Christmas Bomb!
Prairie Artisan Ales

Christmas Bomb!Christmas Bomb!
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From:
Prairie Artisan Ales
 
Oklahoma, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #1,369
ABV:
13%
Score:
92
Ranked #4,617
Avg:
4.14 | pDev: 9.18%
Reviews:
391
Ratings:
1,993
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 09, 2024
Added:
Sep 19, 2014
Wants:
  96
Gots:
  596
Christmas Bomb beer, which is an amazing base stout from Prairie Artisan Ales, is the best beer for this season! Left to age on espresso beans, vanilla beans, chocolate, featuring ancho chile peppers, and additional Christmas spices that bring a blast finish. Treat yourself with this popular holiday imperial stout!
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Ratings by DavidHume:
Photo of DavidHume
Rated by DavidHume from Virginia

4.44/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Dec 18, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.82 by swierczt from Connecticut

Feb 09, 2024
Photo of JokersAce
Reviewed by JokersAce

4.76/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
An excellent stout. Very nice aroma off the rip. Dark brown to black body with no head at all. Thick feeling but carbonated while sipping. Super chocolatey, like a fudge brownie but with all those spices- and spiciness. It's hard to pin down an explicit Christmasness here, but there is certainly some sort of dessert baked goods character. Maybe some sort of gingerbread, maybe a rum drenched fruit cake, cinnamon or chocolate babka, but certainly plenty of chocolate. The adjuncts work together very well, and mesh so good you can't really discern a specific adjunct, but work together in good synergy as a combined flavor profile instead of something muddled. This is one of those beers that reminds you why you drink beer.
Feb 09, 2024
 
Rated: 4.39 by TCMike from Minnesota

Jan 26, 2024
Photo of wiggibow
Reviewed by wiggibow from Nebraska

4.88/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
As advertised, an imperial stout that tastes like Christmas. I'm only here to voice my utter and baffling confusion towards the reviewer who claims that it tastes strongly of ginger. I think they are confusing ginger for clove and nutmeg; if there is any ginger in here it is a hint of a hint.

One of the best stouts I've ever had, period.
Jan 16, 2024
Photo of UWDAWG
Reviewed by UWDAWG from Washington

4.59/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12 ounce bottle dated 9-13-23 into a snifter.

Look- Black, opaque, medium dark brown creamy head, above average lacing, slightly above average head retention.

Smell- Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cacao, vanilla, slight ancho chili pepper, medium strength of scent.

Taste- Ginger, ancho chili pepper, cacao, slight coffee, slight vanilla, nutmeg, mildly spicy, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, slightly below average carbonation, silky, moderately mouth warming, mildly spicy, moderately bitter, very slight mouth coating.

Overall- Appearance was a great black color and opaque with a medium dark brown creamy head. Bouquet was ginger forward, but it still allowed the other aromatics to come through. The flavor was high in strength and also ginger forward, but the other flavors were in the background to add nice depth and balance. The feel was thinner than I had expected and I felt some silkiness, but not really any creaminess or the amount of mouth coating I was looking for. This beer provided a fantastic drinking experience and was truly like Christmas in a glass. If you are not a ginger fan this beer is definitely not for you.
Jan 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.37 by Ox8840bo from Illinois

Dec 28, 2023
Photo of FrankCastle
Rated by FrankCastle from California

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Barrel age Xmas bomb far superior
Dec 25, 2023
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Served devoid of any head, not even rim bubbles. Naturally, no lace on the glass. Near black color where no light passes.

Menthol nose initially. Almost like a cough syrup. Completely dominates any dark malt aromas or other typical stout smells. This hints at mint chocolate candy. A touch of alcohol.

Very, very rich with a lower level of carbonation. The menthol remains strong but no longer overwhelms the dark chocolate aromas of most stouts. The alcohol is lower than the 13% abv suggests. Very sweet, definitely a desert beer. There are also plenty of Christmas spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The finish and aftertaste is like sweet booze like schnapps.
Dec 23, 2023
Photo of OldJoeHam
Reviewed by OldJoeHam from North Carolina

4.04/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle to tulip glass. Near black, heavy pour with a thin khaki head. Nevertheless a bit of lacing. Nose didn't hit nearly had as I expected. Mouth feel was oiled velvet - I mean that in a good way! Best part of this beer. A bit sweet for my plate - somebody dropped their high cocoa bar in it - but it's within the Christmas ale spirit for sure. The whole experience here was greater than the breakdown. Worthy Christmas ale, and stout. My beard grew a quarter inch drinking it
Dec 02, 2023
Photo of Damian
Reviewed by Damian from Massachusetts

4.67/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Drank from a 12 fl oz bottle
09.28.2022
Served in a Prairie Christmas Bomb! stemmed glass

Thanks to Jess and David for this thoughtful birthday gift.

