Well's Banana Bread Beer 6Pk

Wells Banana Bread Beer 6Pk is a 5.2% ABV English ale brewed with real fairtrade bananas, sold in a six-pack of 500ml bottles. Winner of the CAMRA London Drinker Festival "Beer of the Festival" award in 2002, this distinctive fruit ale remains one of the most recognized banana-flavored beers in the world.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.2%  |  Origin: Bedford, Bedfordshire, England  |  Style: Fruit Ale  |  Brewery: Eagle Brewery (formerly Charles Wells)

Production & Heritage

Eagle Brewery, originally founded as Charles Wells in 1876 in Bedford, England, has been brewing in Bedfordshire for well over a century. Banana Bread Beer is produced using a blend of malts, natural mineral water drawn from the brewery's own wells, and real fairtrade bananas — not artificial flavoring. The bottles are filtered and pasteurized, distinguishing them from the cask version, which is served unfiltered at 4.5% ABV and delivers a slightly different character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Intensely sweet banana dominates the nose immediately, backed by notes of sponge cake and pastry. A malty background and subtle banana cocktail accents round out the bouquet, with a grassy, lemony edge providing unexpected freshness.

Taste: The first sip delivers sweet banana candy that coats the tongue with a creamy, medium-full body reminiscent of liquid bread. The flavor slowly transitions into a wheaty, bready malt character at mid-palate before the banana sweetness resurfaces. Peppery hops emerge toward the finish, bringing welcome balance to the fruit-forward profile.

Finish: The banana flavor dissipates relatively quickly, giving way to a dry, hoppy close that lingers without cloying. The overall impression is surprisingly clean for a beer this aromatic, with a final echo of toasted grain.

How to Drink Banana Bread Beer

Serve chilled at around 8–10°C in a tulip glass or wide-mouthed pint glass to let the banana aromatics open up. This beer also works surprisingly well in beer cocktails: try it in a Bananas Foster Float poured over vanilla ice cream for a dessert indulgence; blend it into a Beer-mosa with fresh orange juice for a brunch twist that plays off its fruit character; or use it as the base in a Shandy with lemonade, where its banana sweetness and the citrus create a refreshing summer drink.

Best For

• Introducing craft beer skeptics to fruit ales with a familiar, approachable flavor
• Dessert course pairing at a dinner party
• Gift packs for home brewers and beer enthusiasts who enjoy novelty styles
• Game-day or barbecue conversation starters — this beer always sparks discussion

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Banana Bread Beer taste like? It opens with a pronounced sweet banana candy flavor and creamy, bread-like malt body, then transitions into a drier, peppery hop finish. The overall experience is like biting into a slice of freshly baked banana bread with a bitter, hoppy edge.

How does Banana Bread Beer compare to Samuel Smith's Organic Strawberry Fruit Beer? Both are English-brewed fruit ales using real fruit, but Banana Bread Beer leans into a dessert-like sweetness with its banana and malt character, while Samuel Smith's Strawberry offers a tarter, more berry-driven profile. Banana Bread Beer is also slightly higher in ABV at 5.2% compared to Samuel Smith's Strawberry at 5.1%.

Is Banana Bread Beer good for beginners? Yes — its familiar banana flavor and smooth, creamy body make it one of the most approachable fruit ales available. The sweetness is tempered enough by hops that it avoids tasting like a soft drink, making it a natural bridge into craft beer for newcomers.

Where is Banana Bread Beer made? It is brewed at Eagle Brewery (formerly Charles Wells) in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The brewery has operated in Bedford since its founding in 1876 and uses natural mineral water from its own wells.

What foods pair well with Banana Bread Beer? Banana bread or banana-based desserts create an obvious and satisfying echo of the beer's core flavor. Peanut butter dishes and Thai peanut satay complement the beer's sweetness with salty richness. Blue cheese provides a sharp contrast to the banana notes. Spicy Caribbean jerk chicken works well, as the beer's sweetness tempers the heat. Vanilla ice cream or crème brûlée turns the pairing into a full dessert experience.

What sizes does Banana Bread Beer come in? The six-pack contains 500ml bottles, which is the standard retail format for this beer in most markets.

Is Banana Bread Beer worth the price? It positions as a mid-range specialty ale — priced above mainstream lagers but accessible within the imported English ale category. For a beer brewed with real fairtrade bananas rather than artificial flavoring, it represents fair value and a genuinely unique drinking experience.

Why Banana Bread Beer?

In a category crowded with artificial fruit-flavored beers, Banana Bread Beer stands apart by using real fairtrade bananas in the brew, resulting in an aroma and flavor that taste authentically of the fruit rather than candy-shop imitation. Its 2002 CAMRA London Drinker Festival "Beer of the Festival" win validated its quality among serious beer drinkers early on, and with over 210,000 ratings on Untappd it remains one of the most reviewed fruit ales in the world. Eagle Brewery's 140-plus years of brewing heritage in Bedford lend genuine credibility to what could otherwise be dismissed as a novelty. Few beers manage to be this immediately recognizable on the nose while still delivering enough hop balance and dry finish to reward repeat drinking.