This is the Way
Prairie Artisan Ales

 

Bottled 2022/11/14
Pours with no real head, typical, pitch black with a bit of legs, inky stains on the glass,

Nose is super fudgey thick heavy beer, roasted malts, tons of dark chocolate and cocoa, a clear Oreo cookie character as well, some toasted coconut, touch of burnt marshamallow and nougat, coffee, roast, generic cookie dough and baking spices, a bit nutty

Taste starts sweet, with a big dark chocolate fudgey cocoa, more Oreo cookie and a bit of the cream filling, marzipan and toasted almond with a hint of toasted coconut, some roasted malt and coffee but not acrid, again that mild burnt marshmallow like it was over a camp fire and caught on fire, powdered cocoa, general baking spices, nougat, thick and chewy maybe some creamy flaked oats or lactose, a bit of alcohol but not fusel, some bitterness from roast and mild spicy hop, sticky sweet finish with more of everything lingering as it just coats the entire mouth and never goes away

Mouth is full bodied, very rich chewy thick, lower carb but OK for the style, med-high warming alcohol bordering tingly hot but not quite there

Overall this was a big beer, thankfully plenty of the base beer still in there with all the extras that all came through nicely. Enjoyable sipper but not one I could have more than this in a month

 

 

Drank from a 12 Fl. Oz. bottle purchased at Gordon’s Fine Wine & Spirits, Watertown, MA
11.14.2022
Served in a tulip

Drank this on May the 4th. Yes, I am a nerd.

As for the beer, it poured insanely thick and viscous pitch black hue that was reminiscent of used motor oil. There was zero head and no lacing whatsoever.

The aroma was outstanding. Uber rich and complex. Excellent balance between sweet and roasty. The bourbon presence hit me hard right off the bat. Moderate dose of vanilla. Vanilla wafer perhaps. Fragrant coconut notes appeared as the beer warmed and really intensified later in the session. Dark chocolate was noticeable too. A Mounds candy bar definitely came to mind.

The flavor profile was equally as impressive. Super malty and robust. Caramel malts were most apparent. Moderate amount of roasted malt character too. Fantastic overall balance. Vanilla came through strong in the center. Bit of coconut as well. Boozy bourbon notes were also prominent here and intensified on the back end and the finish. The alcohol was intense but well integrated into the beer.

Fantastic rich, oily, viscous mouthfeel. Completely full bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, moderate effervescence that worked perfectly for the style.

Prairie stouts are always enjoyable, but this one really blew me away. The bourbon barrel notes were front and center, and the adjuncts were prominent but not overdone. Pastry stouts rarely get much better than this.

 

Borderline cloying like I assumed it would be, but this is solid all-around. Dense opaque and oily black pour capped with a khaki/mocha head; nice boozy bourbon cuts through the slew of chocolate, vanilla, cookie and cake'y vibes. This is Oreo for sure.

Poured into a snifter - dark black, almost jet black pour with little foam risen.
Getting a dark fudgy chocolate aroma with some caramel, dark fruits, vanilla, cookie batter. Also picking up some scents of toasted coconuts.
Whoa big hit of the ABV mixed in with some fudgy chocolate, slight coconut, cookies.
The feel is full/ chewy mouthfeel, ABV stands out quite a bit on the first sip. Felt this in the back of my chest. Lower carbonation on this one if any.
Overall I wanted to check this out because Prairie is one of my favorite breweries but they didn't let me down on this! It's not as good as the bomb or prairie pirates weekend but still a solid A for imperials.

 

 

Saved it for Mando season 3 kickoff, pours pitch black with a tan cap. Smells like willy wonka's dreamland: huge chocolate fudge, vanilla, almond, coconut, more chocolate, and then warm bourbon barrel with a molasses kick. The taste has the dreamland turn into a diabetic nightmare, so sweet it is harsh with a very warm barrel splashing upon it all. Huge truffle chocolate cream is so potent, nuts including coconut next, licorice, then super sweet adjuncts and then a baseline of fudge, sweet on sweet on sweet with no balance. Feel is silky smooth though while being very warm and sweet it never feels as sugary as it tastes with decent weight too. Mando tv show was worth the wait, this beer not so much

 

Time was I’d snap up any BA Prairie Stout that appeared in a 100 mile radius, but 12 oz. bottles like this have become scarcer ‘round these parts recently. Oh well. We’re here now.

Black, with a smattering of light bubbles. Chocolate figures prominently in the nose; barrel does not. Hopefully it’s coming. Now.

This is the Way & That is the Stout & Those are the Additives. And what? Oh, they are the barrel, heavy barrel, charred barrel, monkey barrel. Chocolate comes in a strong second & the coconut is on the down low. No marshmallow…flavor…detected. Finish is classic Prairie, with a roar of sweet malt. Thick. One bottle hits my red lines.

Excellent beer.

