Five.
Alma Mader Brewing

Pours a dark brown with a finger of foam that retains decently well. Aroma is rich chocolate, toffee, brownies, vanilla bean, and a sliver of banana bread. Some rum cake on the back, alongside roasty and toasty malts. Barrel and char add some late complexity, without amplifying the heat. As the beer warms, almonds and maple start to arrive, and become a little more bold. Flavor profile is rich and decadent with a good little pop of darkness and barrel at the close. Banana, some vanilla bean, brownie batter, maple, and toffee all mingle for the sugary characteristics. Banana is much heavier in the flavor than the aroma, and vanilla bean steps back versus its presence in the aroma. Barrel is present, but slim. Maple picks up steam and power as the beer warms. Mouth feel is medium-thick, which falls just a touch shy of being a full blown chewy meal of a drink. Overall, pretty darn interesting, marrying banana and vanilla bean without being off putting or too wild. It's certainly dark, but approachable.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 500mL bottle. Reviewed from notes.