Monkey Juice
Mirror Twin Brewing

 

To mommemorate the one year anniversary of multi-media company, Brand Monkey, a brown ale emerges but one with the distinct taste of banana nut bread.

Monkey Juice is a medium brown beer with a fine haze and a creamy white froth. Bready aromas of fresh baked banana nut bread woo the senses but the toasty, light coffee and caramelized taste of brown ale is alive and well underneath the tropical fruit additions. Sweet on the palate, its taste of caramel and toffee come with a candied pecan, granola and sorghum-like maltiness.

As the ale crosses the middle palate, its sweetness slowly fades and the malty remnants of nuttiness, light earth and toast remain. Going from sweet to savory, the taste of banana is moderate, careful not to dominate the ale underneath. But the starchiness that lingers reads like biscuit and cake to bring the finish of banana nut bread to life.

Lightly bittered and medium bodied, the ale sounds like a dessert, but its drinkability is crisp, malty sweet and drying to provide a nearly refreshing character. A sense of praline and pecan come with the toasted banana bread character while the ale trails moderately long in a toasty aftertaste.