Vinyl
Prairie Artisan Ales

 

 

 

 

Bottled 2024/10/10
Pours a dark brown fizzy smaller head but decent retention, a bit of lacing, inky black colored beer

Nose brings cocoa and dark chocolate, a bit of roast, coffee, some char almost burnt marshmallow nougat candy bar, vanilla ice cream and a bit of oak, a bit of sweet bourbon, hint of baking spices

Taste starts fairly sweet but not overly, more marshmallow and nougat like candy, baking spices, rich cocoa almost like chocolate soup, fudge, rich vanilla, and vanilla spice, mild bourbon, general roasted malts with a bit of coffee and char, a bit of a latte, fair bitterness from the roast and mild spicy hop notes, creamy oatmeal like, semi sweet sticky finish, more spicy bitterness and a bit of perfumey alcohol

Mouth is full bod, rich creamy and a bit chewy, med to lower carb, med to higher warming alcohol

Overall not bad, nothing crazy, not a lot of barrel influence, decent base stout although a bit on the sweet side but thankfully not pastry stout level

 

 

12 ounce bottle, packaged 10.14.2024 stamped on the bottle. Big thanks to Brutaltruth for this! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch or so tan head. Head retention is good and there's a small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like chocolate fudge, vanilla, roasted malt, dark fruit and some bourbon. For the most part the taste is pretty much like the aroma, but with the addition of some dark bread, burnt/charred malt and oaky flavors. Decent amount of barrel character. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and a bit syrupy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was pretty good, definitely worth trying. I know I'd like to try this one again in the future!

Bottle dated 10/10/24.

Delicious! Just a damn good, thick BBA imperial stout without tons of adjuncts or weird crazy flavors. Absolutely jet black. No head whatsoever. Bourbon taste isn't overwhelming, and there's a wonderful cocoa and roasted malt note coating my tongue. Sometimes keeping it simple pays off.

Boozy, but not too much so. If you're a fan of BBA imperials, this one is highly recommended from me. If you see it, buy it.

This one's been in the bottle for about a year. 4.5/5. Excellent beer!

Ah, lovely to see Prairie BA stouts show up again on MN shelves, even if only briefly. 12 oz. bottle dated 10/10/24.

The pour is 1984 record black, with a low, friendly, quick-goodbye head. Nose is quiet bit of bourbon, roast, black licorice.

Vinyl brings a blast booze. Earthy bourbon spits fire out of the gate & dominates the lesser flavors. Which are? Roast, toast, inoculated oak, bitter cocoa, with a finish that suggest molasses. Full, rich. I find myself mourning the dregs.

I understand the desire to leave this breathe on its own with adjuncts. It's an excellent example of a bourbon barrel aged stout.

Poured at fridge temp. Pours a thick black with almost no head. The nose is bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, pie crust, and a slight hint of roasted malts. Dark fruits are coming through as well.

The taste is excellent. Loads of bourbon coming through. Vanilla, toffee, chocolate, molasses, black licorice, dark berries, slight soy sauce (but not in a bad way), and some raisins. Really nice!

The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a boozy and fruity aftertaste.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. I bought the bottle at the brewery's taproom in Oklahoma City.

Pitch black, with a thick, oily look when swirled in the glass. Essentially no head and only minimal lacing despite a vigorous pour. Strong "legs" on the glass when tilted. Appearance is just what I expect for a BBA Stout. Strong aromas of burnt grain, sharp oak and Bourbon. The flavors cover all the same bases, with additional depth from raisins and prunes, and a low umami note similar to soy sauce that is interesting without being objectionable. Medium to thick body with some creaminess and a slight mouth-coating effect. Substantial hops bitterness that keeps all the malt from seeming cloying. Alcohol has heat, but I wouldn't guess it was over 13% ABV.

This is a well-made Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with no flaws. It doesn't stand out as exceptional in the style, but I also can't find any faults with it. There is something about the oak character and heightened alcohol that edge it toward a harshness in flavors, but not quite where I would say the harshness bothers me.

 

Bottled 10/10/24; drank 4/28/25 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

An even pour yielded a minimal dark tan head; minimal lacing remained.

Sweet bourbon, black licorice & caramel notes in the nose.

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Black licorice, caramel & bourbon heat flavors.

Russian imperial stout vibes but sticky, boozy & with an oddly sweet edge; I give them points for not making yet another pure pastry stout but this isn't great. Certainly not worth the price tag.

 

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a shiny black with minimal foam bubbles that quickly fade away. Bourbon, oak (lots of oak), chocolate with light vanilla and dark fruit. Tastes follows with less dark fruit and more oak, chocolate and vanilla up front. It’s subtle but it’s delicious. Not overly sweet but the chocolate-forward base stout plus the vanilla and coconut from the barrel lends the perfect touch of sweetness to offset bourbon-soaked oak. Full mouthfeel. Lively enough carb to it on the finish. Solid. I’m usually of the mindset that Prairie needs the flavor additions but this was perfectly fine on its own.

These guys make such good barrel aged stouts with adjuncts, so I was excited to try a “plain” one from them, and it does not disappoint. Roasty dark malt with a rather subtle barrel presence. A little bit of a sweet dark fruit taste, nutty, and smoky. Medium bodied, no carbonation, and the alcohol presence of the barrel is disguised well and sneaks up on a burn at the end of tasting it. Solid, and I’d definitely buy it again.

 

Look - Pours a pitch black color with a thin dark brown head that quickly disappears. No noticeable carbonation or lacing.

Smell - Roasted malt, bourbon, maybe some dark coffee.

Taste - Malt, bourbon, dark fruit, and perhaps a slightly bitter coffee.

Feel - It's flat, but nicely creamy. A tad bitter for my liking.

Overall - A decent stout, but I much prefer Prairie's flavored stouts.