Basic Becky
Prairie Artisan Ales

puboflyons from New Hampshire

4.49/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From a bottle with a smudged date. It is the 2020 batch however and I sampled it on Sept. 3, 2020.

Handsome looking dark brown to black pour with a modest, fading mocha head. Limited lacing.

What a complex array of aromas. I get cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, dark fruit and vanilla or cream. Booze is buried.

Full mouthfeel and smooth.

Delightful spicy taste with an emphasis on those sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. There is a creamy, vanilla-like character. The ending is warming. A slight bit of alcohol in the taste. Just nice.

Sep 03, 2020

KRug from Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 9/18/19

Here we go again with an out of season pumpkin beer. This time, a pumpkin imperial stout, just like the Warlock from Southern Tier (which I loved)

Pours completely black with just a finger of mocha colored head that fades to nothing quickly amd leaves minimal lacing, decent legs

Huge aromas of pumpkin, raisin, pie spice, amd nutmeg. Milder notes of roasted coffee, dark malt, and clove

The beginning of the sip is fairly standard stout roast with lots of chocolate and vanilla, before fading into a mix of pumpkin and spices with some serious alcohol heat

This has a very full body and barely any carbonation, yet still finishes incredibly dry. No doubt drinks like 11%

This didn’t quite impress my like the Warlock did but it was still very solid. It could be attributed to freshness, but it seems like there was too much going on for the pumpkin to truly shine through here

Jul 01, 2020

clayrock81 from Florida

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured a black body with minimal head and lace ring (very minimal lace ring). Aroma has hints of chocolate but mostly I get pumpkin, cinnamon and some nutmeg. Smooth, hidden ABV, slick, hints of lactic qualities, real easy to drink, mostly a pumpkin and cinnamon/nutmeg sweetness with a dash of chocolate and dark fruit(?), and overall just another enjoyable stout from Prairie.

Jan 13, 2020

cbutova from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Stubby 12oz into a half sized pint glass with a pitch black body. The head is a nutty tan and it rises to a finger high. Good head retention as a formidable later remains. Lacing deposits shaped like webs and small streaks.

S- Pumpkin spice barrage in the aroma with the rich stout base a bit overshadowed by the fresh and zesty adjuncts. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves lead off with fudgey chocolate malts, roast barley, moderate sweets and tiny hints of dark fruit further out.

T- Starts off like a cinnamon fudge brownie and finishes with a spicy and sweet finish allowing the rest of the adjuncts to peek in and out on the taste buds. Nutmeg and allspice next in strength after the aforementioned. Milk chocolate, clove, fudge, coriander, caraway, coffee, roast grains, toasted nuts and caramel. Moderately sweet with a hint of booze. Pumpkin pie crust.

MF- Luscious is the one word for this body. Heavy and thick on the palate with a medium-low level and carbonation and a warm finish. Beautiful smooth creamy chewy texture. Soft and a bit slick.

Shades of Southern Tier Warlock but much much better execution. A spiced stout that brings waves of different fresh spicy flavors above a sweet and rich chocolatey stout base.

Jan 08, 2020

DokiDokiLitFam from New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a thick, dark brown. No head formation. Mild ring around the glass when agitated.

Nose is a delicate, beautifully balanced mixture. Cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, chocolate, malt. A nice sweetness coming through. Not just all harsh spice. Some booze heat as it warms.

Taste follows the nose similarly. A burst of chocolate and spice comes through first. Chocolate fades quickly after. Then onto a mildly smoky malt presence. The spice persists throughout, providing just enough bitterness to keep it in balance. This is lovely.

Mouthfeel is fullbodied with very mild carbonation. The bubbles are tiny things. Providing the slightest of attack on the pallete.

This brew is just phenomenonal. It's difficult to nail a nice balance of spice in a pumpkin pie or cookie, let alone a beer. This is extremely drinkable despite the 11% ABV. Smooth and enjoyable. A dessert beer that can stand on its own. Another great entry from Prairie.

Dec 22, 2019

BlurryVisi0n from New York

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a teku glass from the bottle.

Appearance: semi thick body coming off a brown tinted black body with medium. Ubbled creating a slightly dark tan head rising half a finger's length.

Smell: Sweet toffee aroma consisting of pumpkin and sweetened espresso.

