Banana Montana
Prairie Artisan Ales

 

12oz bottle poured into a leg lamp glass

A- pours a murky jet black with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to leave nothing behind

S- banana pudding, cinnamon, chocolate, marshmallow cream, caramelized sugar, light oaky barrel cuts through the pastry sweetness

T- sweet chocolate, marshmallow and vanilla cream up front, followed by a wave of cinnamon and caramelized sugar. Mid-palate gives custardy banana and more chocolate. The finish brings out light bourbon barrel, adding oak and barrel juice that counters the sweetness. Lingers of chocolate, bananas and cinnamon

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into a warming finish

My first BA stout from Prairie, but it will not be the last. Jet black, with a smell and taste of bananas and cinnamon - just the right amount of sweetness. A decadent beer that masks its 13+ ABV well. Bananas Foster, indeed!

A: pours are dark black body with dark tan head with minimal retention and lacing.
S: strong, banana with strong alcohol notes with hints of cinnamon and brown sugar.
T: sweet, banana taste with hints of alcohol and burnt, brown sugar. Tastes like a brown derby cake.
M: full bodied and very smooth; thick.
O: great feel and taste combo; so good.

 

 

 

This beer is a real treat and is currently my favorite. Which sucks, because it’s in low supply (I assume it’s a 2024 limited brew), and costs $12 or $13 per bottle. Luckily, I’m able to buy it at a liquor store about 10 mins from my house, but I’m sure that won’t last forever and I haven’t seen it elsewhere. Not even listed on Founders’ website. Really hoping they put out another batch next winter. This magnificent brew is a perfect example of getting what you pay for.

Look - though imperial stouts have become my favorite brew, I’m not huge on their look. Poured in a beer mug I got in Rome a lifetime ago when I was in my mid-late teens, Banana Montana looks like used motor oil with nominal visual signs of carbonation. Gave look a 4.5 anyway, as I drink beer for the taste and way it makes me feel, rather than to look at it. I’m a simple creature, lacking pretension. There is a small amount of lacing, if that’s your thing.

Smell - banana coffee cake (is there such a thing? If so, hope to try it someday) and cinnamon.

Taste - a real lip smacker. Heavy upfront on sweet cinnamon, notes of banana, and caramel, with a pleasant dose of coffee, chocolate, and bourbon on the way down. Gives you that warm feeling you get from whiskey without the overwhelming burn and subsequent stomach discomfort. You get the perfect amount of alcohol burn; this brew does a great job of covering up the 13.9% alcohol while reminding you it’s there. Perfect.

Feel - as with other Imperial Stouts, the carbonation is lacking, but the thickness somehow oddly makes up for it.

Overall - if you get a chance to try this beer, shell out the $13. It is well worth it.

 

A little stronger on the adjuncts than I normally like in a Praire BA stout. The cinnamon and banana are really prevalent. Very sweet with marshmallow and chocolate notes as well. Slight thickness, booze is subtler than expected, a mild mouth watering finish. Not bad, but not as good as I expect from their BA program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a New Glarus snifter. Pours a thick and menacingly dark black with a quick-to-fade dark mocha brown foam head. Strong bourbon on the nose with this one with light banana (almost a banana runt fragrance), even lighter cinnamon, chocolate and caramel. Taste is better than the smell. I get less banana runts and more chocolate, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and banana. Thick mouthfeel. Almost sludgy. This is a weird one. Banana is tough but this is a little bit artificial side of things. Not a complete disaster as the bourbon barrel is super strong and the mouthfeel thicker than what most Prairie BA stouts tend to be. This was never going to be my favorite from these guys but having the banana additive be a little more subtle or natural would have went a long way. Still far from terrible.