Bomb!
Prairie Artisan Ales

 

 

 

 

L: Pours a dark hickory, forms no head and a very thin espresso ring around the edge of the snifter. No noticeable lacing or retention, with a distinctive oily character. Has a crunchy, dark chocolate hue when held to the light.

S: Cacao nibs, bourbon barrel, oak, vanilla, and coffee. Hints of chili heat.

T: Strong coffee roast, cacao nibs, vanilla, and roasted malts. Slightly astringent. Faint chili burn in finish.

F: Medium- to full-bodied. Thick, creamy mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation.

O: The sun rises in the east, Prairie delivers another outstanding stout.

Got a bottle of this from Charleston Beer Exchange years ago. Finally getting a chance to try it and I am stocked. I have had this fresh on draft but that was probably 6 years ago and I was unable to get a review done.

Pours pitch black with a small, wispy toffee colored head. Sporadic lacing. Aroma is coffee and chocolate and figs and alcohol. Mouthfeel is a little thin for my liking. Slightly watered down but wonderful flavor overall. I enjoyed the draft version more and this bottle was a bit of a letdown. Solid beer but plenty better.

Look: exceptionally dark brown, almost black. Very thin mocha colored head, minor lacing.

Smell: very well-mixed chocolate and vanilla fight for dominance. Moderately strong coffee and malt.

Taste: follows the nose. The chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and malt sweetness are all present. Nothing is overpowering. No real taste of chile peppers until the back end (see feel).

Feel: rich, silky, velvety, and smooth. Low carbonation as expected given the style and the 13% abv. Warmth from the alcohol during and after swallow. Tingling spice on the tongue (from the chile peppers) long after the swallow.

Overall: one of the best - and possibly THE best - adjunct imperial stout I have ever had the fortune of trying. Exquisitely well-balanced flavors.

This one is rich, dark and creamy. I taste all the flavors except the heat from the chiles. Maybe since it's a year old the chiles have subsided. Still a fantastic brew.

Pours a dark brown color with virtually no head. Aroma of sweet coffee and roasted malts. Taste is coffee, vanilla and chocolate with a nice warm alcohol finish. Excellent brew.

 

Look is black with a dark brown head that dissipates quickly with very little lacing.
Aroma is coffee, chocolate and a hint of pepper.
Taste is strong with coffee and cacao and pepper and bitterness.
Feel is not as smooth as some stouts, but it works well with the chili pepper taste.
The glass looked like it had a lot of carbonation, but it's not noticeable while drinking.
The 13% ABV is not noticeable.
Very Nice.

 

Amazing stout. Would try again and would buy again.

Look: black with a dark brown head

Smell: vanilla, raisins, coffee, chocolate

Taste: nice blend of vanilla, coffee, and chocolate with just the slightest hint of pepper

Feel: super smooth

 

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle dated 1/20/22 into a snifter.

Look- Black, opaque, plentiful visible particulate at the edges, dark brown frothy head, zero head retention, below average lacing (but coats glass wall).

Smell- Cacao, coffee, chili pepper, vanilla, high strength of scent.

Taste- Cacao, coffee, chili pepper at finish, moderately bitter, high strength of flavor.

Feel- Between medium and full body, well below average carbonation, mildly spicy, moderately mouth warming, mildly mouth coating, moderately bitter, syrup like.

Overall- Black in color with visible particulate at the edges and zero head retention. Bouquet was high in strength with a great mix of cacao, coffee and chili pepper. Taste was also high in strength with the same wonderful flavor profile. Feel was between medium and full bodied with mild spiciness and moderate mouth warming ability. Overall this was a really great beer that provided an excellent drinking experience. The only critique I had was that the carbonation was noticeably weak, but that could have been a one-off.

 

From a 12oz bottle, dated 03/17/22. Served in a tulip.

Pours a slightly thick-appearing chestnut-black with a finger of dense mocha foam. The head holds up for thirty seconds or so - actually pretty good considering the abv - leaving a scant collar and a barely rousable spattering of super-slippery lacing.

Nose is rich and chocolatey. Aromas of milk chocolate and chilis.

Taste is candy bar-like, mildly sweet, nutty and lightly roasted. Sweetened coffee taste is present but dominated by Lindt-type milk chocolate at the beginning, then by ancho chili and vanilla on the back end. Tasting demerara sugar, mocha java, ancho chili and vanilla. There’s a subtle nutty, peanut buttery character at the end and into the aftertaste.

Feel is smooth and creamy, not much more than medium bodied I think, but further lightened by the ample, fine carbonation. It’s a notably clean mouthfeel considering the style, the abv, and the various adjuncts.

Overall, nice. Clean-drinking and tasty, only lightly sweet and not at all syrupy. At least comparable to many of the finer imperial stouts I’ve met but perhaps at a more regrettably unattractive relative price point.

L: Thick motor oil poured from a 12oz bottle into a sniffer - slight head risen. No light shining through this one.
S: Big coffee aromas followed by chocolate, vanilla and a slight spicy smell to it. Reminds me of a Ducato imperial stout that was made with chili peppers.
T: Ohhh wow, Definitely an AMAZING beer!! Huge spicy chili chocolate up front followed by a easy vanilla ride to the coffee profile in the after taste. Man oh man this one is top 5 in the books.
F: Spicy, acidic, heavy bodied beer - not to carbonated. Easy to drink, can't taste the alcohol at all.
O: This reminds me of a similar imperial stout made with spices that resemble chili peppers. This for me is a barrel aged version of Ducato Verdi Imperial Stout but with different characteristics that make it much more complex such as a spicy bakers chocolate upfront taste followed by a smooth vanilla ride to the end where the coffee after taste lingers. Very well done and a solid A+ for me.