I saw this bottle at the local Binny’s and had to buy it. Banana Bread Beer? Come on now. And people say that wine has a wider spectrum. Yeah, and Grizzly Adams didn’t have a beard.

Wells Banana Bread Beer is what they call a Fruit Beer: usually this means a fruit (or vegetable) extract enters the fray at some point to give it a unique flavor, aroma, color, etc. Now, I love banana bread, and I love beer, so this one was a no brainer. The nasty face my wife made when I showed her my find didn’t deter me at all! This reddish, lightly copper-toned beer poured from a bottle into my new snifter glass (thanks, Noel!) and filled it perfectly. The finger-ish head dwindled pretty quick despite my efforts to build it up during the pour. I went in to smell it expecting bananas, and I got my bananas. There was something else in there that added a bit to the smell, perhaps it was “nutty” or “bready” as they say, I’m not sure. All I know is, I was primed.

To be frank, purchasing this beer was for me a bit of a novelty. I approached it thinking that it couldn’t possibly be that good, but after the first sip I re-learned a valuable lesson about beer: that you never judge a beer by its name, bottle, or label. You’ve got to give every beer its chance to shine. I am very glad I gave Wells a chance. Because, I loved this beer!

While it does really feature the banana, this is actually a very crisp, drinkable beer. It is not at all heavy, and in my opinion finds a great balance between taste and texture. There is a bitterness to the taste thanks to the hops, which are present in the finish, but not uncomfortably so. I read some reviews that totally slammed this beer, which surprised me. I found it extremely enjoyable. I will absolutely drink this again, in the near future.

ABV: 5.2%

Grade: A-