Creme de banana reviews

Before getting into tiki drinks, the banana liqueur was something that sat on my shelf and was rarely used. But now, I'm reaching for it often.

So I'm wondering if some folks out there have opinions on which is the best.

My general rule of thumb with liqueurs is to go for Marie Brizard whenever possible, after that Bols and Dekuypers are basically tied and then there's Hiram Walker, which I only buy when I'm desperate and can't find anything else.

For Creme de banana, I'm using bols. I saw a bottle of Marie Brizard at hitimes but wasn't sure if it was worth paying TWICE the price...

Also, I see a lot of bars stock one called 99 Bananas but I haven't tried it. Any opinions?

On a side note: Given that I find Bols and Dekuypers to be pretty comparable on most flavors I usually go with Bols because I like their cool old school label and bottle. Yes, I care a lot what the bottle looks like when all I should care about is flavor... I'm kinda pathetic in that respect.
And I'm sad to see that apparently Bols is in the process of phasing out their old bottles in favor of a more modern design.

I've always been a huge fan of Bols banana.
My first and favorite drink at 18 was the Monkey's Lunch (banana, kahlua & milk) I still love it, and always have a bottle on hand.

99 Bananas is faar more potent, being 99 proof! I hope to bring a bottle back with me on my next trip down to the US, since it doesn't seem to be available here in Canada.(I heard about it here on TC) Bols is usually my first choice.

When choosing a melon liqueur, however, I always reach for Midori over Bols, although it seems to not be available up here anymore :(

[ Edited by: Tikiwahine on 2005-04-12 10:30 ]

I sprang for a bottle of Brizard creme de banana and I must say, it is truly top shelf tasting. Much richer than other brands I've tried, stronger in banana flavor too.

Hey thanks digitiki, I'll have to try that brand next time!

So I have a guest at my home who requested that I make a Frankie's Tiki Roomm cocktail which calls for "crème de banana" in the recipe. I have a bottle of 99 Bananas at home, and I have been reading online that it's pretty strong stuff. I suspect that 99 Bananas is not what the Frankie's recipe is calling for. I am wondering if I need to go buy a different banana product but would like to avoid adding another bottle to my already-crowded bar.

I suspect I'll be fine with the 99 Bananas even though it's a little stronger than what the Frankie's recipe calls for. If I get the guts to buy another bottle of banana stuff, and get to compare 99 Bananas with the other (Hiram Walker) crème de banana, then I'll post my results here.

I don't have the Frankie's recipe book in front of me here at work, but I think it only calls for 1/2 oz of the banana stuff.

I believe the 99 Bananas is the same basic stuff at a higher proof.

I have an open bottle of Bols, and it's ok. I should taste it against the Marie Brizard.

I can't say it gets much use, although I like it.

Yeah, that's my dilemma, three different banana liqueurs out there, but I'm not in the mood to buy two additional bottles of a low-use liqueur. I think I'll end up making the drinks with 99 Bananas and not worrying about the differences. In the future, however, I don't think I'll buy the "99 Bananas" brand again unless I saw a need for that specific spirit. I think the Bols or Brizard brands will probably be my next choice.

Interesting side-note on bottle labels... the "99" series of liqueurs look more pop-culture than traditional and reputable other bottle labels. I would guess, purely on appearance, that the "99" series of liqueurs are more likely flavored alcohols versus other higher-quality spirits. Again, this is a comment based purely on label appearance.

The whole 99 line is kinda cheap, in my opinion.

They all are, other than Brizard.

I keep a bottle of creme de banana around only so I can make Rum Runners avery once in a while.

I like making Planet of the apes once in a while. I like bananas and banana flavored drinks.
I have a bottle of Bols Banana liquor. It's fine.

Planet of the Apes
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
3/4 oz creme de banana
1 oz dark Jamaican rum
1/2 oz amber 151 proof rum, (Cruzan, El Dorado, Bacardi)

[ Edited by: hiltiki 2013-10-18 19:16 ]

On 2013-10-18 09:01, Sunny&Rummy wrote:
They all are, other than Brizard.

I keep a bottle of creme de banana around only so I can make Rum Runners avery once in a while.

my wife likes these from time to time. after trial and error among the cheap brands, i like Jacquin's creme de banana, and their blackberry brandy as well.

Yeah, I find the Jaquin's banana works well in Rum Runners too, but I stick with Islamorada tradition and use the Hiram Walker blackberry brandy. Rum Runners are pretty much the main reason I keep Cruzan 151 around as well, unless I need to set something on fire.

the Hiram Walker blackberry is an abomination.

On 2005-04-12 09:53, JaredB wrote:

And I'm sad to see that apparently Bols is in the process of phasing out their old bottles in favor of a more modern design.

I actually dig their newer design with the horizontal relief stripes. Looks like something that could have been designed in the 50's. The labels are definitely an issue though.

On 2013-10-19 22:08, thePorpoise wrote:
the Hiram Walker blackberry is an abomination.

Pretty much, which is why it only gets used in Islamorada style Rum Runners.