Prairie Wine Barrel Noir
Prairie Artisan Ales
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- Stout - American Imperial
- ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 90
- Avg:
- 4 | pDev: 11.75%
- Reviews:
- 88
- Ratings:
- From:
- Prairie Artisan Ales
- Oklahoma, United States
- Avail:
- Retired (no longer brewed)
- Wants
- 69
- Gots
- 187
SCORE
90
Outstanding
90
Outstanding
Notes:
Reviews: 88
| Ratings: 688
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Reviews by Jaxbrew:
Jaxbrew from Pennsylvania
4.5/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This was a nice treat from a pal at work. A complex blast for the buds, if you will. Tons of raspberry, vanilla, toffee, oak, and chocolate in this. Super flavorful with a truly puzzling finish. I really enjoyed this and would love to see what some time does to the mix.
Jan 10, 2015
4.5/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This was a nice treat from a pal at work. A complex blast for the buds, if you will. Tons of raspberry, vanilla, toffee, oak, and chocolate in this. Super flavorful with a truly puzzling finish. I really enjoyed this and would love to see what some time does to the mix.
Jan 10, 2015
More User Reviews:
dar482 from New York
4.33/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
The beer comes in a dark black color with a tinge of purple and red in the dark brown head.
The aroma attacks of huge red wine quality, milk chocolate, some coffee, caramel sweetness.
The flavor hits of red wine throughout. It's almost as if stout was poured into a huge glass of robust red wine. The berries of raspberries, currant, cherries, and red grapes hit up front, then some smokiness, sweet chocolate, coffee. Lots of carbonation on this. Then onto a big attack of alcohol and lots of red wine tannic drying.
A fun fun beer.
Feb 17, 2015
4.33/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
The beer comes in a dark black color with a tinge of purple and red in the dark brown head.
The aroma attacks of huge red wine quality, milk chocolate, some coffee, caramel sweetness.
The flavor hits of red wine throughout. It's almost as if stout was poured into a huge glass of robust red wine. The berries of raspberries, currant, cherries, and red grapes hit up front, then some smokiness, sweet chocolate, coffee. Lots of carbonation on this. Then onto a big attack of alcohol and lots of red wine tannic drying.
A fun fun beer.
Feb 17, 2015
Premo88 from Texas
4.5/5 rDev +12.5%
12 oz. bottle poured into snifter
L: pitch black topped by huge, thick tan head of foam -- classic big stout look, and the head sticks and is now lacing ... perfection
S: like the look, classic big stout -- all coffee and chocolate, super sweet with some nice dark roasted malt notes and only a hint of red-wine sour-grape note underneath all of the typical stout notes; after the first sip, wow -- the red wine notes really show through ... once the palate gets triggered, that red wine mixes with the stout chocolate/coffee and offers a big vanilla-cherry milkshake kind of thing
T: burnt bitter malt, so dark bitter that it masks much of the sweetness picked up in the aroma; definite tart/sour note from the red wine, especially in the lingering aftertaste; the 10% ABV warms the throat but doesn't seem present in the taste -- too much malt flavor to notice alcohol
F: full and weighty but not overly slick or thick ... very drinkable for a beer that should be nursed
O: fantastic spin on a style I love straight up. the red wine barrels impart a cool sour/tart note that's very subtle amid the sweet coffee/chocolate tastes of the stout. a perfect sipping beer
Sep 07, 2014
4.5/5 rDev +12.5%
12 oz. bottle poured into snifter
L: pitch black topped by huge, thick tan head of foam -- classic big stout look, and the head sticks and is now lacing ... perfection
S: like the look, classic big stout -- all coffee and chocolate, super sweet with some nice dark roasted malt notes and only a hint of red-wine sour-grape note underneath all of the typical stout notes; after the first sip, wow -- the red wine notes really show through ... once the palate gets triggered, that red wine mixes with the stout chocolate/coffee and offers a big vanilla-cherry milkshake kind of thing
T: burnt bitter malt, so dark bitter that it masks much of the sweetness picked up in the aroma; definite tart/sour note from the red wine, especially in the lingering aftertaste; the 10% ABV warms the throat but doesn't seem present in the taste -- too much malt flavor to notice alcohol
F: full and weighty but not overly slick or thick ... very drinkable for a beer that should be nursed
O: fantastic spin on a style I love straight up. the red wine barrels impart a cool sour/tart note that's very subtle amid the sweet coffee/chocolate tastes of the stout. a perfect sipping beer
Sep 07, 2014
tectactoe from Michigan
4.15/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Mike M for bringing this one by and popping my Prairie Artesian Ales cherry. Or grape, I guess. I've been loving wine barrel-aged stuff recently, so I was very excited to try this one. Black and oily squid's ink on the pour with just about no head. It just sits in the glass, viscous and still, with barely even a collar to mention. Swirling the glass gets a little bubble movement, but it still looks relatively motionless and tranquil.
