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Prairie Artisan Ales – Christmas BOMB! (2015)

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Location Tulsa, OK
Style Winter Ale
 ABV 11.0%
 IBUs 60

 

Best Quote During Tasting

You guys have a lot of phallic references when you talk about beer.

Justin:

Aroma - The chili peppers are easily there as well as a little bit of cinnamon.  What I'm not sure of is the grassiness I'm picking up.
Score: 9/12
Appearance - Deep brown with a thick, tan head.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - It's got some overall sweetness which is expected in such a high ABV beer.  It's missing a lot of the Christmas spices associated with the style.  The slight spiciness from the chilis and the cinnamon work very well together.
Score: 16/20
Mouthfeel - Medium+ body with medium carbonation.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - Prairie's regular BOMB! is a delicious beer if you haven't had it.  This beer is that exact beer with cinnamon bark added.  That's exactly what this tasted like.  BOMB! + Cinnamon.  Unfortunately, in order to make it something all its own, it's going to need more than just the cinnamon bark.  It was delicious but I was hoping for a little more.
Score: 8/10

 Blake:

Aroma -  All the notes of the regular BOMB!, coffee, vanilla, peppery spice, and chocolate are there. Added in the Christmas mix is cinnamon bark, and possibly some other spices. There is a weird basil and pine aroma that is a bit unexpected, but not entirely unpleasant. 
Score: 9/12
Appearance - Pours opaque, deep brown bordering on black, with a very solid tan head. 
Score: 3/3
Flavor - The basil and pine notes I get in the aroma are definitely there in the flavor. Cinnamon is present, but I honestly wouldn't mind seeing it kicked up a notch. Amping up the Christmas spices (nutmeg, brown sugar, etc.) might be something that makes this a better beer in the future. The base BOMB! is still fully present giving plenty of complex flavors for you to pick out. 
Score: 16/20
Mouthfeel -  Medium-thick body with medium-low carbonation. Very pleasing mouthfeel. 
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - This is a good beer, but if I had to pick one or the other, I'd stick with the regular BOMB! over Christmas BOMB!. I was lucky enough to get a few bottle of Pirate BOMB! last year and that so far takes the cake on this series, and might possibly be one of my favorite barrel-aged beers. It's obvious that Prairie tweaked the recipe this year, and I hope they continue to do so until they hit a home run. 
Score: 8/10

 

Christmas BOMB! Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.1
User Rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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