Drip - Banana
Finback Brewery - Glendale

 

 

 

16oz can received from @Roguer in the Barleywine/Stout BIF #1- thanks, man!
Poured into a La Fin du Monde tulip

P pours an ominous black w/ a small dark tan head; quick recession; coats the glass
N bold aroma of banana and sweet peanut butter; very inviting
T follows nose, adding roast and dark chocolate into the mix; sweet, but not cloying; great banana and peanut butter presence; really good
Mf med to med full bodied w/ soft-med carb
O a well-executed imperial stout, imo; would definitely have again

review date: 11.15.23
can date: not captured

 

16oz. Can served in a Spiegelau tulip. Pours an inky black with a loose, mocha-colored head that quick dissipates into a thin, tight band around the shoulders. Nose expresses notes of banana, cocoa and a hint of peanut butter powder. Taste follow nose; however, it’s a bit of a sweet, muddled mess. Mouthfeel is medium-light in body with a mild carbonation, an oily texture and seem ethanol heat. All and all, not really my jam - too many adjuncts that just slap you in the face.

Mediocre head production and retention. Beer is otherwise attractive enough.

Huge notes of hazelnut (actually peanut butter, probably in combination with the coffee) on the nose. I expected a sweeter aroma, but this is strong, rich, and quite a bit roasty.

Thick and filling on the palate. Shows the alcohol heat a bit, but certainly not aggressively so given the huge ABV.

Impressively flavorful and rich on the palate. As with the nose, it's moderately roasty and only modestly sweet. Banana makes a strong appearance, especially mid sip and then lasting mostly through the back third. Aftertaste is quite bitter, with both the coffee and peanut butter lingering. Additional tasting notes include chocolate, light to moderate char, toffee, caramel, vanilla, and toast.

 

 

Served in a snifter glass from the can.

Appearance: Deep dark opaque and black espresso colored brew with a dark tan head.

Smell: super chocolatey aroma which hits the nostrils like a hammer. Lingers and stays with you for quite a bit.

Taste: Very complex brew, peanut butter and chocolate with hits of vanilla.

Mouth: sticky body, soft carbonation.

Overall: a touch too sweet for me, personally if I see a other can i will just split it. Not that I dislike the brew, it's the sugars that get overwhelming for me.

 

Drank from a 1 pint (16 fl. oz.) can purchased at Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA
Served in a tulip
03/14/22

Impressive appearance. The pitch black, foreboding looking body was topped by an inch-tall, super tight and creamy, mocha colored crown that slowly dropped to a lasting collar. In the glass, the liquid appeared oily and viscous. A wall of spotty lacing trickled down the sides of the glass after each sip.

The aroma was somewhat disappointing. Peanut butter was immediately apparent, but it came across as rather artificial and reminded me of circus peanut candies. There was an intense roasted malt character and candy-like sweetness as well. Some dark roast coffee was also detectable. A subtle, oxidized/wet paper quality was noticeable too, but thankfully this dissipated as the beer opened up. Faint overripe banana notes appeared later, but I definitely would not pick this out without prior knowledge of the beer’s ingredients.

The flavor profile was also fairly lackluster. Malty and robust up front. Roasted malts were most noticeable. Loads of sugary, caramel malt sweetness too. Somewhat cloying. Peanut butter appeared in the center, but again it seemed rather artificial. More roast and candy-like sweetness on the back end and the finish. There was a sharp, boozy kick initially, but this mellowed with time. Unfortunately, the banana, the coffee and the vanilla were nowhere to be found.

The mouthfeel was definitely the most impressive aspect of the beer. It was amazingly rich and creamy. Full bodied for the style. The beer contained a fine, moderate effervescence that turned ultra fluffy and smooth on the palate. After a few sips, the liquid deposited a super sticky film on my lips.

Peanut butter stouts have a tendency to come off as either noticeably artificial or cloyingly sweet, and this beer unfortunately seemed to demonstrate both. I typically love Finback’s pastry stouts, but Banana Drip was definitely one of the more disappointing beers I have tried by them.

 

 

 

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high dark tan head that died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of peanut butter are present in the nose. As the beer begins to warm up, the banana becomes more prominent.
T: The taste has flavors of banana, chocolate and peanut butter with notes of coffee.
M: It feels nearly full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is like a liquid dessert of bananas and peanut butter that is very easy to drink considering its strength as it hides any trace of alcohol very well.

Serving type: can