We're talking Rocky and Apollo Creed, Round 2, where Rocky is the roast and my boy Creed is the vine. A wonderful clashing of roasted malt and vinous inclusions; sweet, roasted cocoa beans, burnt caramel and delicate brown sugar is met equally by oaky wine barrel notes, tingly grape sweetness, and a faint, underlying, vine-like tartness. Many people are but off by the roasty and sour combo, but I've been falling in love recently, sinking like a fat kid in the summer camp swim class.
The taste teeters towards the wine barrel side, which is more than fine with me. Dominant bouts of tart grapes, vinous oak staves, wine, and mild tannins flow through a moderate sea of roast. The potency of the wine barrel aging is enough to bury the roast quite a bit, but over time, it starts peaking its head out a little more and really gives the tart essence an extra leg to stand on. Good complexity so far, though a little more balance may be necessary.
A few sips in, the vinous flavors and apparent tartness start stroking the saliva glands nicely before it turns into a full blown hummer. The increasing levels of tartness and the increasing robustness of the roast stretch the flavor spectrum of the brew and is sure to turn some people off, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. The bananarama fades to a timid sweetness in the finish with a complimentary roasty and grape-y flavor. Medium-heavy bodied, oily and thick and viscous on the palate with lower carbonation.
Once again, this isn't something that many people will fall in love with. But for some sick and twisted reason, I've been really "coming around" to some strange sour and roasted combo beers, especially darker brews that have been hanging out in wine barrels. A little more or heavier roast would do this one well, but it's pretty damn good as is. Not something you'd drink on a daily basis, but an enigmatic and delicate brew for when you're feeling frisky.
Aug 17, 2013
4.15/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Mike M for bringing this one by and popping my Prairie Artesian Ales cherry. Or grape, I guess. I've been loving wine barrel-aged stuff recently, so I was very excited to try this one. Black and oily squid's ink on the pour with just about no head. It just sits in the glass, viscous and still, with barely even a collar to mention. Swirling the glass gets a little bubble movement, but it still looks relatively motionless and tranquil.
We're talking Rocky and Apollo Creed, Round 2, where Rocky is the roast and my boy Creed is the vine. A wonderful clashing of roasted malt and vinous inclusions; sweet, roasted cocoa beans, burnt caramel and delicate brown sugar is met equally by oaky wine barrel notes, tingly grape sweetness, and a faint, underlying, vine-like tartness. Many people are but off by the roasty and sour combo, but I've been falling in love recently, sinking like a fat kid in the summer camp swim class.
The taste teeters towards the wine barrel side, which is more than fine with me. Dominant bouts of tart grapes, vinous oak staves, wine, and mild tannins flow through a moderate sea of roast. The potency of the wine barrel aging is enough to bury the roast quite a bit, but over time, it starts peaking its head out a little more and really gives the tart essence an extra leg to stand on. Good complexity so far, though a little more balance may be necessary.
A few sips in, the vinous flavors and apparent tartness start stroking the saliva glands nicely before it turns into a full blown hummer. The increasing levels of tartness and the increasing robustness of the roast stretch the flavor spectrum of the brew and is sure to turn some people off, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. The bananarama fades to a timid sweetness in the finish with a complimentary roasty and grape-y flavor. Medium-heavy bodied, oily and thick and viscous on the palate with lower carbonation.
Once again, this isn't something that many people will fall in love with. But for some sick and twisted reason, I've been really "coming around" to some strange sour and roasted combo beers, especially darker brews that have been hanging out in wine barrels. A little more or heavier roast would do this one well, but it's pretty damn good as is. Not something you'd drink on a daily basis, but an enigmatic and delicate brew for when you're feeling frisky.
Aug 17, 2013
lochraneg from New Hampshire
4.16/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Aged 1 year
Look: Pours black, thick head, creme colored
Smell: Sour, Bourbon, no wine
Taste: Unsure of actual notes, but dissapointed
Feel: Think body, bourbon
Overall: Glad I tried it, but not something I would pay top dollar for
Oct 17, 2015
4.16/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Aged 1 year
Look: Pours black, thick head, creme colored
Smell: Sour, Bourbon, no wine
Taste: Unsure of actual notes, but dissapointed
Feel: Think body, bourbon
Overall: Glad I tried it, but not something I would pay top dollar for
Oct 17, 2015
Mongrel from Maryland
4.08/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours beautifully with a copious mocha colored head. Had to pour in multiple stages - impressive for a barrel aged imperial stout.
Smells immediately bright and grapey, with roasty coffee behind that. Really seductive nose, especially for those who appreciate a vinous character in beer.
