Bomb!
Prairie Artisan Ales

Prairie Bomb!
12 oz. bottle from Copper Vine ($8.59) poured into a Stone snifter.

A- Cool label art, and a funky catfish on the cap. A 1-finger, brown head is created with a normal pour. The body is jet black, showing very dark brown/red edges when held to light. The head settles to a thin film, and there are rings left on the glass from just a swirl, even more so with a sip.

S- It's straight up chocolate on first inspection. Coffee is another dominant trait. With some warmth, I get a distinct, vanilla sweetness and a hint of heat from the peppers. Some warmth and there is an impression that this packs a serious ABV punch. In the end, it all gets very bold without overwhelming the senses.

T- Oh, that's nice! Bold and complex. I get a lot of coffee and semi-sweet chocolate, much like a chocolate flavored coffee my wife used to keep stocked for weekend brewing. The chili peppers play a supportive role, and do a great job through the finish. It all comes together nicely, with no element dominating. I wouldn't mind just a little more heat on the back end. Though my wife said it was "a lot of chili pepper," to each his/her own. With a little warmth, everything gets amplified, without changing any of the balance, maybe stepping up the vanilla and peppers more so.

M- Full bodied and viscous. There's a little alcohol warmth and a little bite from the peppers. A little long in the finish, perhaps.

O- At the pricing point, it's a special treat for sure. That said, I'm glad I listened to my "beer guy, Jim" and pulled the trigger. I would definitely buy a couple more to hold onto for a special occasion. It's difficult to find many faults in this beer.

4.25 5 4.5 4 4.5

Pours a deep dark brown, tan head. Boozy aroma, some vanilla, some chile, some coffee. Carries forward onto the palate. Overall, a tremendous imperial stout.

Deep brown pour with very little head or carbonation. Lighter mouthfeel than most of Prairie’s other stouts. The smell is primarily coffee, and the taste is coffee and ancho peppers, with a slight warmth that I really enjoy. A very enjoyable beer!

 

 

 

 

Very dark brew with a coffee and wood notes to the aroma. A very strong looking beer.
A very strong flavor with a powerful punch to the palette. Does taste a lot like it smells.
Has a creamy feel to it and overall, a very tasty and warm beer. Definitely good for the winter storm.

 

 

2021 bottle opened Christmas Day 2025. Refrigerated since purchase. This one blew me away, much much prefereable for my palate to the Christmas Bomb version. It hit perfectly on both the chocolate and coffee notes. The chili was imperceptible, perhaps due to aging. I'm fine with that. Excellent impy.

Gorgeous pour. Looks thick and dark brown enough to call black. Luscious layer of mocha foam but it goes away fairly quickly.

Smells great - high quality coffee, milk chocolate, a faint whiff of vanilla. Roasted dark malts provide the foundation. Not getting any peppers on the nose but I kinda expected that to be the case.

Oh my. This is fun to drink. The first sip is excellent coffee, slightly sweet chocolate, and the stout base with just a little vanilla. After that the pepper shows up in the back of the throat and persists providing a nice counterbalance to the other flavors. It all melds together quite smoothly. Great warming from the 13% abv and the heat of the peppers. The pepper heat is fairly mild to my tastes, but any more would be too much. I do get a bit of fruitiness that I find when hot peppers are used smartly.

Feel is not quite as thick as I thought it would be. It's leaving a little bit of char behind. It's rich and luxurious.

Easy A here. I love the deft use of the peppers which could easily overpower the other flavors or just make the whole thing a hot mess (sorry...). The coffee flavor is fresh and high quality. The cocoa adds some sweetness and there's just enough vanilla to notice. Excellent beer.

Pours deep, dark brown with almost no head at all. The nose gives really deep notes of dark chocolate with hints of caramel, toffee, bourbon, & vanilla. The taste largely follows suit with chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and heavy toffee flavor. Like a lot of these imperial stouts, it's not bad, but I find the sweet toffee flavor to be a little cloying / overbearing and usually reach for something more subdued. That being said, it masks its high ABV well.

 

I've been drinking Bombs for many years now but never rated them. This is the original and remains one of the best beers I've had. There are many variations, and several I would rate even higher. Pours as black as motor oil, with no head (yes, you can safely pour straight down the middle). The first taste is just straight up chocolate, full bodied stout. As you continue, however, the other ingredients begin to arrive. There are several, but it gets spicier and more complex as it goes. Truly a unique experience. The ABV is relatively well hidden, with no overt alcohol taste. Yes, it's 10 bucks a bottle, and you don't want to drink more than one. This is one of the great stouts, and (as I said previously) there are variations that are even better (and also more expensive with higher ABV). Several of them are among the best beers I've experienced. Thanks for what you do, Prairie!

 

Barrel aged Bomb Abraxas , is a must try

RB transfer