L: Pours an oily black, which forms a thin mocha head. Decent cloudy retention on the surface, but little lacing. When held up to the light, it has an opaque umber look, intensely dark but not quite black.

A: Pungent. Bourbon barrels, chocolate, coconut, vanilla.

T: Pulls no punches. Chocolate, bourbon, vanilla dominate the front end. Flavor reminds me of Oreos in the middle. Almonds and coconuts towards the end. Sweeter at the beginning but there is no true bitterness to this beer. As the beer warmed up, the marshmallow is more apparent towards the beginning. Odd, but not complaining.

F: Full-bodied. Chocolate syrup feel. Light carbonation. Very thick and rich.

O: Imperial Pastry Stout with a big ABV and plenty of flavor to boot. It's a little cloying, but not in such a way to make it undrinkable. Prairie has come out with some weird stouts in the past, but this is a good entry and certainly deserving of a follow-up purchase.

A gloriously adjunct-heavy offering here. This one smells of marshmallow, almond extract, vanilla, coconut, milk chocolate fudge, and a hint of boozy bourbon barrel and delivers in the flavors on all fronts. A bit of a weird acrid bitterness on the finish. Mouthfeel is a bit thin but the low-ish carb is on point.

81/100

This is great! This breweries stouts are exceptional. This is no exception. Well done. Tasty, pours black,

 

12 ounce bottle poured into a Tripping Animals logoed taster’s glass at 53°.
Flat black, no foam, tar.,.
Smells like chocolate cookies and bourbon. You can really smell the sweet.,
Taste is a patient affair. Starts super sweet, coats the tongue, then the textures unfold: dark chocolate, vanilla (marshmallow), distant coconut, and an Amaretto tinged bourbon hit finishes.
Feel is syrup. Oily syrup.
Overall, toot swee, yet somehow fantastic. One is plenty.,.

Black color. Small tan head that fades in a nanosecond. No lace.
Chocolate aroma, vanilla, some nuttiness, sweet.
Taste of chocolate and chocolate fudge, vanilla, almond.
Big bodied. Warming.
A very nice stout. The sweetness precludes me from drinking a lot of this beer in one sitting. Share the 12oz bottle with a friend or two.

Pours black with very little carbonation. Hefty amount of sweetness, bourbon, Oreo. Hints of coconut. Overall a very sweet stout that’s quite tasty but perhaps a little to heavy handed in sweetness.

 

 

 

I did not get to finish this beer due to the Great Stout Disaster of 2022, but I enjoyed what I had.

Poured from a bottle into a small snifter. Rich dark brown color with a creamy brown brief initial head. Rich smell of chocolate, vanilla, coconut and bourbon. The taste was more pronounced than the smell. Marshmallow and Oreos. I like the name! May need to get another bottle to appreciate it more.

 

BOD 111422

Bottle. Tan head that fades. Black color.

Coconut, fudge, chocolate, vanilla, oak, barrel, bourbon. Marshmallows and Oreos. Dessert beer. Thick and a bit rich. Not pastry thick. Sweet though. Fairly warming.

Pours a near still ebony with near zero mocha colored head. No head retention or lacing

S: Dark fruit, barrel, & dark chocolate, dark fruit fades quickly

T: Dark chocolate, vanilla cream liqueur, a touch of barrel warmth, plus toasted almonds up front. Marshmallow breaks through as this beer warms up, along with dark chocolate, a little booze warmth, some cola notes and vanilla. Finishes with a trace of leafy hops, Bourbon, Marshmallow& Dark Chocolate & Vanilla Cream

MF: Chewy with near zero carbonation. Carbonation picks up once warm, warming booze presence

Great flavor on this, drinks great despite the heft. Despite the price, I am considering pulling the trigger on a 4-pack. This an Imperial Pastry Stout that pretty much checks all the boxes except appearance

 

 

**
12/18/22

bottle to snifter.

tons of fudgy chocolate with a whiskey burn.

Very sweet and tasty and plenty of nose; but zero complexity. Just a sugar bomb.

Super thick and zero carbonation. chocolate syrup.

**

 

 

 

 

 

Prairie This Is The Way BBA Imperial Stout, 13.6% ABV. Pours black with a one-finger brown head that dissipated instantly, leaving no lacing. Nose is dark chocolate, oreos, marshmallow, and coconut. Taste follows, plus almonds, quite sweet, slightly bitter. Bourbon/chocolate aftertaste. Undercarbonated as with many of their stouts. Overall excellent. I have to think this would be better with more of fewer add-junks.

Look: Very dark brown color, leaving no head when poured.

Smell: Sweet, chocolate, vanilla, and coconut.

Taste: bourbon hits first, then smooth chocolate and marshmallow flavor with light coconut. I don't taste the almonds.

Feel: Almost no carb, but a good thickness that lets the flavors linger.