Tastes quite fruity, with grape and berries taking the lead. An effervescent, almost tangy stout that remains somewhat anchored by a full, roasty body. I wouldn't say there's a complete marriage of flavors though - the fruit comes to dominate everything else, with citrus flavors even adding to the mix later. Faint chocolate brings up the rear. The wine barrel might have married better with a barleywine. Still a tasty and intriguing experience, especially for those who enjoy wine-y beers.
Mouthfeel is full and somewhat creamy. But also high on the carbonation/effervescence scale for an impy stout.
May 29, 2015
4.08/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours beautifully with a copious mocha colored head. Had to pour in multiple stages - impressive for a barrel aged imperial stout.
Smells immediately bright and grapey, with roasty coffee behind that. Really seductive nose, especially for those who appreciate a vinous character in beer.
Tastes quite fruity, with grape and berries taking the lead. An effervescent, almost tangy stout that remains somewhat anchored by a full, roasty body. I wouldn't say there's a complete marriage of flavors though - the fruit comes to dominate everything else, with citrus flavors even adding to the mix later. Faint chocolate brings up the rear. The wine barrel might have married better with a barleywine. Still a tasty and intriguing experience, especially for those who enjoy wine-y beers.
Mouthfeel is full and somewhat creamy. But also high on the carbonation/effervescence scale for an impy stout.
May 29, 2015
jonbonfondle from Minnesota
3.75/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Feb 09, 2016
3.75/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Feb 09, 2016
danieelol from Australia
2.27/5 rDev -43.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Black with creamy tan head. Nice, huge head.
Nose is typical stout licorice up front, lots of jersey caramel, some raspberry. Hints of sourness. Some marshmallow.
Taste has a strong sourness to it. Lots of red wine tannins. But just huge sourness...it shouldn't be here. It has a grittiness to it...at times it tastes like biting into off fruit.
Back palate has huge sourness, more raspberry, mushrooms
Really pretty woeful to be charging the price they are in Australia for such an obviously infected and malformed beer.
People are gonna buy this expecting BA stout flavours and will get a soured acidic and tannic mess.
The sourness is totally at odds with the bold stout profile and is ultimately somewhat unpleasant.
Disappointing as there is still a bit of the original stout's presence before it was raped by infection, and it is quite solid. I will probably finish this beer, but it's not great.
Jul 18, 2014
2.27/5 rDev -43.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Black with creamy tan head. Nice, huge head.
Nose is typical stout licorice up front, lots of jersey caramel, some raspberry. Hints of sourness. Some marshmallow.
Taste has a strong sourness to it. Lots of red wine tannins. But just huge sourness...it shouldn't be here. It has a grittiness to it...at times it tastes like biting into off fruit.
Back palate has huge sourness, more raspberry, mushrooms
Really pretty woeful to be charging the price they are in Australia for such an obviously infected and malformed beer.
People are gonna buy this expecting BA stout flavours and will get a soured acidic and tannic mess.
The sourness is totally at odds with the bold stout profile and is ultimately somewhat unpleasant.
Disappointing as there is still a bit of the original stout's presence before it was raped by infection, and it is quite solid. I will probably finish this beer, but it's not great.
Jul 18, 2014
Severdali from Texas
4.25/5 rDev +6.3%
Chocolate...raspberries (from the red wine funk smell that i get ...its great warming up...funkier than your average red wine barrel beer...almost moldy/cheesy)...slight oak, slight oat, hint of coffee (small hint when colder really)...even slight citrus...not crazy bursting flavors but nice complexity. A bit more entertaining on the nose than in the mouth...but a great creamy mouthfeel and a unique beer on its own that is worth trying/aging. Carbonation stays nice throughout the beer warming up, and leaves a nice "tannic" feel in your mouth when warmed to 50s.
Nov 14, 2014
4.25/5 rDev +6.3%
Chocolate...raspberries (from the red wine funk smell that i get ...its great warming up...funkier than your average red wine barrel beer...almost moldy/cheesy)...slight oak, slight oat, hint of coffee (small hint when colder really)...even slight citrus...not crazy bursting flavors but nice complexity. A bit more entertaining on the nose than in the mouth...but a great creamy mouthfeel and a unique beer on its own that is worth trying/aging. Carbonation stays nice throughout the beer warming up, and leaves a nice "tannic" feel in your mouth when warmed to 50s.
Nov 14, 2014
ChrisP802 from Vermont
3.83/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Oct 21, 2015
3.83/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Oct 21, 2015
Brevbin from Louisiana
4.17/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Jul 10, 2015
4.17/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Jul 10, 2015
Amp from Oklahoma
4.13/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
May 14, 2017
4.13/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
May 14, 2017
Prairie Wine Barrel Noir from Prairie Artisan Ales
Beer rating:
90 out of
100 with
688 ratings
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