Maple Bourbon Barrel Paradise
Prairie Artisan Ales

12 ounce bottle, bottled 11/01/2023. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch or so tan head that fizzled away somewhat quickly. Not too much lacing at all. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like vanilla, maple, roasted malt, bourbon and some oak. I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some coffee, dark bread, coconut and burnt/charred malt flavors noticeable too. Definitely leans sweeter tasting but not too strong. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's coating and a little syrupy with a low/moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this brew, but then I like maple a lot too so that helps. Certainly worth trying if you get the chance!

 

Purchased as part of a gift box which included a total of 4 different bottles and a glass .

L- Pours a thick jet black with a thin dark tan head.

S- Bourbon, raisin, vanilla aroma.

T- Very pleasant boozy flavor upfront followed by sweet raisins and vanilla. Virtually no hint of coconut. Some lingering bitter char.

F- Sticky viscous mouthfeel with very delicate carbonation.

O- Wow! A very enjoyable BA stout. Considering the whomping abv, this is quite drinkable!

 

 

A - Pours pitch with a very thin tan head. Light amount of oily lacing.

S - Aroma is dark chocolate, maple and tons of barrel.

T - The taste is maple, coconut, dark chocolate, black coffee, vanilla, oak and a strong punch of bourbon in the finish.

M - Full body with low carbonation. Syrupy mouthfeel with a slick dry finish.

O - Solid BBA stout. Some sweetness without overshadowing the base beer.

Bottle shared because no sane human could drink an entire bottle of this. Dark pour, decent head. Smells like maple and bourbon. It’s super strong, alcohol burn. Bourbon and maple glamour and sticky sweet. These guys just try too hard.

 

Their barrel aged stouts program is among the best in the business. This one is definitely worthy of their rep. Strong scents and flavors of barrel and maple with a slight sweetness of vanilla and coconut. Boozy burn on the back end, medium bodied, slight thickness.

Drank from a 12fl oz. bottle purchased on Tavour
11/01/2023
Served in a stemmed Prairie tasting glass

Glassy, fuller bodied, near pitch black appearance. The liquid was topped by a small cap of saddle brown froth that quickly transformed into a medium sized, lasting collar. There was zero lacing whatsoever, but a thin, brownish-yellow film coated the glass.

The aroma was outstanding. Big dark chocolate presence. Good dose of maple syrup as well. Some vanilla and lactose notes were also apparent. Nice boozy/bourbony presence too. Fairly sweet but appropriately so given the style. The coconut, however, was unfortunately undetectable.

The flavor profile was also terrific. Rich and malty up front. Nice melding of sweet caramel malts and roasted malt notes. Big maple presence in the center. Lots of dark chocolate, lactose and vanilla too. Boozy bourbon notes appeared as the beer moved along the palate and crescendoed in the finish. Nice lingering alcohol warmth after the swallow. Like in the aroma, I did not pitch up any coconut.

The mouthfeel was solid but a touch thinner than I anticipated. Medium-full bodied. Oily and slick. The liquid contained a finely beaded, moderate effervescence that fluffed up nicely on the palate.

Prairie’s bourbon-barrel aged beers rarely disappoint, and this was definitely another winner. The maple presence was notable but not overdone, and the vanilla gave this an added level of complexity. Be careful if you drink this, as the 14.3% can really sneak up on you.

Pours black with a creamy khaki head that disappears with a ring around the glass. Smells just like coconut, some bourbon and maple. Taste is coconut, maple and bitter dark chocolate all wrapped up in a warm bourbon blanket. The date says little less than a year old. The alcohol is still present but the flavors help to mask it well. This one has awesome flavors but I dare say they should of thrown some marshmallow fluff in the mix to round out the dark bitter chocolate finish. Pretty freaking great beer. Almost 5's..hint marshmallow!

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle dated 11-1-23 into a snifter.

Look- Black, opaque, dark brown sudsy head, close to zero head retention and lacing.

Smell- Bourbon, maple syrup, coconut, coffee, vanilla, high strength of scent.

Taste- Maple syrup, bourbon, coconut, coffee, vanilla, highly sweet, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Full body, below average carbonation, mildly mouth warming, highly sweet, moderately bitter, moderately mouth coating, syrup like, silky.

Overall- Wonderful drinking experience. Flavors and bouquet bursting with the promised flavors.

fobab 2023

 

 

Swigged this on tap last week & have been looking forward this 12 oz. bottle ever since. The best of Prairie can be some of the best anywhere. Hopes, high.

Black. The nose is rich without straying into cloying: vanilla, maple, bourbon, a bushel of malts, subtle dark chocolate. One of the better smelling things I’ve sniffed in a while.

Paradise – Maple Bourbon Barrel is pretty good. On a scale of bad to pretty good. The maple is intense without leaping overboard, but it dominates the brew. Others catcall the nose: vanilla, creamy chocolate, & a double-layered sammich of deliciousness. Thick. Big. Brutal, without thrusting its big ABV pelvis in your face. I’d love to have a twelve pack of this.

Lives up to its hope. Excellent beer that knocks on the top tier of all beers, of all time, everywhere.

 

 

The maple presence isn't as pronounced as I was expecting, but it does definitely seem to up the sweetness some in a way that's not just straight vanilla frosting and brownie batter like the base beer. As with the other Paradise variants, the barrel character is very well integrated and cuts down on what would otherwise be a quite cloying offering

86/100

Full disclosure, this was way better than I feared, maple fits in naturally in the finish with the coconut and vanilla, and somehow doesn't become a diabetic nightmare. Before this the molasses forward barrel, chocolate, and mild tobacco and raisin give even dark elements to contrast. Smell is more focused on a maple candy blended into vanilla, coconut and bourbon, hello barrel candy! Feel has a surprisingly drinkable weight with no cloying, maltwork is very solid and gives a touch of roast to the proceedings. Good pastry stout with character