Prairie Ale - Prairie Artisan Ales

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Much anticipated, Prairie Artisan Ales seems to be doing exciting things. 750 mL corked and caged bottle. Great looking label.

Pours up with a foamy head of white suds on top of a hazed straw-colored body. A gentle pour yields a thick froth that eventually collapses into a thin mat.

Aggressive brettanomyces is the first thing that hits the nose. Strong spicy funk, fresh leather. On the palate the brett yields to a soft, clean graininess and peppery saison yeast. Rustic, leafy hops give a nice counterbalance. More dirty, earthy wild yeast tones emerge as it warms, as does a subtle fruitiness (pineapple and lemon rind). Classic saison dryness keeps the drinker coming back for more.

A funk-forward saison - lacking subtlety, but damn good. If this is a clue to the direction that PAA is going, then the Oklahoma beer scene is about to go up a notch (or two).

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 23:48:37 | More by bump8628

chocosushi

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-25-2013 05:39:30 | More by chocosushi

od_sf

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-24-2013 02:25:52 | More by od_sf

ystazi

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-23-2013 21:50:37 | More by ystazi

frogfan

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%

05-23-2013 19:02:10 | More by frogfan

Liquoric3

Germany

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-22-2013 17:35:21 | More by Liquoric3

lakersfan16

Alaska

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%

05-22-2013 03:56:31 | More by lakersfan16

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thank you to willandperry for sending me a bunch of stuff from these guys and many more great brews. Cheers!

Appearance. Pours a very nice lemon-straw colour with a ton of haze and almost 3 fingers of frothy white head that leaves some nice lace behind.

Smell. Lemons and funky herbal saison yeast, dry old wood from the ocean (slightly briny) and a little bit of apple and pear.

Taste, Earthy, herbal funky saison yeast and light brett, lemon rind, ocean driftwood again, some light exotic spice that I can't put my finger on, maybe a little lemongrass and lime. Nice stuff.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, prorbably on the low side. Medium-strong carbonation.

Overall. Fantastic stuff. Really well made beer here with a ton of flavour. Glad I have most of the lineup to try. Thanks again willandperry!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:20:56 | More by Rutager

Envelopes

Ohio

4/5  rDev -4.8%

05-21-2013 05:37:16 | More by Envelopes

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.26/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2013 bottle poured into a FSW tulip glass.

A: Pours a hazy yellow/slightly golden color with a 1.5 finger fluffy white head which quickly dissipates. Carbonation is evident.

S: Strong lemon verbena aroma with a citrus backbone. Some slight funk on the nose with a slight bready aroma.

T: Sweet lemon tartness, similar to a lemon meringue pie. Some biscuit flavors from the nose make an appearance, bright crisp. Perhaps a bit of green apple in there as well.

M: Medium bodied, carbonation dances on your tongue.

O: Bight, crisp, clean and very refreshing Saison. Has a nice sweetness to it, but finishes dry. Would definitely recommend on a warm summer day/night.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 22:31:32 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

CDCNAM

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-20-2013 16:23:52 | More by CDCNAM

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 5.12.13

A - Pours a hazy medium orange with a large active, off-white head that fades fairly fast.

S - Wood, Brett, Some floral tones hit the nose.

T - Big acidic wood tones are noticable first, the some dry Brett earhtiness, followed by lemon and a touch of a floral note. The same "prairie" sweetness.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Dry, tart and lots of Brett. Light and refreshing all-around.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 04:40:31 | More by HuskyinPDX

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.29/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Presentation: 750 mL corked and caged bottle. Open with a light pop. Chilled and served into my Hill Farmsted tulip.

Appearance: Bright, light yellow in color and clear. Pours a light, white creamy had that holds to the glass nicely. Leaves a light lacing.

Aroma: Bright lemon, clean barnyard funk, and some green apple. Really light biscuit sweetness as well. Really well balanced.

