Imaginary Friends
Prairie Artisan Ales

 

 

 

 

 

 

pours a slightly hazy, golden amber with a medium head. nose; mango, lemongrass, passionfruit, & citrus hops. taste; pale malt, sweet stone fruit, biscuit, grapefruit rind, overripe melon/honeydew, floral lemon, & grassy hops. medium carbonation & mouthfeel. solid (tropical?) ipa!

 

I think anything I've ever tried a beer from Prairie, it's been a stout in some form. So I was intrigued to see this on the shelf.
It is a hazy orange color. One-finger white head with some delicate lace.
Pine and citrus aroma.
Pine and grapefruit taste.
A good west coast IPA.

 

 

 

12oz can. Poured outa clear, golden orange color with a small, tan head of foam. It smelled of citrus, pine and toasted caramel. Sweet caramel with pine, grapefruit, orange peel and pineapple.

 

I'm a great fan of Prairie Artisan Ales and the things they do, especially their Farmhouse ales, Sours and Goses are truly exceptional. Once I had a WIPA from them but it didn't really leave a lasting mark, wonder if this will.
Because it pours really hazy, or even more, looks almost like a true fruit juice with zero transparency at all, cool. Then you get the smell and it is great but somehow it is also unorthodox - it is as if you were getting this sick mash of raw hops in there. This follows in the taste: you don't get that usual citrus or tropical, this is earth and pine, earth and pine and raw. Raw and bitter piney hops, really strange. This is what I enjoy in their beers: you are always between the extremes, you are first overwhelmed of its strangeness, then you get to like it and become addicted to that weird taste. This is exactly the same. It is so raw it feels weird. Pleasant to drink though, 7.0 ABV is going down like lemonade, very soft and subtle carbonation. But this sensation... really hard to describe. This is a trademark of Prairie, they put the "farms" in there, the whole barn and the animals, the dung, the smell - a bit of Oklahoma is in there. And this is why you realize it's phenomenal! Because it's so sick, with that unpleasant stench of the farms, but before getting too carried away you think: how did they make this? It must be on purpose as nobody does this, it is only them! And it is so great!
So once again, we are holding a freak, a geek, a weirdo of masterpiece in our hands. Thank you again, Prairie, this was unique and I loved it.
Your imaginary friends, are the animals that pee in it? Insane.
The most insane among all is that this is purposely created by the mastery of brewing. A piece of art.

L - clear amber, white head

S - Citrus with grapefruit, pine needle, some pineapple

T - follows the smell, with soft tropical fruits. Peppery rye presence

O - Praire takes it on the west coast this time, with a rye twist

 

 

 

On draught at the OKC location.

Hazy orange with a smooth white froth that tops out just above the rim.

Big orange and lemon zest and juice across the tongue before a faint bitterness makes it's play to the finish.

Light in body and well-carbonated.

Excellent brew. Why isn't it on the shelf?

On draft 4.16.18 - a well balanced, piney, west coast IPA that doesn't try to be more than it is: a solid, smooth IPA. It never comes off as too bitter. Appearance and smell were not "wow" but the taste and mouthfeel are very solid, without too much carbonation or hop residue impact. Just a nicely brewed beer. Would be a go-to if it was regularly available. There's just something about Midwest IPAs that is appealing. They're not trying to be west coast, or NE milkshake IPAs, but they strike a great balance overall. Solid.

Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) can into a conical pint glass; reads FRIENDS#22372 on the bottom, no other production stamp.
A: Pours a cloudy apricot color with robust, head formation, leaving a one inch, white head displaying excellent retention and lacing.
S: Aromas of lemon zest, peach, grapefruit, and honeysuckle predominate at first with malty, grainy, grassiness evident as it warms.
T: Dry to semisweet. Peach, lightly caramelized malt, and grains all contribute to the flavor. Bitterness mild relative to this and lead to a crisp refreshing, zest finish. Not too heavy on the alcohol, which is a plus.
M: Light to medium bodied with high to moderate carbonation.
O: Imaginary Friends is a nicely constructed, refreshing, "springy IPA," cleaving perhaps closer to the EC or NE style, but distinct from those. Felt almost like a Saison in some ways and just as enjoyable. First Prairie Artisan Ale I have tried and now looking forward to more.

 

 

Unfiltered but not haze. Pungent and smart. Citrus dank clean crisp trending in the direction my palate is taking me after a year of haze overload. Very enjoyable. Exactly what I needed.

 

 

good ipa. clean execution
on tap at griffon pub. crushable.

From a 12oz can purchased 3/6/18 in Philadelphia; can itself has a code stamped on it but seemingly not a date. Pours a golden yellow with a little haze. Citrus and dank hoppiness on the nose. Relatively bitter palate. Enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Undated can. Pours a pale straw color with a persistent white head. Initial impression is bitter but not particularly flavorful hops, and not much else going on in the flavor department. There is a hint of citrus, but hardly enough to write home about. Mouthfeel is medium, as is carbonation. Finish is ever so slightly sweet, but leaves a lingering bitterness on the back of the tongue.
I like hops,and I like bitterness. But this one left me unimpressed.