The beer poured a super oily and dense, complete pitch black. A frothy, near-finger-tall, mocha colored head topped the liquid, but it quickly transformed into a thick, lasting collar. There was no lacing whatsoever.

The aroma was fantastic and smelled like Christmas cookies in a glass. Cinnamon and clove came through big time. Loads of brown sugar and vanilla too. Sweet but not excessively so. Licorice was also quite apparent. Some raisin character as well. Touch of coffee. Moderate roasted malt presence.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose, but the spice notes were a bit more restrained. Roasted malts led things off. Licorice appeared next. Cinnamon and clove were noticeable too. Vanilla appeared in the center. Some dark roast coffee as well. More roasted malts on the back end and the finish. Boozy notes lingered after the swallow.

The mouthfeel was impressive. Fuller bodied for the style. Creamy, slick and smooth on the palate. The liquid contained a fine, subdued effervescence that gave the beer a nice suppleness on the palate.

Even though Bomb! provides the base for this imperial stout, this is a completely different beast. With its thick body and big winter spice notes, this beer would make the perfect holiday sipper. I definitely need to seek out the barrel-aged version as well.
Sep 30, 2023
Photo of Beer_aenima7
Reviewed by Beer_aenima7 from Idaho

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L - black with bits in it.
S - Smells of nutmeg and cocoa
T- you get the syrupy sweet taste of imperial stout with nutmeg and cinnamon. It's the Mexican mocha of stouts.
F - feels syrupy. No carb.
Overall an amazing stout. Would highly recommend, and a great alternative to the og bomb, which is my favorite stout out there.
May 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.46 by Bartleby91 from Wisconsin

Apr 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by hozersr from Pennsylvania

Feb 22, 2023
Photo of Christianriveraaa
Reviewed by Christianriveraaa

4.02/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Jet black inky pour from a 12oz bottle into a sniffer. Little head risen.
S: Getting spicy aromas with cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg.
T: Smoooooth. Tasting that heavy cinnamon/ nutmeg up front followed by a semi sweet chocolate vanilla middle with a smooth spicey aftertaste.
F: Heavy bodied, slight acidity. Can't taste the booze at all.
O: This one was worth the try! Personally - doesn't compare to the Bomb but it's a good beer for a different direction. A great Christmas beer.
Feb 07, 2023
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

4.09/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 ounce pug bottle poured into an Angry Chair Brewing snifter.
Deep black, obviously thick, small foam goes off quick. No lace, bit of oily resin.
Smells of pumpkin pie spice and dark chocolate.
Taste is cinnamon, gingerbread, cocoa, more cinnamon, then a small kiss of chili pepper and ABV heat.
Mouthfeel is medium to thick, little bit carbonated.
Overall, drinking down the 2022 Holidays Stash, I probably should have pulled it out in December. It feels so last year right now.,.
Jan 24, 2023
Photo of Pivopijak
Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

3.94/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
bottle into glass
Very thin, light brown head. Brownish black hue, for this opaque stout. Slightly sweet smelling, cinnamon and nearly burnt grains with a touch of woodiness, also in the aroma. Adequate, slightly sweet, dark roasted grains and an indecipherable blend of spices, during the initial taste, even though the cinnamon is there in the background. The finish is decent.
Jan 06, 2023
Photo of crm871
Reviewed by crm871 from Utah

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Poured from 12 oz bottle to snifter. Jet fuel black with a very thin, outer edge head that was almost blood red. Gorgeous beer.

Smell: Lots of holiday spices dancing around here - dominated by cinnamon, but also nutmeg, toasted bread, chili peppers, and chocolate.

Taste: Cinnamon front and then the rest of the spices fall in line. Also getting the chocolate and some dried fruit as well, possibly cherries. It does run on the sweeter side but the cinnamon dominance keeps it balanced and it’s just a really unique taste.

Feel: Medium body, velvety finish.

Overall: Just a delightful stout for the holidays. Heavy price tag but Prairie almost never misses. Pick this up for a holiday treat.
Jan 05, 2023
Photo of JacobusFavier23
Reviewed by JacobusFavier23 from Texas

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L- Almost jet black with a lacy, bubbly tan head at the top.
S-Straight up gingerbread upfront followed by cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, speculass, maybe some dark chocolate, and stone fruit.
T-Follows the nose with each spice noted (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg). Very sweet and almost tangy. Hints of molasses. Hints of licorice as well. Dark chocolate is there. The abv is covered very well. Not much booze. Just sugary sweet.
F-Very thick. Decent carbonation though, which is appreciated.
O-A very thick, very sweet and festive beer. This might be the most festive/flavorful beer I've ever had. Delicious. With that said, I could only drink it during the holidays.

Prairie never misses!
Jan 01, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by doctorgary from New York

Dec 28, 2022
Christmas Bomb! from Prairie Artisan Ales
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 1993 ratings