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Prairie Artisan Ales

12 ounce bottle into snifter, 2019 vintage. Pours dense pitch black color with no head retention or lacing. Some murky floaties, and streaming carbonation. Good appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, oreo cookie, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, vanilla, cream, apple brandy, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, pepper, leather, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Mild brandy booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, oreos, marshmallow, apple brandy barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, oreo cookie, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, vanilla, cream, apple brandy, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, pepper, leather, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Very mild herbal, roast, coffee bitterness; and brandy/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, oreo cookie, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, vanilla, cream, apple brandy, toasted oak, roasted nuts, dark/brown bread, light coconut/dark fruit, smoke, pepper, leather, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, oreos, marshmallow, apple brandy barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a solid roasted bitter/sweet, and brandy/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 14%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an amazing brandy barrel aged pastry stout. All around amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, oreos, marshmallow, apple brandy barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; dangerously smooth and easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish; amazingly soft/silky feel for the ABV. Amazing balance between super rich malts, fruity/nutty coffee, marshmallow, oreos, and brandy barrel presence/integration; with mild earthy hop/fruity yeast notes. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as expected. Pretty much perfectly balanced between all flavors.