BA Fall From Grace: The King's Sandwich, Two Years in a Bourbon Barrel

Peanut butter and banana is one of those combinations that sounds like a dare until you try it. Elvis famously couldn't get enough of it, and the sandwich has followed his name around ever since. So when we say this beer is fit for a king, we mean it pretty literally.

BA Fall From Grace is the barrel-aged take on that idea, brewed with our friends at Civil Society. It's the biggest, richest version of our banana beers we've ever put in a bottle, and we're not shy about calling it the best of the bunch.

Two years in Willett barrels first

Before any banana or peanut went near this beer, it spent 24 months resting in Willett barrels. Willett is a Kentucky distillery with a serious following among bourbon drinkers, and their barrels bring a lot to a stout: deep oak, caramel, and a warm vanilla bourbon character that's hard to fake.

Two years is a long time for a beer to sit and wait. It's long enough for the base stout to soften, round out, and soak up the barrel, so by the time we added banana, peanuts, and marshmallow, there was a strong foundation for them to build on.

What's in the glass

The aroma hits first with banana candy and boozy peanut butter. It smells like dessert and a nightcap at the same time.

The first sip is where it earns its reputation. Think banana custard turned all the way up, layered with dark fudge, bourbon-soaked marshmallow fluff, and creamy peanut butter. There's a caramel-and-banana candy note in the middle that keeps things playful. The body is thick, creamy, and decadent, exactly what you want from a barrel-aged stout at this weight.

The finish is all barrel. It's toasty, belly-warming, and ends on a soft hint of vanilla bourbon that lingers long after the glass is empty.

It's 17%, so treat it with respect

At 17% ABV, this is not a beer you drink on the couch while watching the game. It's one you open with a friend or two, pour into small glasses, and talk about.

A few tips to get the most out of it:

Let it warm up. Straight from the fridge, the cold mutes a lot of what's going on. Pull it out about 20 minutes before you pour, and aim for something closer to cellar temperature. The banana and peanut butter open up a lot as it warms.

Use the right glass. A snifter or tulip helps concentrate the aroma, which is half the fun here.

Split it. A 500mL bottle is plenty for two or three people, and a beer this intense is better in small pours anyway.

Drink it sooner rather than later. Adjunct-heavy stouts like this one tend to be at their best while the banana, peanut butter, and marshmallow are fresh and bright. The barrel character will hold up, but the flavors that make this beer special can fade over time.

What to pair it with

You can go the dessert route with a chocolate tart or a slice of banana cream pie. But salty food does something great with a beer this sweet. Try aged cheddar, salted pretzels, or a handful of roasted peanuts. And if you want to go full Elvis, a crispy strip of bacon on the side is hard to argue with.

Getting a bottle

BA Fall From Grace is available in 500mL bottles through our online shop. Shipping gets cheaper the more you add: $25 for 1 to 3 items, $15 for 4 to 5 items, and $7 for 6 to 12 items. If you've been meaning to stock up on a few of our other releases, this is a good time to do it.

Limited barrel-aged releases like this one don't stick around long. If peanut butter, banana, and bourbon sound like your kind of night, don't wait too long.

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