Blacklight Banana
Siren Craft Brew

On tap at Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY.

This one smells like caramelized sugar, chocolate, mushy banana, and light coffee.

The banana does give off some flavor, but seems to mainly give the beer a general fluffy feeling and flavor. I wish there was more coffee flavor- it's there, but a bit subdued. I figured barrel aged coffee would be a bit more boldly flavored. There's some caramel sweetness, and molasses too. Overall, though, I expected a lot more flavor out of this one.

This is medium bodied, and very creamy, with a good level of carbonation.

This beer is very unique but not entirely well executed.

 

C+ (3.03) / AVERAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours black into a glass from a bottle. Tan head doesn't hang around but leaves sudsy lacing on the sides.

Aroma is quite exotic with plenty vanilla pod, expresso coffee, something akin to tonga beans, peppery mixed spice, bourbon, and a hint of dried banana.

The flavour is very similar to the aroma with all the aforementioned mixing together. You're getting all the expresso and coffee flavours incorporating the spice, vanilla and sweet molasses; those Bourbon soaked beans also come through strong. The banana isn't as prevalent as I'd thought, mainly making up the flavour that you can't really detect until you're used to all the of others. It's more a feel for the banana, that fluffyness you get in the mouth after eating one, as well as the skin entering the palate moreso than the fruit itself. The sweetness is there, but it's muted, more like they've been caramelised.

Feel is slightly drying, with medium-full body. The beer is a bit cloying with everything going on, and carbonation is low.

Overall it's a bit too rich for my tastes, but still a great stout, with all the emphasis on the sweet and pungent flavours like coffee, liquor, molasses and fruit; almost like a Christmas cake. Good for sipping, but quite rich - I couldn't drink two.