Taste: Complex brew which adds only confusion to the palates, cinnamon, pumpkin, espresso and vanilla. A toffee offset which meshes the malts to the brew.

Mouth: medium to full body not coming off too thick with soft carbonation.

Overall: Good brew. Not crazy over anything recently infused with pumpkin but the beer is definitely a must grab. Pumpkin pie with double chocolate chip cookie. Oh yes, Salud!

Dec 09, 2019

Thomas_Wikman from Texas

4.21/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I am not a big fan of pumpkin beer but this is more an imperial stout following the BOMB! formula. However, even though it is pretty good it is not as good as the BOMB! because of well the pumpkin.

Look: black with an inch thick mocca colored head

Aroma: roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, pumpkin and cinnamon

Taste: The flavor is malty, roasted malts, sweet milk chocolate, and coffee, and pumpkin and cinnamon. I believe the other spices are in there too, but that is what I taste most.

Body/Overall: medium to full body

Dec 01, 2019

Pegasus from Texas

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance; Deep brown in color, verging on black, with a large, fine-beaded tan head, with very good retention, eventually settling to scattering of foam on the surface. Belgian-style lacing adorns the glass walls.

Aroma: The aroma is profoundly spicy, I think its inadequate to describe it as being over-the-top. Simply massive notes of bitter cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, nutmeg, and cloves greet the senses. A comparison to pumpkin pie spice is inevitable, but this is far more intense, in a quite pleasant manner. Interestingly, there is little alcohol in the aroma surprising, considering the high ABV of eleven percent.

Taste: Begins with a wave of coffee and sweet chocolate, and vinous alcohol. Soon after the pumpkin pie spices assert, as well as an abundance of brown sugar sweetness. As the taste carries on, the sweet alcohol and chocolate notes blend quite harmoniously. Late in the taste, a bit of charred malt serves to bring the taste to a gracious close, though the pumpkin pie spices linger on for a time. Despite the high ABV, I found the alcohol to be only mildly warming.

Mouth feel: Rich, smooth, and full, with a mouthfeel and viscosity approaching that of whole milk, with a bare hint of carbonation, just enough to add interest.

Drinkability/notes: Simply extraordinary. While the price may be a bit off-putting (I pad $7.77 plus tax for a twelve-ounce single), it is extraordinary. In all, among the pumpkin beers beers I have tried, it is most like Tupp's Full Grown Jack - but even more extravagant. Try it, you will have no regrets.

Presentation: Packaged in a stubby twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a Samuel Adams Boston Lager sensory glass.

Nov 28, 2019

TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.29/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours pitch black with a thin tan head. Nice amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is cinnamon, nutmeg and dark chocolate.

T - Taste is dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.

M - Full body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a nice soft finish.

O - Pleasantly surprised by this. The dark flavors blend nicely with the pumpkin pie spices. Really enjoyable.

Nov 28, 2019

beersampler6 from Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Incredible imperial stout from the always great Prairie. Bottled date 9/9/19. Pours a syrupy thick black opaque color with a little tan head and small rings of lingering lacing. Smells glorious - dark roast coffee, a little milk chocolate, lots of pumpkin and cinnamon and nutmeg spices. A little vanilla, malt, roasted nuts and caramel. Taste follows the nose, excellent depth and balance and complexity. Felt like it could have been a good dessert beer, seasonal holiday beer and everyday sipper with dinner. Smooth, luscious, thick, rich mouthfeel that coated the palate. Just the right amount of carbonation. Higher ABV but not as much alcohol burn as you'd expect. Extremely enjoyable!

Nov 27, 2019

branham1989 from Texas

4.53/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Prairie Artisan Ale’s Basic Becky 11% ABV. This Imperial Stout pours a deep dark mahogany dark chocolate color appearing almost black with a mocha colored head that dissipates rather quickly. The aroma is of cinnamon nutmeg and clove with the pumpkin aroma coming through as the beer warms up and breaths there’s also hints of roasted barley coffee and malts maybe even some allspice. The flavor is of pumpkin spice in the way of cinnamon allspice nutmeg coriander and clove along with ginger with undertones of malts coffee cocoa along with some pumpkin adding a earthy flavor. The mouthfeel is very thick and creamy very syrupy with no carbonation detected the mouthfeel is perfect to me for a big imperial stout. Overall this is very good pumpkin spice stout I normally don’t enjoy these types of beers but I ended up liking this one 8.5/10

Nov 25, 2019

jzlyo from Iowa

4.24/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Aroma is dark malts and mild vegetables/complex spices/allspice/nutmeg. The flavor is dark malts, mild syrup, fruit/dark fruit and a spicy/slight heat/acidic finish.

