Fostered Bananas
Platform Beer Co.

 

Berliner weisse style ale with lactose, cinnamon, banana puree, graham cracker, and vanilla bean. It's listed as "retired", but they brewed it again. Poured from a can into a Bell's tulip. The pour is dark orange and quite hazy with an impressive head for a sour beer. It is a solid 3 fingers thick and the retention is much better than I thought it would be. I definitey get the bananas on the nose. I also get lemon, apple cider, and a hint of vanilla.

Light body with a silky feel and a very pleasant flavor. Up front I get wheat crackers with lemon curd and green apples, then that banana and vanilla charge in. They provide sweetness to balance out the tart. The end result is quite unique among beers with banana. It doesn't taste like a dessert or anything, it's more like a banana-flavored Jolly Rancher (if such a thing were to exist) or if you had a banana-flavored pound cake with powdered sugar and lemon juice icing on top. There is also just the faintest hint of graham underneath it. On the finish just about every flavor shines through. Overall, highly recommended (unless you don't like bananas). I think I will buy more of this.

 

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 3/13/2019. Pours very hazy deep golden/orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big bananas, fruit peel, lemon, lime, orange, citrus peel/zest, red/green apple, white grape/wine, cinnamon, hay, straw, grass, vanilla, cream, wheat, graham cracker, white bread dough, light peppercorn/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of bananas, fruity/acidic yeast, cinnamon, vanilla, lactose, graham cracker, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big bananas, fruit peel, lemon, lime, orange, citrus peel/zest, red/green apple, white grape/wine, cinnamon, hay, straw, grass, vanilla, cream, wheat, graham cracker, white bread dough, light peppercorn/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and light cinnamon spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of bananas, fruit peel, lemon, lime, orange, citrus peel/zest, red/green apple, white grape/wine, cinnamon, hay, straw, grass, vanilla, cream, wheat, graham cracker, white bread dough, light peppercorn/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of bananas, fruity/acidic yeast, cinnamon, vanilla, lactose, graham cracker, and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness, and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy/acidic/tangy. and lightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 5.5%. Overall this is an excellent fruited milkshake Berliner weisse. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of bananas, fruity/acidic yeast, cinnamon, vanilla, lactose, graham cracker, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/drying finish, not overly lactic. Perfectly balanced between mushy banana flavors, Lacto complexity, lactose, spices, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Not overwhelming on any aspect. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive experimental style example as expected.

 

Thanks Jason.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a thick yellow puree/milkshake looking color to it. With a stifled little white semi-foamy head, this moderately slid off to leave some concave lace.
The aroma had a nice blend of sweet and creamy banana with a keen acidic underscore causing a slight tart to sour-ish grassy and lemon character.
The flavor was mildly sweet creamy banana, very fresh and quaint. Light lemon tartness with acidic features sliding in with a touch of sour. Aftertaste was semi-acidic with some banana sweetness.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV seemed close to what was projected. For an AWA, this was exceptionally smoother than normal for the style, I didn't mind for me but if one is looking for the "pucker factor" - you won't find this at all in this beer.
Overall, I applaud the creativity of this beer and could see myself coming back to it - preferably as a dessert beer.