the beer has almost 20 percent ABV. The color is jet black with dark ruby mahogany hues, opaque, and charts at SRM 38. The appearance of the beer is average for this style.
Nosing the glass, I smell dark chocolate, leather, espresso, banana, molasses, dates, caramel, toffee, anise, tobacco, earthiness, oak, whiskey, vanilla, and maple syrup. The beer has this intense barrel aging but works well with the massive stout. Smelling the beer again, I noticed char, resin, light citrus, and a touch of herbal.
The beer's adjuncts temper the intense barrel aromas as I take the first sip. The dark chocolate is of gourmet quality. The banana flavors mingle with the massive barrel and chocolate, and the maple gives a lovely, sugary sweetness. As I roll the beer on my palate, I notice caramel, toffee, char, leather, treacle, dates, espresso, anise, tobacco, earthiness, bourbon, and light Maillard.
The body is heavy with medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is chewy and thick, finishing smooth and warming.
It baffles me how The Bruery creates a beer with a massive AVB, but the warming is about ten percent on the finish. The beer tastes exactly like it, as described on the label. In the beer world, it is hard for other breweries to create anything like this without overdoing one of the adjuncts. Chocobanana is an exceptional beer, and I'm glad I could enjoy it.

 

 

From the 12.7 oz bottle in a snifter. This stunner pours a murky blackish brown with
a fizzling head of foam that sizzles to nothing while having some legs. Nose of bourbon,
banana, dark chocolate, vanilla cream, oak, and astringent booze. Flavors hit the mark
with bourbon, oak, brown sugars, brulee, light char, vanilla, dark breaded malts, and
chocolate dipped banana. Mouth feel is full, smooth, warming, moderately slick, rich
as the day is long, coating, light carbonation, and a boozy bitter malt finish.

Again....flavor profiles that sound utterly like a bad idea, but under the Bruery's guiding
hand are well balanced and not cloying which is a feat unto itself!

Overall----a stunner!

Cheers