Nov 21, 2019

MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.11/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle. Stamped bottled on date is '09.18.2019'.
Almost all black colored body. Thin darker tan colored head. Oily sheen of lacing left behind.
Aroma is dark roasted malts, with faint spices of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Kind of smells like a pumpkin pie, with coffee/chocolate ice cream.
Very expressive flavors of chocolate, coffee, and a whole lot of spices - cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Quite sweet overall, no bitterness.
Thicker mouth feel, very smooth texture. Leaves behind some lip stickiness. Good carbonation.
A real holiday themed dessert beer. Higher ABV% is hidden but lurking. Too sweet to be more than a sipper. One and done.

Nov 19, 2019

MacMalt from New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 9/18/2019. Poured into a stout glass. It pours a very dark walnut - almost jet black - with a thin, medium mocha-colored head that dissipated slowly. Just a classic stout appearance. You can smell the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove from the popping of the cap. As it warms the aroma of pumpkin becomes prevalent. Wow, is this good! I'm tasting roasted malt, gingerbread, cocoa, freshly-brewed coffee, pumpkin pulp, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. None of the flavors overpower; rather, they totally complement each other. The flavors are interesting without being gimmicky at all. It's positively decadent. The mouth feel is killer; it's as thick and chewy a stout as I've had in quite awhile. It has a motor oil feel that reminds me a lot of Ten Fidy. The level of carbonation is modest and it doesn't drink like 11% ABV. Overall, this is an exquisite stout. I like everything about it, except maybe the price point. But it's worth it.

Nov 17, 2019

FBarber from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark shiny black color with a dark chocolate brown head. Head is a good two fingers thick with a vigorous pour. Sounds like the fizzy head on a soda, as it dissipates it looks like that as well. Head disappears really quickly leaving a still clear area.

Aroma is really interesting - lots of spices come through - cinnamon, allspice, clove and then some of the pumpkin comes through - you really get that pumpkin pie spice coming through. Notes of roasted barley, coffee, and toasted malts are also noted.

Taste follows the nose with the first thing cascading across the palate being an array of pumpkin pie spices. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, and clove - its all there. Underlying backbone of roasted malts, cocoa and coffee notes are present. Some pumpkin notes start to come through more as the beer warms.

Feel is thick, viscous, smooth with a lively carbonation that dances on the palate towards the back end.

Overall, this is a really well done pumpkin stout. Like all Prairie stouts the adjuncts are well integrated and featured without being over the top. Lovely beer that I hope becomes a seasonal regular.

Nov 15, 2019

bbtkd from South Dakota

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Prairie Basic Becky, 11% ABV. Pours thick and black, with a slight brown ring. Nose is mainly ginger, but also cinnamon and nutmeg. Taste is mainly ginger, plus cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin/squash, and clove. Moderately sweet, faintly bitter. Decent mouthfeel, smooth and thick with light carbonation. Overall outstanding, to near-world-class. I expected a decent pumpkin beer, but this is more of a gingerbread stout. I'll buy more if I can, probably one of the best Prairie beers I've had. A little rum would be incredible.

Nov 14, 2019

TBoneJones from Texas

4.31/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Mostly the caraway and clove on the nose. Nice though.
Flavor is full through and through, allspice and clove notes up front, followed by an envelope of sweet gingerbread with hints of coffee, cinnamon, raisin/ dark fruit...robust and complex...delicious.
Feels medium-thick and sticky.
Nothing basic about this. This ends up being less about the pumpkin, and instead just about the best gingerbread stout I ever recall tasting.

Nov 11, 2019

HardTarget from Texas

4.44/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Black, opaque, strong back light shows a clear brown that goes to a ruby edge. Struggles to hold a thin dark tan collar, doesn't lace the glass. Does show some thick legs.

Aroma: Christmas spices, dark fruit cake, hints of pumpkin pie spice.

Taste: Heavy dark malty base supports a spice rack full of Christmas and Pumpkin pie seasonings. Slightly herbal, very intense spices, but a very heavy beer under it coming through and supporting, like a gingerbread cookie.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, low to no carbonation, big chew, oily lip smacking finish.