Taste: Fruity with lemon and green apple notes upfront. Really crisp and bright. Plenty of horse blanket and barnyard funk. Some light hop bitterness as well that offsets the fruit tones and lends some earthy character.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and bright. Very refreshing. Does not fell like 7.0%.

Overall, a really fantastic, bright and refreshing saison. The flavor profile has a nice combination of lemon, funk, brightness and dryness. Really nice on a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 21:01:06 | More by Gosox8787

roblund

California

4/5  rDev -4.8%

05-19-2013 17:33:32 | More by roblund

MighHighBrewer

Colorado

3.96/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted on 5/18/13 in a tulip glass

A: Pours a light straw, golden color that almost reminds me of a lager. No hint of the orangish hues that you get with some saisons. The body of the beer is somewhat translucent - it's relatively hazy without being cloudy. A solid, one-inch think head is immediately evident on pouring and just stays there throughout the glass - very nice. The bubbles are also nice and small, giving the effect of a cloud resting upon the beer. Overall, the color is unimpressive but the head is one of the best I've ever seen on a commercial beer.

S: The primary nose consists of citrus fruit - especially orange and apricot - mixed with the funkiness of the Belgian yeast. There are also hints of lemon and tropical fruits. However, I dont get any of the spicy, peppery notes typical of a Saison. Overall, this Saison's nose is fruitier and less spicy than competing Saisons.

T&M: Wow - the taste is almost completely opposite of the nose on the saison continuum. While the smell indicates a more peppery saison, the taste is much spicier and on the funky side of things. Primary initial taste is of citrus fruits and a healthy dose of belgian yeast funkiness. Lingering in your mouth - and more prevalent towards the end - is peppery, somewhat floral notes. Overall, it's extremely well-balanced in terms of flavor: no one characteristics really overpowers this beer. Carbonation is good, although I like my saisons to have a bit more body than this one has. It's a little thin on the tongue.

O: In terms of balance, you can't really beat this saison. It's fruity yet spicy, funky yet clean. It's a great example of the style. However, it's not as complex as some of the best saisons on the market. I find myself wanting to like this beer more than I actually do. Ideally, I'd tone down the peppery notes and ramp up the body. A great example of the saison style, but not transcendent.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:28:02 | More by MighHighBrewer

Buster

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-19-2013 02:18:02 | More by Buster

Brew33

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-17-2013 00:33:23 | More by Brew33

DbbC

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.8%

05-15-2013 23:56:00 | More by DbbC

illy0sis

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-14-2013 22:28:06 | More by illy0sis

cwd

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -4.8%

05-14-2013 05:34:00 | More by cwd

JustinMatthew

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.8%

05-09-2013 18:45:18 | More by JustinMatthew

UCLABrewN84

California

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at GRG1313’s tasting.

Pours a murky orange with a foamy white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with floral, fruit, and Brett aromas. Taste is much the same with Brett and fruit flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of Brett bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 00:50:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

bennetj17

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bright gold color with a medium haze. Foam is thick at first, very soapy looking, but it dissipates abruptly without even leaving a ring. Surprisingly, fast paced streams of carbonation continue to erupt from below. There is definitely a healthy nose of Brett yeast with touches of lemon and subtle funk. Intriguing.

The taste has a combo of dry, bready malt, and tart, sharp, Brett character. It tries to be balanced, but is still quite intense. Finishes with a grassy hop bitterness. Alcohol seems mild. The carbonation is very bubbly and almost piercing on the tongue. The effervescence is a bit much but does settle down about halfway through the glass. The beer itself is thin in body.

My second attempt at Prairie and this one is not amazing like my first, but this is still a nice Saison. I'd say it's a bit one dimensional and could use either more heavy-handed hopping, or perhaps a touch more sweetness to counteract the Bretty intensity. Or perhaps it just needs to be a bit more subtle overall. Worth a try, but I might explore other options in the future when considering a $13+ price tag.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:00:34 | More by bennetj17

sirsteve42

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-05-2013 02:54:32 | More by sirsteve42

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%

05-02-2013 12:42:24 | More by ColForbinBC