Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
The next beer doesn’t sound very festive. Sounds more like danger and mopping but Prairie Artisan Ales has fashioned a sour ale with all the holiday spices sure to liven up a Christmas gathering.
Santa gets the Prairie Artisan Ales treatment for their barrel-aged Christmas release from the Oklahoma brewery.
Damn. This is mega funky. And just when you think the funk aroma is done, in wafts more farmhouse. Pours a hazy orange juice color. I get a touch of the Nelson but the crazy funk from the yeast is the star of this show and I like it. And the funk just doesn’t die down. It teeters really close to cat pee territory without tipping over. Just when I think it has gone over the line it pulls back just a skosh.
And boy is this label a trip. Laser Cats. Weird Fish. Bicycles and tailgating and so much more. I would love to see a “patriotic” Bud drinker pick up Merica and think it was some peon to “real America” and then getting a pure blast of funk.
On the non-beer side of the ledger, I drank this beer while watching World War Z. Now I read the book and really enjoyed it. The movie is not the book in any way shape or form. But I enjoyed the movie too. Crazy cool Zombies and an ambiguous ending to boot. Plus it had the 12th Doctor in it!
Last month, I posted about Prairie Artisan Ales from Oklahoma, and then surprise, here is a review of their Standard, a hoppy farmhouse ale.
I love the cool comic label. Little scared by the description of “How to Noodle” but I got past that to the beer which pours a light yellow color with a little bit of bubbles. Lovely Belgian funk going on in the aroma. Barnyard for sure. It really coats the mouth. Nice little fizz at the front of the tongue which fades into a bit of vanilla for me. Simple and classy.
Our first stop is in Oklahoma and Prairie Artisan Ales. I start here because their beers have made their way out to L.A. (though I have yet to buy one of yet).
It is run by the Healey brothers, Chase and Colin. And their focus is on the wonderful Saison style. They have multiple versions to try but here are the ones that strike me off the bat….
Prairie Standard (and it’s super cool comics label)
Prairie Standard is our everyday beer. Its a light, crisp saison with a hoppy finish. This beer is dry hopped 1lb per bbl with Motueka hops. A lovely New Zealand hop with a spicy lime like flavor and aroma.
Prairie Hop
Prairie Hop is our hop driven saison. This beer is packed with Simcoe and Citra hops. Notes of peach, mango, and tangerine can be found in the flavor and aroma of this beer. The beer finishes dry which helps the hops jump out of the glass flavor wise.