Overall: Depends how much you like spices. I've seen beers go too far, and by the book this one does too, but that big malty Prairie Bomb like base caries it off somehow. I like it, even if it's too much.

Nov 11, 2019

Premo88 from Texas

3.91/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into snifter
(bottle on 9/6/19 printed on neck)

L: classic black-and-tan look, the head is almost brown it's so dark; the head of foam is a late-percolating 1/4- to 1/2-inch tall; minimal sticking or lacing; keeps a tan/brown collar of foam

S: allspice, nutmeg to start with ... those two spices are super strong, even with the beer very cold; as it warms, chocolate pumpkin, then menthol ... or a mint chocolate chip ice cream note

T: like the aroma, the spices dominate at first with an allspice earthiness/bitterness so strong it comes off a lot like a chunk of bitter/burnt hops, the kind of flavor note you get in a fresh West Coast-style Russian imperial stout; as it warms, the friendlier, sweeter notes slowly start peeking in, but that allspice flavor seems always to be in the lead

F: slick and oily, at times thick but generally a bit slippery and lightweight for so big a beer; the carbonation is very light and working very well for the style; arguably the highlight of this beer

O: the aroma and mouthfeel are world class, but unless you're a fan of allspice, this one might be a bit disappointing; it definitely requires opening and warming up — the good sweet yummy notes don't really start popping until it's at least 50 degrees or warmer

Nov 10, 2019

Franziskaner from Missouri

4.09/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Black in color with no light penetration. There’s a wisp of beige covering perhaps a sixth of the top. The aroma is of caraway, cinnamon, nutmeg, and nutmeg. I’m tasting coriander, allspice, caraway, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and dark malt. The caraway and coriander make this a bit more unique than many of the other beers with pumpkin I have tried. The mouth is slightly warm with alcohol and a touch sticky.

Nov 09, 2019

Eamonn-Cummings3 from New York

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Teku glass.

Look is pitch black with a thin espresso colored head.

Aroma is strong spice with lots of malt.

Taste is sweet milk stout with a strong cinnamon nutmeg.

Delicious beer.

Nov 09, 2019

KirrBeery

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have been searching for a pumpkin stout to rival Saint Arnold’s Pumpkinator. I need to try them side by side to be sure, but this gives it a run for its money.

Nov 07, 2019

hoptheology from South Dakota

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle
Poured into Crane Snifter

Hiss from the cap and we're off.
Pours an obsidian syrup black with zero head, okay maybe a thin ring of bubbles but it's literally a fingernail.

Aroma is very pleasing - it's not fakey or overspiced, and has the right balance of milk chocolate and pumpkin, and nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. There's a certain alcohol zing to it, really brings the beer to life.

I'm glad they took so long to make a pumpkin beer because this is nearly perfect as far as pumpkin stouts are concerned. Big rush of chocolate cake, carrot cake, pumpkin icing, nutmeg, cloves, caramel, cream cheese, vanilla, brown sugar, and slight herb. Wonderful balance.

Feel is thick and creamy, medium to quiet carbonation, and pleasing warming alcohol heat.

This pumpkin stout blew my socks off. I expected no less from Prairie. Shoulda grabbed a case. Nicely done.

Nov 01, 2019

q33jeff from New Jersey

3.09/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

**
10/31/19
Happy Halloween.

Bottle to snifter after getting back from a little trick-or-treating.

LOOK: Motor Oil thick black. Small Light brown head that is difficult to reform, but beautiful when it does. Sudsy legs.
AROMA: Pumpkin, Squash, light spice.
TASTE: tangy vegetable, molasses, touch of cinnamon and clove. Strange flavor profile.
FEEL: thick and chewy, light carbonation, pretty smooth.

I was disappointed in this. Thought I was going to like it more, but for me the pumpkin didn't jive with the stout flavors. Maybe a touch roastier stout with a little less tangy pumpkin squash would blend a little better.

**

Nov 01, 2019

Antg8989 from New Jersey

4.62/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

For a pumpkin beer, this is amazing. It's amazing regardless. Spices are super well balanced and not overwhelming. The only "negative" about this beer is potentially the alcoholic aroma, but that's to be expected with an 11% imperial stout. Pumpkin comes through just enough and blends well with the smooth silky chocolateiness.

Nov 01, 2019