Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – Imperial Stout Aged-On Coffee, Cacao Nibs, Vanilla Beans and Chili Peppers

The Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – imperial stout aged-on coffee, cacao Nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers is an amazing sout. This is a very expensive imperial stout which makes you set your expectations high and I must say it exceeded my expectations. Sadly I didn’t notice the reference to chili peppers or the ABV of 13% until after I purchased which had me concerned but after pouring this beautifully dark black liquid gold with a mild brown head I took a sniff and was pleasantly enticed to take the first sip which was incredibly smooth. The Bomb! has a nice aroma of coffee with a tiny hint of vanilla but the taste is at a level where it forces you to take a moment to savor the complex flavors that seem to change from beginning to the end of the sip. It starts with burst of thick smooth coffee followed with a chocolate with hints of vanilla then the chili pepper seems to creep up behind all of those pleasant flavors helping to intensify everything but not to the level of actually burning your tongue. Just before you swallow you notice the flavors seem to mellow out a little leaving a rich coffee and cocoa flavor behind brought together nicely by the vanilla with the ever so subtle bit of chili pepper. At 13% ABV, the Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – imperial stout aged-on coffee, cacao Nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers is a big brew with even bigger flavors nicely balanced. What I did find entertaining was the IBU is at 65 but honestly this was far from a bitter tasting beer with my thoughts being the high bitter was used to help balance the sweetness to give it a smooth taste without tasting too sweet. Beer Advocate 100 BA Score and The Bros!

Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – imperial stout aged-on coffee, cacao Nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers