Damn Dirty Ape
Greenbush Brewing Company

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- From:
- Greenbush Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Porter - Imperial
- ABV:
- 10.3%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 10.96%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 02, 2017
- Added:
- May 14, 2013
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good

Notes:
Brewed with bananas. walnuts and spices
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by tectactoe:
3.63/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
by tectactoe from Michigan
On tap from Ashley's in Westland for the Shorts vs. Greenbush Throwdown. This was the one I was really excited for from Greenbush - "banana porter" sounds so delicious in my mind. To my confusion, the beer I was handed was the swampiest, murkiest shade of brown I've ever seen, like greasy mud, with a frothy, khaki-colored foam cap. Looks nothing like any "porter" I've ever seen - I actually thought they may have given me the wrong beer.
I take a whiff and it smells like hefeweizen yeast - it's got your standard aromas of some bubblegum, spice, clove, and of course, banana. So I see how this is now. They're using hefe yeast, which comes with naturally banana-flavored esters, and they're gonna call it a "banana" beer. Actually, a banana "porter". Seems like a cop-out. They could have just as easily called this "Bubble-Yum" porter. And by the way, Greenbush - this is NOT a porter.
The taste is nothing like a porter, either. It's actually stuck in some strange limbo between a double-hefeweizen and a Belgian strong ale. Of course, the yeast shines through with more rotten, somewhat sweet banana, bubblegum, and clove. Other spices seem present, but the only thing I can really gather is maybe cinnamon. A dry funky element makes itself known about halfway through and carries out into the finish. The more I drink, the less it tastes like a porter.
The aftertaste has a decent amount of nuts and a faint, wood-like funk with a strange dryness. The mouth feel is that of a dubbel or trippel - effervescent and light, it seems to evaporate as it hits your palate, mostly thanks to the very high level of carbonation. It's fairly medium bodied and leaves a bit to be desired upon swallowing. Certainly not as full as you'd expect for a "porter".
You can clearly tell that I'm upset, here. Mainly because Greenbush used hefeweizen yeast and called their beer a "banana" beer. Not only that, they somehow had the audacity to call it a porter, when it's nowhere close. I've had brown ales that were closer to porters than this. This would pass as some kind of dunkelweizen or Belgian strong or something else. But not a porter. And not a "banana" porter. Not a bad beer by any stretch, but I was completely let down based upon what I was expecting. For shame, Greenbush, for shame.
May 14, 2013
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
by tectactoe from Michigan
On tap from Ashley's in Westland for the Shorts vs. Greenbush Throwdown. This was the one I was really excited for from Greenbush - "banana porter" sounds so delicious in my mind. To my confusion, the beer I was handed was the swampiest, murkiest shade of brown I've ever seen, like greasy mud, with a frothy, khaki-colored foam cap. Looks nothing like any "porter" I've ever seen - I actually thought they may have given me the wrong beer.
I take a whiff and it smells like hefeweizen yeast - it's got your standard aromas of some bubblegum, spice, clove, and of course, banana. So I see how this is now. They're using hefe yeast, which comes with naturally banana-flavored esters, and they're gonna call it a "banana" beer. Actually, a banana "porter". Seems like a cop-out. They could have just as easily called this "Bubble-Yum" porter. And by the way, Greenbush - this is NOT a porter.
The taste is nothing like a porter, either. It's actually stuck in some strange limbo between a double-hefeweizen and a Belgian strong ale. Of course, the yeast shines through with more rotten, somewhat sweet banana, bubblegum, and clove. Other spices seem present, but the only thing I can really gather is maybe cinnamon. A dry funky element makes itself known about halfway through and carries out into the finish. The more I drink, the less it tastes like a porter.
The aftertaste has a decent amount of nuts and a faint, wood-like funk with a strange dryness. The mouth feel is that of a dubbel or trippel - effervescent and light, it seems to evaporate as it hits your palate, mostly thanks to the very high level of carbonation. It's fairly medium bodied and leaves a bit to be desired upon swallowing. Certainly not as full as you'd expect for a "porter".
You can clearly tell that I'm upset, here. Mainly because Greenbush used hefeweizen yeast and called their beer a "banana" beer. Not only that, they somehow had the audacity to call it a porter, when it's nowhere close. I've had brown ales that were closer to porters than this. This would pass as some kind of dunkelweizen or Belgian strong or something else. But not a porter. And not a "banana" porter. Not a bad beer by any stretch, but I was completely let down based upon what I was expecting. For shame, Greenbush, for shame.
May 14, 2013
More User Ratings:
4 by RAFH from Michigan on Dec 02, 2017
3.97/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by stortore from Illinois
12 ounce bottle into a weizen glass. Bottled 11/16/16, had 12/17/16. Thought this was a Dunkelweizen, not a porter.
Pours a hazy copper color, with a one and a half inch head and a fair amount of soapy lacing. Smells of caramel, malt, yeast. Get the walnuts more as it warms, and also a hint of banana, when warmed. Kind of expected more banana... The taste is malt, caramel, less walnuts than the nose, a restrained general spiciness, light yeast, and again, a hint of banana. Very smooth, especially with the high ABV for the style, creamy, a solid body, well carbonated.
Liked this more than I thought I would. Good flavor and feel, lots of good caramel and malt, the nose had less banana than a typical Dunkel, which was odd. Worth a purchase of a few bottles.
May 25, 2017
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
by stortore from Illinois
12 ounce bottle into a weizen glass. Bottled 11/16/16, had 12/17/16. Thought this was a Dunkelweizen, not a porter.
Pours a hazy copper color, with a one and a half inch head and a fair amount of soapy lacing. Smells of caramel, malt, yeast. Get the walnuts more as it warms, and also a hint of banana, when warmed. Kind of expected more banana... The taste is malt, caramel, less walnuts than the nose, a restrained general spiciness, light yeast, and again, a hint of banana. Very smooth, especially with the high ABV for the style, creamy, a solid body, well carbonated.
Liked this more than I thought I would. Good flavor and feel, lots of good caramel and malt, the nose had less banana than a typical Dunkel, which was odd. Worth a purchase of a few bottles.
May 25, 2017
3.63 by Cotton_27 from Michigan on Jul 11, 2016
3.86 by BLZR from Michigan on Jun 20, 2016
3.75 by 2beerdogs from California on Jun 17, 2016
3.6 by BeerOps from Illinois on Jun 16, 2016
4.21 by 1jstafan from Indiana on Apr 23, 2015
4.34 by BDeibs from Colorado on Mar 27, 2015
3.25 by TypsiYpsi from Michigan on Jun 01, 2014
3.5 by Williaar from Colorado on May 22, 2014
4.25 by mgroothuis from Michigan on Apr 06, 2014
4.25 by vinnyg76 from Indiana on Apr 05, 2014
3.5 by Filabee from Michigan on Apr 04, 2014
3.75 by Morakaton from Michigan on Nov 19, 2013
3.5 by Kaveman from Illinois on Aug 25, 2013
4 by Zuidman from Illinois on Jul 21, 2013
2.75 by JasonR1975 from Michigan on Jun 20, 2013
4 by anticipation23 from Wisconsin on Jun 17, 2013
3 by CanisMajor from Indiana on Jun 14, 2013
Damn Dirty Ape from Greenbush Brewing Company
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
20 ratings